Home>Team Sports>Baseball>Baseball Rules
Last updated: Mar 08, 2023
PreviousNext
One of the many well-known aspects of baseball is the batting order, which is the order of the offensive players who step up to bat in each inning.There are a number of facets to the batting order of a baseball game and many stats that influence the order in which a manager will place their players. These characteristics, such as hitting power, the ability to make bases, and home run potential, all influence which slot a batter will be placed in. Read on to learn all about the batting order in baseball.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Batting Order in Baseball?
- Batting Order Slots
- How Do Baseball Lineups Work?
- Batting Lineup Cards
- Exchanging Lineups
- Substitutions
- Batting Out of Order
- FAQ
What Is the Batting Order in Baseball?
The batting order, also called the lineup, is the order in which the offensive players on a team go to bat.The lineup is determined by the manager and other coaches and changes with every game depending on strategy and which players are in the game. The lineup is nine slots long, having one spot for each defensive player.
Previously, the lineup order varied by the league in which a team played. In the American League, pitchers were not permitted to bat, and a special player known as a “Designated Hitter” (DH) was brought in to replace them in the lineup. Meanwhile, in the National League, pitchers were required to bat, and DHs were not allowed. However, in 2022, the National League allowed DHs to be utilized in their league as part of a new collective bargaining agreement.Under the current rules of the MLB, there are nine batting order slots in the lineup.
Batting Order Slots
The batting order in baseball features a total of nine slots for nine different players, with each slot serving a specific strategic purpose. The batting slots in a baseball lineup are as follows:
- #1 (Leadoff Batter) Slot
- #2 Slot
- #3 Slot and #4 (Cleanup Batter) Slot
- #5 Slot and #6 Slot
- #7 Slot, #8 Slot, and #9 Slot
#1 (Leadoff Batter) Slot
The batter in the first slot of the lineup is typically known as the “leadoff hitter.” They are the first batter to hit for their team each game. As such, they also have the most at-bats of everyone on their team. Traditionally leadoff hitters are fast players who get on base often, setting up the power hitters in the middle of the lineup to get at bats with runners on base.However, managers have been trending towards batting power hitters leadoff in recent years to give them the most at bats as possible in hopes they hit a lot of home runs.
#2 Slot
The batter in the second slot of the lineup is also traditionally a player who gets on base a lot. Ideally, they are also good at working deep into counts and don’t ground into double plays often. It is important that batters in the second slot of the lineup don’t ground into double plays often, or else they can ruin a strong start for the leadoff hitter before the big bats in the lineup even get a chance to do some damage.
However, in recent years, the second slot in the lineup has trended in the same direction as the leadoff slot and begun to feature more power hitters in an attempt to get these big bats more chances to hit home runs. The best example of this in Major League Baseball today is Aaron Judge regularly hitting second for the New York Yankees.
#3 Slot and #4 (Cleanup Batter) Slot
The third and fourth slots are reserved for the best hitters on the team. The third batter is typically the most well-rounded hitter, combining a high batting average, on-base percentage, and tremendous power. They bat third instead of fourth to get the most at-bats possible while still residing in a part of the lineup with ample RBI opportunities.
Meanwhile, the fourth batter typically has the most power on the team.This batter is typically known as the “cleanup batter” based on the concept that they should come up with the bases loaded the most often. They feature tremendous power but may not have the same on-base or batting average capabilities a number-three batter has.
#5 Slot and #6 Slot
The fifth and sixth batters in the lineup are typically high-production hitters who can put the ball into the gaps in the outfield, but don’t necessarily possess the same power or general hitting prowess as the number-three and number-four hitters. On occasion, the sixth hitter will feature similar speed and base running skills as a leadoff hitter. This allows them to orchestrate run production at the bottom of the lineup.
#7 Slot, #8 Slot, and #9 Slot
The seventh, eighth, and ninth slots in the lineup are reserved for the weaker hitters in the lineup. These spots in the lineup are typically ordered from the best to the worst hitter.Sometimes, the number nine slot will be reserved for a weak hitter who possesses great speed for them to steal bases and take extra bases before the top of the lineup gets their next at-bats. Additionally, prior to the National League’s inclusion of the DH, the pitcher would typically hit ninth in the batting order.
How Do Baseball Lineups Work?
As each team takes their half-inning to bat, the lineup cycles through.Except for the first inning, the beginning of each half-inning does not necessarily start with the first person in the lineup. Instead, it picks up at whoever's turn was next when the team's previous offensive turn ended. The lineup does not change except in the case of substitutions.
The team's most powerful hitter usually occupies the fourth spot in the lineup and is called the cleanup hitter. The idea behind this is that the batters before him will reach base, then they will get a strong hit and advance those base runners to home plate, in effect cleaning up the bases.
Batting Lineup Cards
The batting lineup card is written by the manager to list the lineup they have created for the game. Before the game, it is shared with the umpires, the opposing team, and viewers. The lineup card also lists potential substitution players.
Exchanging Lineups
At the start of a baseball game, the managers of each team will exchange their team’s batting orders.The umpires will also get a copy. Each lineup card lists out each player that will be fielding and batting in the game, potential substitutes, and designated hitters. The crew chief umpire will ensure that the copies match the originals.
Substitutions
In certain circ*mstances, a manager may desire to substitute one or more players into the batting order as replacements for other players during a game.When this occurs, a few procedures regarding the new batting order can be followed. In the case of a single substitution–where one player in the current batting order is taken out and replaced with another–the player who subs in will take the spot of the player he replaced in the batting order.
In the event that a manager substitutes two defensive players at once, they are permitted to switch their positions, but he must inform the umpire prior to the swap.A common variation of this double substitution is known as the “double switch,” which occurs when a manager replaces both his pitcher and a second defensive player in the batting order.In a double switch, the pitcher who is subbing in takes the place of the non-pitcher who is subbing out, while the non-pitcher who subs in takes the place of the pitcher who is subbed out.This is typically done so that the pitcher who subs in will not have to bat in the upcoming inning.
In baseball, there is only one position in the batting order that cannot be affected by substitutions and switching, which is the designated hitter.No matter what, the DH’s slot in the batting order is fixed wherever it was at the start of the game, and it cannot be moved by any substitution.
Batting Out of Order
If, at any point, a batter is found to have batted out of order, the previous play with the results will be nullified.Managers can make an appeal to the umpires if they see that a batter bats out of order or if an illegal substitution is made during the game.
FAQ
How is batting order determined in baseball?
In Major League Baseball, batting order is determined prior to the start of each game by the team manager, who writes the names of the players and their batting order on a line-up card, which is presented to the head umpire of the game.In terms of the positions in the batting order itself, players are organized into batting slots based on their specific skills. For instance, the first batter is typically a good base hitter and base runner, while the third batter tends to be the best all-around hitter, and so on, with different traits for all nine slots.
Do pitchers bat in the MLB?
Pitchers do not typically bat in the MLB.For many years, the two halves of the MLB–the American and National Leagues–had different rules: the NL required pitchers to bat, while the AL allowed them to be replaced with a different batter called the “designated hitter” (DH). However, in 2022, the MLB changed its rules to require a universal DH across the league, meaning pitchers will now typically not bat. Nevertheless, it is still possible for a pitcher to bat under the new rules, but only if they have been designated as a DH in addition to a pitcher.
Is MLB batting order continuous?
The MLB does not use a continuous batting order system.Continuous batting order, which is a term utilized in youth baseball leagues, refers to the practice of having every member of a baseball team included in the batting order, so that all players theoretically receive at least one at-bat during a game.This rule exists in youth leagues in order to give every child a chance to bat, but in the MLB, the batting order consists of nine rotating hitters, who are selected from the 26 players by the manager before the start of each game.
PreviousNext
Pages Related to Baseball Batting Order
- Baseball Basic Rules For Kids
- Baseball Balk Rules
- Baseball Catcher Interference Rule
- Baseball Bunts
- Baseball Base Running Rules
- Baseball Batting Rules
PreviousNext
