Pitcher (baseball) facts for kids

Brandon Claussen, pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, delivers the ball to home plate

In baseball, the pitcher is a very important player. They are the one who throws the baseball from a special raised area called the pitcher's mound towards the catcher. The pitcher's main job is to start each play and try to get the batter out. This means stopping the batter from hitting the ball and getting on base. Batters usually try to hit the ball with their bat or get on base by taking a walk.

The Baseball Pitcher's Role

The pitcher is at the center of every play in baseball. They stand on the pitcher's mound, which is a small hill in the middle of the infield. From there, they throw the ball towards home plate, where the catcher waits. The pitcher tries to throw the ball in a way that the batter cannot hit it well.

What Does a Pitcher Do?

A pitcher's main goal is to get batters out. There are a few ways they can do this:

• Strikes: If a batter swings and misses, or if the ball goes through a special area called the "strike zone" without the batter swinging, it's a strike. Three strikes mean the batter is out.
• Groundouts and Flyouts: If the batter hits the ball, but a fielder catches it before it bounces (a flyout) or throws it to a base before the runner gets there (a groundout), the batter is out.
• Walks: If a pitcher throws four "balls" (pitches outside the strike zone that the batter doesn't swing at), the batter gets to go to first base for free. This is called a walk. Pitchers try to avoid giving up too many walks.

Different Kinds of Pitches

Pitchers use many different types of throws, or "pitches," to confuse batters. Each pitch moves in a unique way.

• Fastball: This is the most common pitch. It's thrown very hard and fast, usually in a straight line.
• Curveball: This pitch spins in a way that makes it drop or curve sharply as it gets close to the plate.
• Changeup: This pitch looks like a fastball but is thrown much slower. It's designed to trick the batter into swinging too early.
• Slider: A slider breaks sharply to the side as it reaches the batter, often looking like a fastball until the last moment.

Types of Pitchers

Not all pitchers play the same role in a game.

• Starting Pitchers: These pitchers begin the game and usually pitch for many innings, often five to seven innings or more. They try to keep the other team from scoring early in the game.
• Relief Pitchers: These pitchers come into the game after the starting pitcher leaves. They might pitch for one or two innings to help the team keep its lead or catch up.
• Closers: A special type of relief pitcher, closers usually pitch the very last inning of a game when their team has a small lead. Their job is to get the final outs and secure the win.

Related pages

• Baseball

Images for kids

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  A.J. Minter a relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves pitching in the 9th inning of a game versus the Washington Nationals.

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  Major League Baseball player Noah Syndergaard pitching for the New York Mets in 2015

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  Aaron Fultz and Rafael Betancourt of the Cleveland Indians warming up in the Bullpen.