Batter vs. pitcher

At the heart of every play is a duel: the pitcher throws the ball, and the batter tries to hit it. The umpire behind home plate judges each pitch.

The strike zone

Picture a rectangle over home plate — from the batter's knees to chest. A pitch through this zone is a strike. Outside it — a ball.

  • 3 strikes → the batter is out (strikeout).
  • 4 balls → the batter walks to first base for free.

Ways to get out

Three outs end a half-inning. A batter can be out in several ways:

  • Strikeout — three strikes (swings and misses, or called strikes in the zone).
  • Fly out — a fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground.
  • Ground out — a fielder throws the ball to a base before the runner arrives.
  • Tag out — a fielder touches the runner with the ball while off base.

Foul ball

A ball hit outside the foul lines is a foul ball. It counts as a strike (up to two), but a third strike cannot be "fouled off" — play continues until the batter hits into fair territory or strikes out another way.

What's next?

In the next episode we'll cover field positions and what each defender does. See you at practice!