Baseball is more than a game; it’s a language with its baseball terminology. From the tactics used on the field to the creative baseball terms for home run shots and baseball slang terms, these terms provide fans with a more comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the game. 

You’ve come to the perfect place if you want to impress your pals or are just curious about baseball slang. Baseball pitching slang, baseball sayings,baseball batter terms, and hitting terminology will all be covered in this article.

Often Used Slang and Terminologies in Baseball

Here are some of the baseball words that are often used in baseball:

Baseball Slangs True Fans Should Know 

Explore some baseball phrases that any devoted fan should know:

Advance the runner: 

• Transferring a base runner to the subsequent base.

Airmail: 

• Launching the ball far beyond the intended recipient.

Ate him up: 

• When a ground ball is tough to cleanly field.

Backstop: 

• The space, usually a net or fence, behind home plate.

Bag:

•  Denotes a single base.

Barehand: 

• Grasping the ball or playing it without a glove.

Bases loaded: 

• Runners are occupying all three bases.

Basket catch: 

• Catching the ball with your glove facing upwards.

Blooper: 

• A softly hit ball that lands in for a hit.

Bottom of the inning: 

• It is now the home team’s chance to bat.

Bush league:

•  Incompetent or disrespectful behavior.

Cannon: 

• An outfielder’s powerful throwing arm.

Circus catch: 

• An amazing feat of agility and grace.

Cut-off Man: 

• A fielder who catches an outfield throw.

Diamond:

•  The playing field, with the infield in particular.

Eat it: 

• Retaining the ball instead of taking a chance with a throw.

Flashing leather: 

• Performing a brilliant defensive maneuver.

Flow: 

• The hair is long and flowing beneath the hat.

Free baseball:

• Any more innings played after the ninth.

Get dirty: 

• sliding into a base.

Giddy up:

• Cheering for the batter to hit a home run.

Double play: 

• Recording two outs on a single play.

Have a day:

• An exceptional game from a player.

Hot corner: 

• a synonym for third base due to hard-hit balls.

Leather:

• Another word for a glove.

Lay out:

• Fully extending the body to create a catch.

Pepper: 

• A fast-throw-based warm-up prior to a game.

Rally cap: 

• Putting on a cap inside out to inspire a rally.

Range: 

• The capacity of a player to cover ground defensively.

Shag: 

• To capture fly balls in practice.

Short porch:

• An outfield barrier that is closer than normal.

Stranded:

• Finishing an inning with a runner on base.

Small ball:

• Put more emphasis on bunts and singles than on strong hitting.

Top of the inning: 

• The visiting team’s turn to bat.

Tossed: 

• Removed by an umpire from the contest.

Web Gem:

• A defensive play worthy of the highlights.

Yips: 

• Loss of fine motor skills impacting performance.

5 Tool Player:

• Excels in hitting for average, power, base running, fielding, and throwing.

Pitching Terms in Baseball

Recognize the simple baseball terms and more specialized phrases used by players and pundits in their pitching lingo.

Ace: 

• The top starting pitcher in the rotation. Learn more about the role of an ace pitcher.

Ahead in the count: 

• When the pitcher has multiple strikes than balls on the batter.

Attack the strike zone: 

• Pitching aggressively inside the strike zone.

Balk: 

• An illegal movement by the pitcher.

Beaned:

• Get hit by a pitched ball.

Behind in the count: 

• When the pitcher has numerous balls than strikes on the batter.

Bender:

•  A curveball. Read about the different types of pitches.

Bread and butter:

•  A pitcher’s best pitch.

Brushback: 

• A pitch thrown close to the batter to intimidate.

Bump: 

• a different name for the pitcher’s mound.

Bullpen: 

• Where pitchers warm up shortly before stepping into the game.

Caught looking: 

• Striking out without swinging.

Changeup: 

• A slower pitch meant to trick the batter.

Charging the mound:

•  The batter running toward the pitcher in order to confront him.

Check the runner: 

• Trying to keep the runner from expanding too far off the base.

Cheddar:

•  a quick pitch.

Chin music:

•  A pitch thrown close to the batter’s face.

Clinic: 

• An incredible display of pitching.

Closer:

•  A pitcher who ends the game.

Complete game:

•  When a pitcher pitches the whole game.

Crafty:

•  A pitcher who utilizes an array of pitches to get batters out.

Deal: 

• To pitch smoothly.

Dish: 

• The home plate.

Deuces: 

• A curveball.

Fanned: 

• Striking out via swinging and missing.

Filthy: 

• An incredibly strong pitch.

Four-fingered salute:

•  Indicates a deliberate walk.

Fresh meat:

•  a fresh pitcher stepping into the game.

Full count: 

• Three balls and two strikes on the batter.

Gas: 

• A fastball.

Handcuff: 

• A pitch that is delivered inside that makes it challenging to hit.

Hanger: 

• A breaking ball that is unsuccessful to break, staying up in the strike zone.

Heater: 

• A fastball.

High and tight: 

• A pitch near to the batter’s chest.

Horse: 

• A strong pitcher who can pitch numerous innings.

Immaculate inning:

•  Striking out three batters with nine pitches.

Knee-buckler: 

• A curveball that makes the batter buckle at the knees.

Merry-go-round: 

• Constant base running due to hits and walks.

Meatball: 

• an effortless pitch to hit.

Mop up pitcher: 

• A pitcher utilized in a losing game to wrap up the innings.

Mow Em down: 

• Striking out numerous batters in one go.

No-hitter: 

• A game where no hits are permissible.

Noodle arm:

•  A fragile throwing arm.

On the black: 

• It is a pitch on the edge of the strike zone.

Outing: 

• A pitcher’s performance in a game.

Paint: 

• Making pitches that are outside of the strike zone.

Perfect game: 

• No hits, walks, or errors allowed in a game.

Punchout: 

• Striking out a batter.

Ring him up:

•  Third strike called by the umpire.

Rubber arm: 

• A pitcher with endless arm motion that never tires.

Rubber: 

• The pitcher’s mound.

Southpaw:

• A left-handed pitcher.

Take the hill:

• to begin the game as a pitcher.

Uncle Charlie: 

• A curveball.

Windup: 

• The pitching motion.

1-2-3 Inning: 

• An inning where the pitcher faces only three batters.

Baseball Terminology for Hitting

Everybody in the stands and the dugout employs unique baseball lingo to communicate what’s happening on the field. For instance,baseball hit  has a ton of fascinating terminology.

Baseball terminology for hitting, highlighting key terms related to batting and offensive strategies.

Base knock:

•  A baseball term for being struck.

Base hit: 

• Hitting the ball and making it to a base without incident.

Bat around: 

• When all nine hitters in the lineup get to bat in an inning.

Bat flip: 

• The celebratory act of flipping the bat following a home run.

Batter’s Box: 

• the spot where the batter stands while their turn.

Batting average:

•  A statistic which indicates the frequency of getting a hit.

Big fly: 

• A home run.

Blast: 

• A long hit, usually a home run.

Bleeder: 

• A weakly hit ball that gets through for a hit.

Bomb: 

• A long home run.

BP: 

• Batting practice.

Bunt:

•  Carefully tapping the ball to advance a runner.

Cage bomb: 

• A home run while batting practice.

Can of corn: 

• an effortless fly ball catch.

Check swing:

•  Beginning a swing but stopping in time.

Choke up: 

• Moving hands up the bat for greater control.

Cleanup batter: 

• The fourth hitter in the lineup, often a power hitter.

Comebacker: 

• A ball hits directly back to the pitcher.

Count: 

• The amount of balls and strikes on a batter.

Cycle: 

• Hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in a game.

Daddy hack: 

• A powerful, forceful swing.

Designated hitter: 

• A player who bats in place of the pitcher.

Dinger: 

• A home run.

Ducks on the pond:

•  Runners on base, especially with bases loaded.

Frozen rope: 

• A hard-hit line drive.

Gap:

•  Space between outfielders.

Get out: 

• Yelling for a fly ball to leave the park for a home run.

Going yard:

•  Hitting a home run.

Greenlight: 

• Permission to swing at a pitch.

Grounder:

•  A ball hit on the ground.

Hack: 

• A big swing.

Hit and run: 

• The runner starts stealing, and the batter hits the ball.

Jack: 

• Another term for a home run.

Knock: 

• That was a base hit.

Lace:

•  A hard-hit ball.

Laser show: 

• A series of hard-hit line drives.

Leg it out: 

• Running hard to get on base.

Lumber: 

• Refers to a bat.

Masher: 

• A power hitter.

Moonshot: 

• A very long home run.

Poke: 

• A hit, often a home run.

Rake:

•  Hitting well consistently.

Ribbie: 

• Short for RBI (Run Batted In).

Salami:

•  A grand slam.

Slugger: 

• A powerful hitter.

Slump: 

• An extended period without getting hits.

Smoked: 

• Hitting the ball very hard.

Snow cone:

•  A ball caught at the top of the glove.

Solo shot:

•  A home run with no runners on base.

Spray hitter: 

• A batter who can hit all parts of the field.

Tater:

•  Another term for a home run.

Tattoo:

•  Hitting the ball hard.

Tee off:

•  Hitting well against a pitcher.

Warning Track Power:

•  Hitting a ball that almost clears the fence.

Whammy:

•  Another term for a home run.

Wheels:

•  Speed.

Whiff: 

• Swinging and missing a pitch.

Conclusion

Acquiring knowledge of these baseball terms slang not only improves your comprehension of the sport but also presents you as an authentic enthusiast. These baseball slang terminology will enhance your experience with the game, whether you’re playing, watching, or conversing with other fans. For a more detailed glossary of baseball terms, check out the Baseball Terms Glossary by Under Armour.

FAQ’S