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Baseball Slang

While every sport has its own lingo, no sport uses acronyms and abbreviations as much as baseball. In order to understand baseball stats and commentators, it's important to know basic baseball slang. The list below includes the full range of abbreviations, acronyms, and slang terms used in baseball, from AB to Yard.

Slang Term	Meaning	Votes
BF	Batters faced	565
Clutch	Ability to perform under pressure	574
GF	Games finished	583
MLB	Major League Baseball	585
HR	Home run	587
DFS	Daily Fantasy Sports	587
RBI	Runs batted in	588
Tater	Home run	589
DL	Disabled list	589
ROY	Rookie of the Year	589
Closer	A relief pitcher that finishes a baseball game	589
Basebrawl	Baseball brawl	589
avg	Batting average	590
Rundown	Baserunner stranded between two bases	590
Set the table	To get on base so other hitters can score the baserunners	590
Bush league	Amateur play	590
2B	Second base	591
Chin music	Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head	591
Mendoza line	.200 batting average	591
TP	Triple play	591
SB	Stolen bases	592
L	Losses	592
Can of corn	An easy catch by a fielder	592
Trade bait	A good player that entices other teams to trade for him	592
Mash	To hit a baseball well	593
Wheels	Fast legs	593
DP	Double play	593
NLDS	National League Division Series	594
Homer	Home run	594
Single	Hit that results in the batter getting to first base	594
OPS	On-base Plus Slugging Percentage	594
Cinderella	Underdog sports team	594
On deck	Batting second	594
Paint the corner	To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate	594
DER	Defensive Efficiency Rating	594
Bag	A base	594
GSH	Grand Slams	594
MBFA	Make baseball fun again	594
ERA	Earned run average	595
AB	At bat	595
ALCS	American League Championship Series	595
Dinger	Home run	595
Ruthian	Powerful	595
Meatball	Easy pitch to hit	595
Grounder	A baseball hit on the ground	595
Double	Hit that results in the batter getting to second base	595
Triple	Hit that results in the batter getting to third base	595
SLG	Slugging percentage	595
R	Runs	595
Maddux	Complete game shutout with less than 100 pitches	595
TC	Total chances	595
Bases juiced	Baserunners on all three bases	595
Millennial baseball	A baseball strategy of swinging for home runs instead of base hits	595
Pull	To hit a ball to the same side of the field in which you bat	595
Sweeper	A breaking ball that sweeps horizontally	595
Yard	Home run	596
ALDS	American League Division Series	596
Ace	Best starting pitcher	596
SP	Starting pitcher	596
C	Catcher	596
LCS	League Championship Series	596
Baltimore chop	Baseball hit that takes a large hop over an infielder	596
1B	First base	596
WAR	Wins Above Replacement	596
Rubber	Pitcher's plate	596
Shoestring catch	Catch made just above a player's shoes	596
Cellar	Last place	596
Turn two	To record a double play	596
Leadoff	First batter in the lineup	596
Cleanup	Player batting fourth in the lineup	596
fpct	Fielding percentage	596
Two bagger	Double	596
SV	Saves	596
Round-tripper	Home run	596
K	Strikeout	597
NLCS	National League Championship Series	597
P	Pitcher	597
Bloop	Weakly hit fly ball	597
3B	Third base	597
RF	Right field	597
SS	Shortstop	597
E4	Error made by the second baseman	597
Bronx cheer	Noise that signals mockery	597
High and tight	High and inside pitch	597
Leather	Defense ability	597
Dish	Home plate	597
Uncle Charlie	Curve ball	597
XBH	Extra base hits	597
Grand Slam	A four-run home run	597
Four bagger	Home run	597
Paint the black	To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate	597
Sweet spot	The part of the bat that provides the best contact	597
Twin killing	Double play	597
G	Games played	597
Three bagger	Triple	597
Annie Oakley	Free pass	597
LIPS	Late inning pressured situations	597
RW	Relief wins	597
Put out fires	Get out of difficult situations	597
Yakker	Curve ball	597
Cheddar	Good fastball	597
Shelled	Beaten badly	597
MLBPA	Major League Baseball Players Association	597
LOOGY	Left-handed One Out Guy	597
Hops	Jumping ability	597
Cannon	An impressive throwing arm	597
Lumber	Baseball bat	597
Go deep	Hit a home run	597
Tunneling	Throwing different pitches with a similar trajectory to fool hitters	597
BB	Bases on balls	598
CS	Caught stealing	598
Bomb	Home run	598
RP	Relief pitcher	598
Ride the pine	Sit on the bench	598
Cycle	Single, double, triple, and home run	598
LF	Left field	598
CF	Center field	598
OF	Outfield	598
E5	Error made by the third baseman	598
E6	Error made by the shortstop	598
E7	Error made by the left fielder	598
E8	Error made by the center fielder	598
E9	Error made by the right fielder	598
Around the horn	Double play from third to second to first base	598
Double play	Two outs on the same play	598
Triple play	Three outs on the same play	598
Brushback	Pitch that almost hits the hitter	598
Pickle	Baserunner stranded between two bases	598
Hotbox	Baserunner stranded between two bases	598
Hill	Pitcher's mound	598
Cheese	Good fastball	598
Wheelhouse	Hitter's power zone	598
On the button	Hard hit ball	598
WS	World Series	598
LOB	Left on base	598
SF	Sacrifice Flies	598
GS	Games started	598
inn	Innings played	598
Bases loaded	Baserunners on all three bases	598
HB	Hit batsmen	598
hld	Hold	598
IP	Innings pitched	598
IRA	Inherited runs allowed	598
Fireman	Late-inning relief pitcher	598
Pea	A ball traveling at a high speed	598
Punchout	Strikeout	598
Cutter	A breaking fastball	598
Bust	A player who does not perform well	598
oppo	Opposite field	598
Shove	To pitch well	598
BABIP	Batting average on balls in play	598
Oppo boppo	Opposite field home run	598
pl8	Plate	599
Heater	Fastball	599
Hot corner	Third base	599
Southpaw	Left-handed pitcher	599
Jam	To pitch near a batter's hands	599
RPI	Ratings Percentage Index	599
E1	Error made by the pitcher	599
Blowing a raspberry	Making a jeering noise	599
In the hole	Batting third	599
Touch em all	Home run	599
GIDP	Ground into double play	599
NP	Number of pitches	599
TPA	Total plate appearances	599
GRSL	Grand Slams	599
Table setter	A player who gets on base so other hitters can hit him in	599
Frozen rope	Line drive baseball hit	599
IBB	Intentional bases on balls	599
OFA	Outfield assists	599
RF	Range factor	599
PB	Passed balls	599
AO	Fly outs	599
PA	Plate appearances	599
IL	Injured list	599
CGSO	Complete game shutout	599
Ribby	Run batted in	600
CG	Complete games	600
Tater trot	Home run trot	600
ER	Earned runs	600
Line drive	Hard hit baseball in the air	600
Texas Leaguer	Weak fly ball hit to the outfield	600
OBP	On-base Percentage	600
E	Errors	600
E2	Error made by the catcher	600
HBP	Hit by pitch	600
Putout	Out	600
PO	Putouts	600
Rope	Line drive baseball hit	600
sac	Sacrifice bunts	600
GO	Ground outs	600
bk	Balks	600
Backdoor slider	A pitch that breaks over the plate	600
Whiff	Swinging strikeout	600
Rib	Run batted in	601
CGL	Complete game losses	601
Bush	Amateur play	601
UR	Unearned runs	601