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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	570
MLB	Major League Baseball	582
GF	Games finished	583
RBI	Runs batted in	584
HR	Home run	585
Tater	Home run	585
Basebrawl	Baseball brawl	585
ROY	Rookie of the Year	586
DFS	Daily Fantasy Sports	586
Closer	A relief pitcher that finishes a baseball game	587
avg	Batting average	588
L	Losses	588
Mendoza line	.200 batting average	588
Rundown	Baserunner stranded between two bases	588
Set the table	To get on base so other hitters can score the baserunners	588
Bush league	Amateur play	588
2B	Second base	589
DL	Disabled list	589
Chin music	Pitch that nearly hits the batter's head	589
Can of corn	An easy catch by a fielder	589
SB	Stolen bases	590
Trade bait	A good player that entices other teams to trade for him	590
Leather	Defense ability	591
DP	Double play	591
TP	Triple play	591
Sweeper	A breaking ball that sweeps horizontally	591
NLDS	National League Division Series	592
Homer	Home run	592
Wheels	Fast legs	592
Single	Hit that results in the batter getting to first base	592
SLG	Slugging percentage	592
Cinderella	Underdog sports team	592
Paint the corner	To pitch the ball over the edge of home plate	592
Pull	To hit a ball to the same side of the field in which you bat	592
OPS	On-base Plus Slugging Percentage	593
Bases juiced	Baserunners on all three bases	593
ALCS	American League Championship Series	594
Dinger	Home run	594
Mash	To hit a baseball well	594
LCS	League Championship Series	594
Ruthian	Powerful	594
Grounder	A baseball hit on the ground	594
Double	Hit that results in the batter getting to second base	594
Triple	Hit that results in the batter getting to third base	594
R	Runs	594
Bag	A base	594
SV	Saves	594
Maddux	Complete game shutout with less than 100 pitches	595
DER	Defensive Efficiency Rating	595
Yakker	Curve ball	595
ERA	Earned run average	596
AB	At bat	596
K	Strikeout	596
ALDS	American League Division Series	596
Bomb	A home run	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
E7	Error made by the left fielder	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
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
TC	Total chances	596
Two bagger	Double	596
GSH	Grand Slams	596
Cheddar	Good fastball	596
Shelled	Beaten badly	596
Round-tripper	Home run	596
MBFA	Make baseball fun again	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
Yard	Home run	597
CS	Caught stealing	597
NLCS	National League Championship Series	597
Ace	Best starting pitcher	597
RP	Relief pitcher	597
Ride the pine	Sit on the bench	597
Hot corner	Third base	597
P	Pitcher	597
Cycle	Single, double, triple, and home run	597
Bloop	Weakly hit fly ball	597
3B	Third base	597
LF	Left field	597
CF	Center field	597
RF	Right field	597
OF	Outfield	597
SS	Shortstop	597
E4	Error made by the second baseman	597
E5	Error made by the third baseman	597
E6	Error made by the shortstop	597
E8	Error made by the center fielder	597
E9	Error made by the right fielder	597
Around the horn	Double play from third to second to first base	597
Double play	Two outs on the same play	597
Triple play	Three outs on the same play	597
Bronx cheer	Noise that signals mockery	597
Brushback	Pitch that almost hits the hitter	597
High and tight	High and inside pitch	597
Pickle	Baserunner stranded between two bases	597
Hotbox	Baserunner stranded between two bases	597
Dish	Home plate	597
Hill	Pitcher's mound	597
In the hole	Batting third	597
Cheese	Good fastball	597
Wheelhouse	Hitter's power zone	597
On the button	Hard hit ball	597
Uncle Charlie	Curve ball	597
Touch em all	Home run	597
WS	World Series	597
LOB	Left on base	597
SF	Sacrifice Flies	597
XBH	Extra base hits	597
GS	Games started	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
inn	Innings played	597
Three bagger	Triple	597
Annie Oakley	Free pass	597
Bases loaded	Baserunners on all three bases	597
HB	Hit batsmen	597
hld	Hold	597
IP	Innings pitched	597
IRA	Inherited runs allowed	597
LIPS	Late inning pressured situations	597
RW	Relief wins	597
Fireman	Late-inning relief pitcher	597
Put out fires	Get out of difficult situations	597
Pea	A ball traveling at a high speed	597
Punchout	Strikeout	597
Cutter	A breaking fastball	597
IL	Injured list	597
Hops	Jumping ability	597
oppo	Opposite field	597
Lumber	Baseball bat	597
Go deep	Hit a home run	597
Shove	To pitch well	597
BABIP	Batting average on balls in play	597
Oppo boppo	Opposite field home run	597
Web gem	An amazing defensive play	597
Heater	Fastball	598
Tater trot	Home run trot	598
Southpaw	Left-handed pitcher	598
Jam	To pitch near a batter's hands	598
Line drive	Hard hit baseball in the air	598
Texas Leaguer	Weak fly ball hit to the outfield	598
RPI	Ratings Percentage Index	598
E	Errors	598
E1	Error made by the pitcher	598
Blowing a raspberry	Making a jeering noise	598
GIDP	Ground into double play	598
NP	Number of pitches	598
Table setter	A player who gets on base so other hitters can hit him in	598
Rope	Line drive baseball hit	598
Frozen rope	Line drive baseball hit	598
IBB	Intentional bases on balls	598
OFA	Outfield assists	598
RF	Range factor	598
PB	Passed balls	598
AO	Fly outs	598
PA	Plate appearances	598
Backdoor slider	A pitch that breaks over the plate	598
Whiff	Swinging strikeout	598
Bust	A player who does not perform well	598
CGSO	Complete game shutout	598
CG	Complete games	599
GO	Ground outs	599
bk	Balks	599
pl8	Plate	600
Ribby	Run batted in	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
Bush	Amateur play	601
UR	Unearned runs	601
Rib	Run batted in	602
CGL	Complete game losses	602