In celebration of Major League Baseball’s Opening Day on Thursday, March 26th, here are some key vocabulary & facts to know ahead of the 2026 season.

Baseball, sometimes called “America’s pastime”, is a team sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score more runs than the opposing team by hitting a ball and running around four bases to complete a run. A baseball game lasts for a minimum of nine innings – if the game is tied at the end of the ninth inning, the game continues until one team scores a run.

Basic Rules of Baseball

1. Teams take turns batting and fielding.
2. The batting team tries to score runs by hitting the ball and running around the bases.
3. The fielding team tries to get three outs to end the batting team’s turn.
4. A batter gets up to 3 strikes. Three strikes = out.
5. Four balls = walk (the batter goes to first base).
6. A run is scored when a player touches all four bases and returns to home plate.
7. After 3 outs, the teams switch sides (batting and fielding).
8. The game is played over 9 innings.
9. The team with the most runs at the end wins.

 The Field

• Diamond – The shape of the baseball field (infield), with four bases in a square shape.
• Base – There are 4 bases: first base, second base, third base, and home plate.
• Pitcher’s mound – The raised area in the center where the pitcher throws the ball.

Positions

• Pitcher – The player who throws the ball to the batter.
• Catcher – Crouches behind home plate to catch pitches.
• Batter – The player trying to hit the ball.
• Infielders – First baseman, second baseman, shortstop, and third baseman.
• Outfielders – Left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder.

Key Vocabulary

catch, hit, pitch, run, swing

More vocabulary

Special Hits:

• Single – The batter reaches first base.
• Double – The batter reaches second base.
• Triple – The batter reaches third base.
• Home run – The ball is hit out of the field, and the batter (and any runners) score automatically.
• A grand slam is a home run with the bases loaded (4 runs scored).

Ways to Get Out:

• Strikeout – Three strikes.
• Fly out – The ball is caught in the air.
• Ground out – The ball is hit on the ground and thrown to first base before the batter gets there.
• Tag out – A runner is touched with the ball while not on a base.
• Force out – A runner has to move to the next base and is thrown out.
  

League & Teams

There are 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. They are divided into two leagues: the American League and the National League, with 15 teams in each. 

American League

National League