Baseball Positions
by Nick Browne
Watching a baseball game can be a relaxing, enjoyable experience. However, not everyone knows the basics of baseball. If you want to be able to follow the action on the field and truly understand the game, you’ll need to know its rules, especially the most basic ones. In subsequent posts, we’re going to look at many of the rules of the game. In this one, we’ll break down the player positions on the field.
There are nine field positions in baseball, each with its own name and position number. The position numbers are used to score putouts. For example, a groundout to the pitcher would be scored as a 1-3 out. Likewise, a double play where the shortstop fields the ball and throws it to the second baseman, who then throws it to the first baseman, is considered a 6-4-3 double play.
Infield
1 – Pitcher
2 – Catcher
3 – First Base (1B)
4 – Second Base (2B)
5 – Third Base (3B)
6 – Shortstop (SS)
Outfield
7 – Left Field (LF)
8 – Center Field (CF)
9 – Right Field (RF)
Designated Hitter (DH)
The American League plays using a designated hitter who bats for the pitcher. This position only bats, and doesn’t have an associated field position number.