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 | 576 |
MLB | Major League Baseball | 585 |
GF | Games finished | 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 |
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 |
Baltimore chop | Baseball hit that takes a large hop over an infielder | 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 |
MBFA | Make baseball fun again | 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 |
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 |
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 |
LF | Left field | 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 |
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 |
Cheddar | Good fastball | 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 |
Sweeper | A breaking ball that sweeps horizontally | 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 |
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 |
G | Games played | 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 |
Punchout | Strikeout | 598 |
Cutter | A breaking fastball | 598 |
Yakker | Curve ball | 598 |
Shelled | Beaten badly | 598 |
Bust | A player who does not perform well | 598 |
oppo | Opposite field | 598 |
Tunneling | Throwing different pitches with a similar trajectory to fool hitters | 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 |
Pea | A ball traveling at a high speed | 599 |
IL | Injured list | 599 |
CGSO | Complete game shutout | 599 |
Shove | To pitch well | 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 |