Why Baseball Players Need To Understand Defensive Situations

One of the first concepts I had to grasp when I first started playing baseball was defensive situations, which is simply what to do with the ball when it is hit to you in the field. Here are the basic situations that you need to know to complete a game in your respective defensive position.

A really important thing that you should keep in mind before we even delve into all the different situations is to understand that when you’re out on the baseball field, before every pitch you have to know what you’re going to do with the ball if it gets hit to you. The quickest way to get pulled out of a game is making a huge defensive blunder.

Ok, so with that in mind, let’s get into some of the situations you might be faced with. Let’s start with middle infielders (2^nd base and shortstop). The basic situation is no one on base. Whenever you get a ball hit to you with no one on base, you should always throw it to first base to try and get the runner out. If the ball is hit softly and the runner is exceptionally fast then you may want to just hold on to the ball to make sure you don’t throw it away, but you usually want to at least give it an effort so you don’t upset your coach. Now, when there is a runner on first base and there are less than two outs in the inning you’ll want to start at what is referred to as “double-play depth”. If you don’t know, a double-play is when two outs are recorded on one play, like touching second and then first in our current situation. Double-play depth is a few steps in front of the outfield grass, and about four steps away from second base. When the ball is hit to you in this situation you’ll want to throw it to the other middle infielder who will be covering second base, and then they will throw it to the first basemen to try and throw the runner out. Also, when you’re at double-play depth and the ball is hit to the other middle infielder, you are responsible to run to second and catch their throw, and then relay the ball to first base to try and beat the batter. Also, when there is a runner on first base and he attempts to steal second base, you and your other middle infielder should already have decided who will cover second base when the catcher throws to try and get the runner out. The last thing you need to know is when the ball is hit on to the outfield, you are responsible to run part-way into the outfield and be the outfielder’s cutoff man to the base they are trying to throw it to. If it is hit to left field, the shortstop is the cutoff. If it is hit to right field the second basemen is the cutoff. There are other very rare and particular situations for this position, but this is enough to play a full game smoothly.

Now we’ll move to the corner infielders (first and third basemen). When there is no one on base and it is hit to you as a first basemen, you have two options: you can either step on first base yourself, or if you feel that you won’t  make it there in time, your pitcher should be running to cover first base so you can just toss the ball to him. Remember to not make that throw too hard because the distance is so short. If the ball is hit to you with no one on as a third basemen you simply throw the ball to first base. Remember you won’t be able to throw a line drive, so aim your throw a tad high. When your coach thinks that the batter may bunt, he might say “corners in”. This means that the first and third basemen should creep up to the infield grass and be ready to charge the batter if he squares around to bunt. When there is a runner on first base with less than two outs, you should again look to try and create a double-play. As a third basemen you simply throw it to second base. However, it is a little trickier as a first basemen. When you get the ball hit to you, you have to make some judgment calls. You can either step on first base and THEN throw it to second, or throw it to second base first. It is recommended that you throw it to you second base first because when you touch first base, the runner running to second base needs to be tagged to be called out. When you throw the ball to second, you can either run back to first to receive the throw from your middle infielder, or if you see your pitcher running to cover first base (which he should) you can let him receive the throw. The last thing is cutoff situations. Corner infielders only cutoff throws from the outfield when there is a throw to home plate, which would be when there is a runner that is on third base and is attempting to run home when the ball is in the outfield. When the ball is hit into left field the third base is the cutoff, and when the ball is hit to either center field or right field the first basemen is the cutoff.

Now let’s move on to outfield. The only difference between all three outfield positions is that center field is the boss. They can call you off if they can get a fly ball, and they can tell you where to be positioned. However, other than that, all of the situations are the same. The basic situation with no one on base and the ball gets hit you where you aren’t able to catch it, you simply throw it to second base, preferably with a cutoff man which will be one of your middle infielders. When there are people on base and there is less than two outs and the ball is hit to you in the air and you catch it, you throw to the base in front of the lead runner to prevent them from tagging up (after the ball is caught runners can run from their starting base to the next if they can beat the outfielders throw). An example would be if you are playing center field and there is are runners on first and second base, you would throw it to third base to prevent the runner on second from going to third. When the ball is hit to you with runners on base and you aren't able to catch it, then you throw to bases ahead of where the lead runner started. An example would be if the lead runner started at first, you should throw it to third base. However, if the lead runner starts at third and you can't catch the ball, you should forget about him, because he's going to automatically score, so throw it two bases in front of the runner behind him. That’s pretty much the basic understanding for situations in the outfield. Even if you have a mental lapse in concentration and you don’t know where to throw the ball, your cutoff man or your team should be communicating with you where the ball needs to go.

Lastly we have the pitcher and the catcher. As a pitcher, whenever the ball is hit to your left on the ground, you should automatically start running to cover first base in case you are needed to cover the base for whatever reason. Another one of your responsibilities is when there is a runner on third base and you throw the ball by the catcher you are responsible to cover home plate and try and tag the runner out if he is attempting to come home. Also, when the ball is hit in the outfield, you should try and back up the base where the ball is going to go. For example if you know the runner on third base is going to try and tag up as soon as the left fielder catches it, you should run about ten feet behind the catcher at home so if the ball gets by the catcher, hopefully no runners can advance because you have the ball. That takes care of pitchers. Now for catchers, your main objective is to keep all of the pitchers’ pitches in front of you by blocking them with your body or your glove. This will prevent baserunners from advancing if the ball gets passed you. You may also be able to field some weak hits or bunts by the batters, in which case you should attempt to throw them out at first base. Whenever a pitch gets passed you with runners on base, you should hustle to the ball, and if you feel like you have a chance, try to throw the runners out if they are trying to advance a base, however you probably won’t have enough time to do so, so you should probably just run the ball in back to your pitcher. A very important quality in a catcher is their ability to throw out base stealers. Out of the corner of your eye you should always keep an eye on the baserunners so that when they steal you can start popping up out of your crouch as you get ready to catch the ball and deliver the ball to the base they are trying to steal as quickly as possible.

Well, that covers all of the basics for every position. I really appreciate you reading this post, and be sure to check out my other posts for tips on how to improve your game.

-Brandon