Home BrowseBaseball Terms

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	572
GF	Games finished	582
MLB	Major League Baseball	583
DFS	Daily Fantasy Sports	585
HR	Home run	586
RBI	Runs batted in	586
Tater	Home run	586
ROY	Rookie of the Year	587
Basebrawl	Baseball brawl	587
DL	Disabled list	588
Closer	A relief pitcher that finishes a baseball game	588
Set the table	To get on base so other hitters can score the baserunners	588
avg	Batting average	589
Mendoza line	.200 batting average	589
Rundown	Baserunner stranded between two bases	589
Bush league	Amateur play	589
L	Losses	590
2B	Second base	590
Chin music	Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head	590
Can of corn	An easy catch by a fielder	590
SB	Stolen bases	591
Trade bait	A good player that entices other teams to trade for him	591
Wheels	Fast legs	592
Leather	Defense ability	592
DP	Double play	592
TP	Triple play	592
Sweeper	A breaking ball that sweeps horizontally	592
NLDS	National League Division Series	593
Mash	To hit a baseball well	593
Homer	Home run	593
Single	Hit that results in the batter getting to first base	593
SLG	Slugging percentage	593
Cinderella	Underdog sports team	593
Paint the corner	To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate	593
DER	Defensive Efficiency Rating	593
Pull	To hit a ball to the same side of the field in which you bat	593
OPS	On-base Plus Slugging Percentage	594
Maddux	Complete game shutout with less than 100 pitches	594
Bases juiced	Baserunners on all three bases	594
SV	Saves	594
Yakker	Curve ball	594
AB	At bat	595
ALCS	American League Championship Series	595
Dinger	Home run	595
LCS	League Championship Series	595
Ruthian	Powerful	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
R	Runs	595
TC	Total chances	595
Bag	A base	595
GSH	Grand Slams	595
MBFA	Make baseball fun again	595
ERA	Earned run average	596
Yard	Home run	596
K	Strikeout	596
ALDS	American League Division Series	596
Bomb	A home run	596
Ace	Best starting pitcher	596
SP	Starting pitcher	596
C	Catcher	596
Meatball	Easy pitch to hit	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
On deck	Batting second	596
Shoestring catch	Catch made just above a player's shoes	596
Cellar	Last place	596
Four bagger	Home run	596
Sweet spot	The part of the bat that provides the best contact	596
Twin killing	Two outs on the same play	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
Cheddar	Good fastball	596
Shelled	Beaten badly	596
Round-tripper	Home run	596
Millennial baseball	A baseball strategy of swinging for home runs instead of base hits	596
MLBPA	Major League Baseball Players Association	596
LOOGY	Left-handed One Out Guy	596
Cannon	An impressive throwing arm	596
Tunneling	Throwing different pitches with a similar trajectory to fool hitters	596
BB	Bases on balls	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
Double play	Two outs on the same play	597
Bronx cheer	Noise that signals mockery	597
High and tight	High and inside pitch	597
Pickle	Baserunner stranded between two bases	597
Dish	Home plate	597
Cheese	Good fastball	597
Wheelhouse	Hitter's power zone	597
Uncle Charlie	Curve ball	597
WS	World Series	597
GS	Games started	597
Grand Slam	A four-run home run	597
Paint the black	To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate	597
Three bagger	Triple	597
Annie Oakley	Free pass	597
HB	Hit batsmen	597
LIPS	Late inning pressured situations	597
RW	Relief wins	597
Put out fires	Get out of difficult situations	597
Cutter	A breaking fastball	597
Hops	Jumping ability	597
oppo	Opposite field	597
Lumber	Baseball bat	597
Go deep	Hit a home run	597
Web gem	An amazing defensive play	597
CS	Caught stealing	598
RP	Relief pitcher	598
Ride the pine	Sit on the bench	598
Hot corner	Third base	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
Triple play	Three outs on the same play	598
Brushback	Pitch that almost hits the hitter	598
Hotbox	Baserunner stranded between two bases	598
Hill	Pitcher's mound	598
In the hole	Batting third	598
On the button	Hard hit ball	598
Touch em all	Home run	598
LOB	Left on base	598
SF	Sacrifice Flies	598
XBH	Extra base hits	598
inn	Innings played	598
Bases loaded	Baserunners on all three bases	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
IL	Injured list	598
Shove	To pitch well	598
BABIP	Batting average on balls in play	598
Oppo boppo	Opposite field home run	598
Heater	Fastball	599
Tater trot	Home run trot	599
Southpaw	Left-handed pitcher	599
Jam	To pitch near a batter's hands	599
Line drive	Hard hit baseball in the air	599
Texas Leaguer	Weak fly ball hit to the outfield	599
RPI	Ratings Percentage Index	599
E	Errors	599
E1	Error made by the pitcher	599
Blowing a raspberry	Making a jeering noise	599
GIDP	Ground into double play	599
NP	Number of pitches	599
Table setter	A player who gets on base so other hitters can hit him in	599
Rope	Line drive baseball hit	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
Backdoor slider	A pitch that breaks over the plate	599
Whiff	Swinging strikeout	599
Bust	A player who does not perform well	599
CGSO	Complete game shutout	599
pl8	Plate	600
Ribby	Run batted in	600
CG	Complete games	600
ER	Earned runs	600
OBP	On-base Percentage	600
E2	Error made by the catcher	600
HBP	Hit by pitch	600
TPA	Total plate appearances	600
Putout	Out	600
PO	Putouts	600
GRSL	Grand Slams	600
sac	Sacrifice bunts	600
GO	Ground outs	600
bk	Balks	600
Bush	Amateur play	601
Rib	Run batted in	602
CGL	Complete game losses	602
UR	Unearned runs	602