Your Pitcher Is a Fielder Too: Pitch Counts, Positions and the Pitcher's Defensive Jobs

Every youth baseball coach knows the pitcher's pitch count matters. League rules cap it, rest days depend on it, and somebody in the dugout is tracking every pitch. (Fastpitch softball usually has no pitch count; if a league limits anything, it's innings or appearances.) But the moment the ball is hit, your pitcher becomes the busiest fielder on the diamond, and that part usually gets far less practice.

The pitcher's four defensive jobs

1. Cover first on balls to the right side

Any ground ball to the left of the mound, the pitcher breaks toward 1st: get to the baseline a few steps short of the bag, run up the inside of the line (the fair side, out of the runner's lane), and take the toss on the inside of the bag. Running straight at the base, or up the foul side, leads to collisions with the runner.

In baseball, if the first baseman fields it close enough to the bag to beat the runner there, they take it themselves and wave the pitcher off. The pitcher still runs, every time, in case they're needed.

Softball: many fastpitch teams have the second baseman cover 1st whenever the first baseman leaves the bag, and the pitcher backs it up. Ask your coach which your team does. Many softball leagues also use a double (safety) first base: the fielder uses the white half, and the runner uses the colored half in foul territory.

Watch this play
Ground ball to the right side. The pitcher breaks to 1st: to the line, then up the line to the bag.

2. Field comebackers and bunts

Balls hit back at the mound are the pitcher's. With a runner on 1st and less than two outs, turn and throw to 2nd to start the double play.

Watch this play
Comebacker with a runner on 1st. The pitcher turns and throws to 2nd to start the double play.

3. Back up throws from the outfield

On a hit to the outfield, the pitcher backs up the base the throw is going to: behind 2nd, behind 3rd, or behind the catcher on a throw home. If it isn't clear yet, go halfway between 3rd and home and read the throw.

Watch this play
Single to right with a runner on 2nd. The pitcher backs up home, behind the catcher.

4. Cover home on passed balls

When a pitch gets past the catcher with a runner on 3rd, the pitcher sprints to home plate, points to the ball, and yells so the catcher knows where to throw. Set up in front of the plate, not on it: leave the runner a path to the back of the plate, catch the ball, then sweep the tag down.

Softball: the pitcher is only 35 or 40 feet away, close enough to beat the runner to the plate. Sprint on the miss, the moment the ball gets by, not when the catcher yells.

Watch this play
Wild pitch with a runner on 3rd. The pitcher sprints to cover home plate.

Tired arms, slow feet

Pitch count limits exist to protect young arms, and a pitcher who is near the limit is usually slower getting off the mound too. That's one more reason to keep a close eye on the count, and to think about the defensive jobs when you plan who pitches when.

Moving a pitcher to another position is fine. The rules to watch are between pitching and catching: in Little League, a pitcher who throws a lot of pitches can't catch later that day, and a player who catches several innings can't pitch that day. The exact numbers change from time to time, so check the current Little League pitching regulations, or your own league's rules.

Two free tools for game day

Two free apps from the same maker split the job, with no ads and no accounts:

• Simple Pitch Counter counts pitches, tracks catcher innings and your league's rest-day rules, and writes the post-game summary. It's on iPhone and Android.
• Simple Fielding teaches where everyone goes: drag the ball to where it's hit and watch the pitcher, and every other fielder, move to their job. Use it in practice, before games, or on a projector.

Simple Pitch Counter has guides for the pitching side too, including pitch count rules by age and catcher innings rules.

Quick answers

What does the pitcher do after the ball is hit?

The pitcher becomes a fielder: fields comebackers and bunts, covers 1st on balls hit to the right side, backs up 2nd, 3rd or home on throws from the outfield, and covers home on passed balls and wild pitches.

Why does the pitcher cover first base?

In baseball, on a ground ball that pulls the first baseman off the bag, the pitcher is usually the one who can get there in time. If the first baseman can beat the runner to the bag, they take it unassisted and wave the pitcher off. Otherwise the pitcher runs to the baseline, then up the line, and takes the toss on the bag. In fastpitch softball, many teams send the second baseman to cover 1st and have the pitcher back it up.