What does PO mean in Baseball

Are you considering playing baseball or starting to watch it because of the amazing excitement this game has to offer? Well, welcome to the club!

Baseball is one of the prominent games loved by people all across the globe, and rightly so, since the game comes with various interesting and exciting turns.

Like any other game, there is no exception since baseball game also comes with various abbreviations that people who may be new to this game don’t know about.

What does PO mean in Baseball

One of those major abbreviations of this game is PO, and getting to know what does PO mean in baseball may be one of the questions that you want to know the answer to.

Well, look no more, as we have got everything related to this abbreviation covered for you under one roof.

What is the full form of PO in baseball?

The full form of PO in baseball is either “pitcher only” or “put out”. Both of these terms have different meanings related to the game.

The pitcher Only means that the player is supposed to focus only on playing the pitcher’s role and is not allowed to even get the bat or hold any other position on the field. In simpler words, the players who are in the Pitcher Only position are allowed to focus entirely on pitching and not hitting.

The Put Out is basically kind of a credit given to the fielder who is able to physically record the complete occurrence of an out. This requires the player to make some moves, including catching the third strike, tagging a runner, standing closest to the runner who is committing an interference, touching the base during force-out, and catching a batted ball.

However, the PO abbreviation is majorly used for Put Out in baseball, and we will discuss all about this particular term further.

More about Put Out credit

Since Put Out is about giving credit to the players, you may be wondering which player does get such credit. The players who get the PO credit during the game include:

• The Fielder
• The first baseman
• The catcher

Here we have explained in what situations each of them gets credited with PO in order to make you more familiar with the term.

Fielder:

The fielder gets credit with Put Out when during the game, he is the one who is able to physically record the completion of an out. No matter how he does it, it may include tagging a runner, stepping on the base for a force-out, catching a third strike or a batted ball.

First Baseman:

The first baseman is the one who gets the most Put Out credits. The reason being the ground balls and the catchers come to them in seconds due to strikeouts. He also gets credited with a put-out when the batter gets out due to interference of the proceeding baserunner.

Catcher:

As the name suggests, the catcher is the one who catches the ball and gets credited with PO when he is able to catch the ball before it hits the ground.

Ways to get Put Out in Baseball

Here are a few of the most common ways discussed through which baseball players, including fielders and catchers, can get put out credits:

• A force play is one of the most common ways to get put-out credits. This is usually because it includes infield ground balls and also requires multiple fielding players.
• Flyball is also another scenario when the players get credited with putting out. As the name suggests, this scenario involves a fly ball; usually, outfielders are involved who can catch the ball in the air.
• A strikeout is usually done by catchers only, and the put-out credit is given to them only on the last strikeout.
• Tag play like yet another way to get put-out credit which is usually given to the one that outs the runner or the batter. In this scenario, the Out only happens when the fielder tags the batter who is running, not the base they are running to.

What makes Put Out credit important?

Since you now know what PO means in baseball, what makes it important in the game must be the second question confusing you. Worry no more, as we have the answer to it!

It makes PO important in the game because it makes the baseball scoring moves more complex. In simpler words, it is essential for helping the official score to determine outputs, highlights, and fates of the game’s teamsgame.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the difference between Put Out and Pitcher Only?

Put Out is a credit given to the players in different scenarios for recording an out, while pitcher Only is basically a designation that is given by the coach to a player who is supposed to pitch only.

Why do catchers get so many Put Outs?

Catchers usually get so many Put Outs because they technically record a put-out when they catch the third strike.

Conclusion:

Like all other games, baseball is also a very interesting and exciting game which is loved, played, and watched all around the globe. Due to people’s increasing interest in this game, they are also quite keen to know all the major abbreviations that are used during it to understand it better. One of the most common abbreviations used in baseball is the PO which either means Pitch Only or Put Out. To make it more clear for you, we have answered all the questions in this article related to what does PO mean in baseball, from which you can gather a much clear idea and know about this term better.