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 | 563 |
Clutch | Ability to perform under pressure | 582 |
MLB | Major League Baseball | 589 |
HR | Home run | 589 |
ROY | Rookie of the Year | 592 |
GF | Games finished | 592 |
DFS | Daily Fantasy Sports | 592 |
RBI | Runs batted in | 593 |
2B | Second base | 593 |
DL | Disabled list | 593 |
Basebrawl | Baseball brawl | 593 |
Closer | A relief pitcher that finishes a baseball game | 594 |
TP | Triple play | 594 |
Rundown | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 594 |
Set the table | To get on base so other hitters can score the baserunners | 594 |
Bush league | Amateur play | 594 |
avg | Batting average | 595 |
SB | Stolen bases | 595 |
Tater | Home run | 595 |
Triple | Hit that results in the batter getting to third base | 595 |
SLG | Slugging percentage | 595 |
Chin music | Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head | 595 |
Can of corn | An easy catch by a fielder | 595 |
Mendoza line | .200 batting average | 595 |
On deck | Batting second | 595 |
Bases juiced | Baserunners on all three bases | 595 |
Trade bait | A good player that entices other teams to trade for him | 596 |
NLDS | National League Division Series | 597 |
Dinger | Home run | 597 |
LCS | League Championship Series | 597 |
Homer | Home run | 597 |
Meatball | Easy pitch to hit | 597 |
Wheels | Fast legs | 597 |
Bloop | Weakly hit fly ball | 597 |
Single | Hit that results in the batter getting to first base | 597 |
1B | First base | 597 |
3B | Third base | 597 |
OPS | On-base Plus Slugging Percentage | 597 |
DP | Double play | 597 |
Paint the corner | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 597 |
DER | Defensive Efficiency Rating | 597 |
G | Games played | 597 |
Annie Oakley | Free pass | 597 |
Millennial baseball | A baseball strategy of swinging for home runs instead of base hits | 597 |
ERA | Earned run average | 598 |
Yard | Home run | 598 |
ALCS | American League Championship Series | 598 |
Ace | Best starting pitcher | 598 |
Mash | To hit a baseball well | 598 |
SP | Starting pitcher | 598 |
Ruthian | Powerful | 598 |
Grounder | Baseball hit on the ground | 598 |
Double | Hit that results in the batter getting to second base | 598 |
WAR | Wins Above Replacement | 598 |
RF | Right field | 598 |
Cinderella | Underdog sports team | 598 |
E1 | Error made by the pitcher | 598 |
E4 | Error made by the second baseman | 598 |
E5 | Error made by the third baseman | 598 |
E6 | Error made by the shortstop | 598 |
Double play | Two outs on the same play | 598 |
Rubber | Pitcher's plate | 598 |
Shoestring catch | Catch made just above a player's shoes | 598 |
Cellar | Last place | 598 |
XBH | Extra base hits | 598 |
R | Runs | 598 |
Twin killing | Double play | 598 |
Turn two | To record a double play | 598 |
Leadoff | First batter in the lineup | 598 |
Cleanup | Player batting fourth in the lineup | 598 |
fpct | Fielding percentage | 598 |
TC | Total chances | 598 |
Two bagger | Double | 598 |
Bag | Base | 598 |
GSH | Grand Slams | 598 |
SV | Saves | 598 |
Pea | A ball traveling at a high speed | 598 |
Punchout | Strikeout | 598 |
Yakker | Curve ball | 598 |
Round-tripper | Home run | 598 |
Bust | A player who does not perform well | 598 |
BB | Bases on balls | 599 |
Ribby | Run batted in | 599 |
AB | At bat | 599 |
CS | Caught stealing | 599 |
K | Strikeouts | 599 |
ALDS | American League Division Series | 599 |
RP | Relief pitcher | 599 |
C | Catcher | 599 |
Ride the pine | Sit on the bench | 599 |
Hot corner | Third base | 599 |
Southpaw | Left-handed pitcher | 599 |
Cycle | Single, double, triple, and home run | 599 |
Baltimore chop | Baseball hit that takes a large hop over an infielder | 599 |
LF | Left field | 599 |
SS | Shortstop | 599 |
E7 | Error made by the left fielder | 599 |
Bronx cheer | Noise that signals mockery | 599 |
Dish | Home plate | 599 |
In the hole | Batting third | 599 |
Uncle Charlie | Curve ball | 599 |
WS | World Series | 599 |
LOB | Left on base | 599 |
GIDP | Ground into double play | 599 |
SF | Sacrifice Flies | 599 |
TPA | Total plate appearances | 599 |
GS | Games started | 599 |
Four bagger | Home run | 599 |
Sweet spot | The part of the bat that provides the best contact | 599 |
Maddux | Complete game shutout with less than 100 pitches | 599 |
IBB | Intentional bases on balls | 599 |
PB | Passed balls | 599 |
Three bagger | Triple | 599 |
LIPS | Late inning pressured situations | 599 |
Put out fires | Get out of difficult situations | 599 |
Backdoor slider | A pitch that breaks over the plate | 599 |
Shelled | Beaten badly | 599 |
MBFA | Make baseball fun again | 599 |
MLBPA | Major League Baseball Players Association | 599 |
LOOGY | Left-handed One Out Guy | 599 |
Bomb | Home run | 600 |
P | Pitcher | 600 |
OF | Outfield | 600 |
E | Errors | 600 |
Hotbox | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 600 |
Wheelhouse | Hitter's power zone | 600 |
Touch em all | Home run | 600 |
Grand Slam | Four-run home run | 600 |
inn | Innings played | 600 |
bk | Balks | 600 |
L | Losses | 601 |
Jam | To pitch near a batter's hands | 601 |
E9 | Error made by the right fielder | 601 |
Blowing a raspberry | Making a jeering noise | 601 |
Cheese | Good fastball | 601 |
Frozen rope | Line drive baseball hit | 601 |
PA | Plate appearances | 601 |
Bush | Amateur play | 601 |
Cheddar | Good fastball | 601 |
Rib | Run batted in | 602 |
CG | Complete games | 602 |
RPI | Ratings Percentage Index | 602 |
HBP | Hit by pitch | 602 |
GRSL | Grand Slams | 602 |
Table setter | A player who gets on base so other hitters can hit him in | 602 |
Heater | Fastball | 600 |
NLCS | National League Championship Series | 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 |
CF | Center field | 600 |
E2 | Error made by the catcher | 600 |
E8 | Error made by the center fielder | 600 |
Around the horn | Double play from third to second to first base | 600 |
Triple play | Three outs on the same play | 600 |
Brushback | Pitch that almost hits the hitter | 600 |
High and tight | High and inside pitch | 600 |
Pickle | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 600 |
Leather | Defense ability | 600 |
Hill | Pitcher's mound | 600 |
On the button | Hard hit ball | 600 |
NP | Number of pitches | 600 |
Putout | Out | 600 |
PO | Putouts | 600 |
Paint the black | To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate | 600 |
Rope | Line drive baseball hit | 600 |
sac | Sacrifice bunts | 600 |
OFA | Outfield assists | 600 |
RF | Range factor | 600 |
AO | Fly outs | 600 |
CGL | Complete game losses | 600 |
GO | Ground outs | 600 |
Bases loaded | Baserunners on all three bases | 600 |
HB | Hit batsmen | 600 |
hld | Hold | 600 |
IP | Innings pitched | 600 |
IRA | Inherited runs allowed | 600 |
RW | Relief wins | 600 |
Fireman | Late-inning relief pitcher | 600 |
Cutter | Cut fastball | 600 |
Whiff | Swinging strikeout | 600 |
UR | Unearned runs | 600 |
IL | Injured list | 600 |