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 | 566 |
Clutch | Ability to perform under pressure | 574 |
GF | Games finished | 584 |
MLB | Major League Baseball | 585 |
HR | Home run | 587 |
DFS | Daily Fantasy Sports | 587 |
RBI | Runs batted in | 588 |
Basebrawl | Baseball brawl | 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 |
Set the table | To get on base so other hitters can score the baserunners | 589 |
avg | Batting average | 590 |
Rundown | Baserunner stranded between two bases | 590 |
Bush league | Amateur play | 590 |
2B | Second base | 591 |
Chin music | Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head | 591 |
Can of corn | An easy catch by a fielder | 591 |
Mendoza line | .200 batting average | 591 |
TP | Triple play | 591 |
SB | Stolen bases | 592 |
L | Losses | 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 |
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 |
Sweeper | A breaking ball that sweeps horizontally | 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 |
OPS | On-base Plus Slugging Percentage | 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 |
Yard | Home run | 596 |
K | Strikeout | 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 |
Leather | Defense ability | 596 |
Rubber | Pitcher's plate | 596 |
Shoestring catch | Catch made just above a player's shoes | 596 |
Cellar | Last place | 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 |
SV | Saves | 596 |
Yakker | Curve ball | 596 |
Round-tripper | Home run | 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 |
Dish | Home plate | 597 |
Cheese | Good fastball | 597 |
Uncle Charlie | Curve ball | 597 |
WS | World Series | 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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Wheelhouse | Hitter's power zone | 598 |
On the button | Hard hit ball | 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 |
Whiff | Swinging strikeout | 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 |
Rib | Run batted in | 601 |
CGL | Complete game losses | 601 |
Bush | Amateur play | 601 |
UR | Unearned runs | 601 |