9 Baseball Positions (Ultimate Guide & Required Traits)

Baseball is a sport embedded in the American culture, and quite frankly, it’s a ton of fun. However, the game has many technical areas, such as words, rules, and positions to understand. This article will explain baseball positions in-depth, tell what their roles are, and the required traits to play in that specific position.

There are nine positions in baseball, including the pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder. In addition, the batter is another position for the offensive team.

Now that you know the names of all baseball positions let’s take a closer look!

Related: Full List Of 5 Baseball Skills (What It Takes To Succeed)

All 9 + 1 Baseball Positions

In baseball, there is the infield and outfield. The outfield consists of left, center, and right fielders, and the infield consists of the rest positions. Those are the defensive positions, and when the team is on offense, all players will be designated hitters, also called batters. Now, let’s start with the first position, pitcher.

1. Pitcher (P)

The pitcher is the defensive first position in baseball and stands on the pitcher’s mound 60 feet away from the batter.

The pitcher’s job is to deliver throws to the catcher so that the batter won’t be able to bat, retiring the batter. This is also called striking out the batter. However, the throws must be legal, meaning they must be within the batter’s strike zone.

Pitching is arguably the most important position in baseball because he is the #1 scorer on the team.

Below you’ll find what is required from a pitcher;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Excellent hand-eye coordination
• Powerful & strong throwing arm
• Mastering many different types of throws
• Comfortable with responsibility & pressure
• Ability to take the role of a leader

2. Catcher (C)

The catcher is the second defensive position in baseball, and he is located behind the batter. The objective of a catcher is to catch each ball thrown by the pitcher and missed by the batter. After catching, the ball is then thrown back to the pitcher.

Catchers’ other responsibilities are preventing base runners from scoring runs when advancing to home plate and notifying the pitcher about the pitch type to throw.

Catchers are one of the most important positions in baseball because they are involved in every play. Also, being a pitcher is quite demanding because of the excessive squatting.

Take a look at what traits should be found in a catcher;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Good reflexes
• Great catching arm
• Great leg & bone strength
• Good overall strength and athleticism
• Excellent hand-eye coordination
• Supportive and helpful to the team, especially to the pitcher
• Ability to take the role of a leader

3. First Baseman (FB)

The first baseman is the third defensive position on a baseball team, and it’s often held by a big, strong, and relatively slow player. They are also some of the best power hitters on a team.

The mission of a first baseman is to catch balls and burn baserunners when trying to get to the first base. Generally, first basemen are on the team because they are great power hitters at-bat, which often has great traits for being the first baseman too.

Generally, the first basement doesn’t need to move that much, but they need great catching ability, fast reflexes, and a strong throwing arm.

Below are some significant traits that a first baseman should have;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Very strong throwing arm
• A left-handed throwing arm is a bonus
• Great catching ability
• Fast reflexes
• Long reach around the first base and infield
• Good at reading the game

Read also: How To Oil A Baseball Glove? (Step-By-Step)

4. Second Baseman (SB)

The second baseman is the fourth baseball position, and they aren’t right over the base, unlike first and third basemen. Instead, they lurk between the first and second bases close to shortstops.

The job of second basemen is to secure the area near second base, field balls, and burn baserunners going to the second base.

Second basemen need to be agile and quick, so they often have small body sizes, are in good shape, yet aren’t the best batters on the team. They need to be smart players too.

Take a look at some needed attributes for second basemen;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Agile speed
• Great throwing accuracy
• Intelligent sense of the game and infield
• Teamwork skills, especially with the shortstop and first base.

5. Third Baseman (TB)

The fifth position on a baseball team, a third baseman, has a great responsibility on their shoulders. They are located on the left side of the field.

Third basemen are in charge of securing the third base and throwing balls to the home plate when a baserunner attempts a run. For this reason, they need to withstand pressure as those throws are of great significance. In addition, this requires an extremely powerful and accurate throwing arm, which is why third basemen are often big and strong. Yet, they can’t be slow either for fielding purposes.

Check out the skills demanded from third basemen;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Powerful throwing arm
• Great catching arm
• Very good hand-eye coordination and accuracy
• Good at fielding the area around third base
• The mental toughness of throwing the most critical throw in the game (from third base to home plate)

6. Shortstop (ST)

Shortstops are the sixth position on a baseball team. Their objective is to catch and field the infield and play together with the whole team.

The shortstop is arguably the most difficult position in baseball. Shortstops need to be extremely fast because they have a large area to cover. In addition, they are most in contact with the ball and need to play well with other fielders, requiring excellent leadership skills and game intelligence.

However, shortstops need a strong throwing hand, great catching ability, and mental toughness because they are often the team’s leaders. Thus, the position is versatile and difficult.

Take a look at the comprehensive list demanded from shortstops;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Very fast and agile speed
• Great catching skills
• Excellent throwing arm
• Clear awareness of the game, teammates, and opponents
• Mental toughness and can withstand pressure
• Good leadership skills

7. Left Fielder (LF)

The left field is the first outfielder position and the seventh on a baseball team.

The task for left fielders is to catch balls going beyond the infield on the left outfield and throw them back where possible. This is often the third baseman or shortstop.

The left field is considered the easiest position to play in baseball? Even though more balls get batted to the left field than the right, left field is in an easier position to be in, thanks to the support of the third baseman and shortstop, one of the best players on the team.

Anyways, take a look at the most important requirements for left fielders;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Strong throwing arm
• Great catching skills
• Decent agility
• Good game intelligence

8. Center Fielder (CF)

Center fielder is the eighth position on a football team and the most difficult one on the outfield. They are often in a good physical condition as the work can get very demanding.

The job of center fielders includes fielding baseballs hit to the center field. The area center fielders must cover the biggest in baseball, so they need to be very fast, own a powerful throwing arm, and have excellent catching ability. The understanding of fly balls is the most important on the center field.

Below are some of the most appreciated skills a center field could have;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Explosive and fast travel speed
• Good overall athleticism
• Very strong throwing arm
• Great catching skills
• Good at determining fly balls

9. Right Fielder (RF)

The right fielder is the last and ninth defensive position in a baseball team. It’s often debated that a right fielder might be an easier position to play than the left field and vice versa.

The obligations for right fielders include catching fly balls on the right field and fielding the area near it. Right fielders need a good sense of fly balls, great catching ability, strong throwing arms, and decent speed.

Here are some demands for right fielders;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Strong throwing arm
• Great catching skills
• Decent agility
• Good sense of the game

(10). Batter (B)

Unlike the nine defensive positions, the batter is the offensive position in baseball. After being a batter, the player transforms into a baserunner.

The objective of a batter is to bat the ball thrown by the opposite team’s pitcher to advance other players on the bases and reach them yourself. The ultimate goal is to run through the bases to the home plate, awarding a point for the team.

In practice, after batting the ball, you will need to run from the first base to the second, second to third, and ultimately from third to home. This requires speed, game intelligence, and even sliding. Sliding can be very beneficial when baserunning. I have a full baseball sliding how-to-guide that I encourage you to read.

There are many skills needed for batting and base running. Here are the most significant ones;

Demands, Skills & Attributes

• Precise accuracy
• Powerful swing
• Explosive speed
• Good at reading when to advance bases
• Sliding to base

How to Choose a Baseball Position?

Choosing a baseball position for yourself can be difficult because many choices can be overwhelming. Still, a decision needs to be made, and luckily there are steps to make you choose as right as possible.

The first step into finding the right baseball position for you isn’t to think about what you are good at but instead about what you aren’t. Here are three things to avoid;

1. Forcing a Position

Forcing can happen in two ways: by yourself or others. Forcing a position for yourself that isn’t a good fit for your natural skills and attributes isn’t a good idea. For example, as a tall and heavy person, you might not want to force the position of shortstop.

Forcing can also happen by others, such as parents. Avoid this by being clear about your wishes and attributes so that you won’t waste time in an unfit position.

2. Being too Picky About the Position

If you have a fixed mindset about a certain position, you need to open your mind and think outside of the box. Many players dream of being a shortstop or a first baseman, but you should consider all, as you might be missing out big time!

In addition, there are many others on your team, so your favorite position might not be available at all times.

3. Playing too Many Positions

Being a versatile baseball player is a good thing, no doubt, but having a shiny object syndrome and being everywhere once won’t make you good at one thing, which is what you should aspire to.

Imagine if there are 9 positions and 10 players applying, the other nine are amazing at one position, and you are decent in all. Sorry, but you’re not going to get on the team. Pick a position and get excellent at it!

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.

Bruce Lee

Now that you know what not to do, you should consider what positions excite the most and your skillset. If you don’t know about the required baseball skills, I recommend reading my article.

After you have a fascinating position in mind and know your skillset, the only thing left to do is to get out there and try!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Position Do Bigger Guys Play In Baseball?

Generally, big baseball players play positions with minimal need for agility, such as first baseman, third baseman, and the pitcher.

Positions requiring movement like outfielders, shortstop, and second baseman would make it easy to play properly with larger body size and higher weight. Also, the position of catcher isn’t great for bigger guys either because it strains the knees.

Does Height Matter In Baseball?

Generally, height doesen’t matter in baseball because there are players of all sizes and weights. However, height does matter when examining specific positions. For example, height is advantageous for pitching because the ball is thrown at a better angle, yet a shorter height is best for catchers.

Why Is the Shortstop #6 instead of #5?

Shortstops are the sixth position instead of fifth because it was originally a fourth outfield position. When shortstops were moved to the infield, the number stuck at six.