What is a Walk in Baseball

In baseball, a walk or base on balls occurs when a pitcher throws four pitches outside the strike zone that the hitter does not swing at. As a result, the batter is awarded first base and can advance without the risk of being put out. Marked by BB in the scorebook, the walk becomes an official stat in the player’s record.

A walk showcases the game’s key skills, like a pitcher’s control and a hitter’s eye—the ability to tell a ball from a strike and decide when to swing. Better hitters who have a keen eye often earn more walks by laying off pitches that narrowly miss the zone. At times, pitchers may opt not to pitch to a powerful batter and issue an intentional walk.

Whether regular or intentional, walks allow teams to place base runners without a hit or out, which contributes to offensive opportunities. This strategy is extremely important and, for record-keeping purposes, the walk is counted in BB stats without affecting the batting average.

A Base on Balls in Baseball

A base on balls (BB), commonly known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches outside the strike zone in a single plate appearance and the umpire calls them balls. When this happens, the batter is awarded first base without the possibility of being called out, according to Section 2.00 of baseball’s Official Rules, with further detail in 6.08(a). Interestingly, it’s seen as a faux pas for a professional player to actually walk to first base; instead, the batter-runner and any advancing runners will jog to keep the game moving.

A base on balls is distinguished from other ways a batter can reach first base without liability to be put out, such as a hit by pitch (HBP) or catcher’s interference. For example, if a batter is hit by a pitch or there’s catcher’s interference, the ball is dead, and no one may advance unless forced. In contrast, with a walk, the ball remains live, allowing runners to potentially advance at their own risk, creating additional chances for run-scoring plays.

When a batter draws a base on balls with the bases loaded, it forces runners to advance one base, including bringing the runner on third base home to score a run. While a base on balls doesn’t count as a hit or an at-bat in statistics, it does count as a plate appearance and time on base, which can increase the player’s on-base percentage.
Understanding various rules, like what constitutes a balk in baseball, can provide more insight into strategies similar to a walk.

A walk is the colloquial term for a base on balls

A walk, the colloquial term for a base on balls, happens when a pitcher throws four pitches to a single batter that are outside the strike zone and not swung upon. In this case, the batter is awarded first base and can take their time getting there without the danger of being thrown out. This is where the phrase “walk” comes from, as the batter has no rush to reach first base.

There are also versions of baseball rules where the defensive team can issue an intentional walk to a hitter by simply advising the umpire of their plan rather than throwing four balls. In this scenario, the umpire tells the batter to go to first base immediately, allowing the team on defense to bypass a potentially strong hitter.

In early baseball, there was no concept of a “ball.“

In early baseball, there was no concept of a “ball” as we know it today. This idea was created by the NABBP in 1863 as a form of unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty; if a pitcher repeatedly failed to deliver fair balls to the striker with an apparent purpose of delaying the game, the umpire would give a warning and call one ball. If the pitcher persisted in this action, the umpire would call two or three balls until the striker was entitled to first base. Players on occupied bases could also advance one base without being put out under this rule.

The rules around balls and walks continued to evolve. By 1871, the batter could call for high or low pitches—indicating whether they wanted the ball above or below the waist. Certain pitches, like those that hit the ground in front of home plate or were thrown over the batter’s head, were eventually declared automatic balls by 1872. Over the years, leagues like the National League and American Association gradually decreased the number of balls needed for a walk from nine in 1880 to four in 1889. By 2017, Major League Baseball introduced a rule change allowing the defending bench to signal an intentional walk directly to the umpire, a move that sparked controversy among fans and players alike.

A subset of the base on balls, an intentional base on balls (IBB)

A subset of the base on balls is the intentional base on balls (IBB), or intentional walk, where the defensive team intentionally issues a walk to the batter. In Major League Baseball and other amateur leagues, this intentional base on balls is signaled by the defensive team’s manager holding up four fingers to the home plate umpire. At this signal, the batter is immediately awarded first base without any further pitches thrown. Prior to 2017, however, Major League Baseball required the pitcher to deliberately pitch the ball away from the batter four times to complete an intentional walk.

Intentional walks are used as a strategic defensive maneuver to bypass a hitter whom the defensive team considers likely to achieve a run-scoring play—such as a home run, sacrifice fly, or RBI base hit. Teams also use intentional walks to set up a double play or a force out situation with the next batter, allowing them more control over advancing runners.

F&Q

What is a Walk in Baseball?

Intentional walks are often used to put a runner on first base, setting up a potential double play. They occur most frequently when there’s an excellent hitter at the plate with a significantly worse hitter or a favorable matchup for the pitcher on deck.

Can a Baseball Player Refuse to Walk?

In theory, a hitter cannot decline an intentional walk in baseball; when issued, every runner moves up a base. Unlike a holding penalty in football, the intentional walk is automatically enforced, and the batter must accept the base.

Is a Walk a Dead Ball?

When a walk occurs, the ball is still live, so any runner not forced to advance may nevertheless attempt to advance at their own risk. This can happen during a steal play, passed ball, or wild pitch.