What Does The K Mean In Baseball?
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If you’re a baseball fan, you’ve probably seen the letter “K” on scoreboards and player statistics. But what does it mean?
The k is a symbol for a strikeout
A strikeout occurs when a batter racks up three strikes before putting the ball in play or before hitting a foul ball. A strikeout is represented by the letter K. When tracking pitch counts, you will often see Pitchers with a lot of strikeouts represented by a high K/9 rate.
The k is also a symbol for a walk
In baseball statistics, a player is awarded a base on balls or walk (BB), if he receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball’s Official Rules, and further detailed in 6.08(a). It is, however, considered a faux pas to actually refer to a player as having “walked” instead of “been awarded a base on balls” even though the latter wording is unnecessarily cumbersome. A player who draws a base on balls is commonly referred to as a “walk.” Unlike when a batter hits the ball, he does not have to run to first base.
The k is also a symbol for a balk
A balk is a legal move in baseball, but it is one that is generally not used very often because it can be disadvantageous to the pitcher. A balk can be called when the pitcher makes an illegal move while he is on the mound. This can happen if the pitcher tries to pick off a runner without first coming to a stop, or if he makes an illegal pitching motion. If a balk is called, all runners are awarded one base.
The k is also a symbol for a hit by pitch
The k is also a symbol for a hit by pitch. When a batter is hit by a pitch and it’s ruled an out, the official scorer awards a K to the pitcher.
