This is a common confusion in the baseball world. A putout is one that ends a play while you’re on the defensive team. For some reason, the two terms–force out and putout–get used interchangeably in some places. That’s confusing because they have very different connotations. If a batter reaches first base and is forced out by a fielder on the way home, that’s a force out. If a fielder prevents a batter from getting a hit or reaching home base, that’s a putout. Both of those things end the play, but they’re very different from each other.
What is the Difference Between a Putout and an Assist?
The word out simply means the “action resulting in the runner moving from first to second base without an additional advance (the runner being put out for not having advanced)”.
On the surface, we might think of a fielder assisting with his throws. However, to be an assist, the fielder would need to not only make the throw, but also “advances the runner toward the base.”
While a run may not need assistance, a fielder could still assist by making “a throw from which the runner could not advance.
The third term, an assist, comes into play with the rule book definition.
A play at second base ends by the second baseman tagging the base. However, the second baseman is unable to do a successful throw to first, so the play ends at second without an out. If the throw went to first base, the play would have been credited as an assist due to the tag at second. Also, if the batter hits a ground ball that ends up at first, the same logic applies, so the first baseman tags the base and ends the play.
Is a Strikeout a Putout?
In general, when evaluating defensive performance, it’s important to understand that the number of putouts actually tells us very little about defensive proficiency. The number of putouts an outfielder records in a day tells us something, but not nearly as much as the number of stolen bases an outfielder prevents. To use an analogy, imagine the total number of points a basketball team scores in a game – what does that tell you about the quality of their offense? As for the defensive runs saved number, it’s a more nuanced and challenging calculation. It’s not as easy to quantify as the number of putouts. There are a lot of assumptions and inputs that go into defensive runs saved, and it is calculated fairly differently on different sites.
The only thing that is different in a strikeout to a ball that came through as strike is that the pitcher is allowed to advance in the count since he was already given a strike.
What Positions Get the Most Putouts in Baseball?
In baseball, we see that more putouts can be gained through good luck or good fielding, but one thing is for sure: Putouts are one of the most undervalued stats and statistics in baseball.
Learning Some Unique Putout Situations
Putouts can occur on a throw, a tag, a throw, a tag, or a throw-tag collision. Also, there are three special situations where a catcher can be credited with a putout: “The catcher stops a run,” “The catcher stops a run in progress”, and “The catcher stops a run in progress and the runner is touching the plate when the ball is returned to the pitcher.”
In all other circumstances, the catcher has no chance of a putout unless the ball is kicked into the outfield. This is often the case when the catcher’s position is blocked, or he throws it to the wrong base, or the other team commits an error.
Conclusion
There are two different types of putouts. A putout is when a fielder makes a catch, or a runner is tagged out. A force out is when a runner is tagged out by himself. There are seven different ways a putout can happen on any given play: at any base, at first base, at second base, at third, at home, at first and third base, or home plate.
Finally fantasy owners need to be aware of putouts as a scoring metric. First basemen and catchers receive most putouts, so try and add them to your utility spot. They even receive the most putouts, so they may be helpful!
