Know the game: what smart fans need to know about Baseball

If you grew up in Europe, baseball was rarely played. Instead, you were introduced to cricket, softball or the English game of rounders. Baseball has always been considered America’s game. It is often called the national pastime and the national game, reflecting its deep cultural roots and significance in the United States.

However, baseball has an immense global following, particularly in Asia and Latin America – it’s time to get to grips with this game. Baseball is also a widely played sport worldwide, with professional leagues and international competitions highlighting its global popularity.

Basic rules of baseball

A baseball game is played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns to both bat and field. The fielding team is referred to as the defensive team with the batting team known as the offensive team. During each half inning, one team is on offense while the other team is on defense.

The batter stands behind a base known as the home plate, where the fielding team’s pitcher, pitches the ball to the catcher standing behind the home plate. The batter must attempt to hit the ball and not let the catcher “catch” it.

If the batter manages to strike the ball, the batter runner may run around as many bases as possible before the fielding team collects and returns the ball. A “run” is scored when a player on the offensive team runs around all three bases and returns to the home plate. The main objective is to score runs.

Each inning is divided into a first half (top) and second half (bottom), with the visiting team batting in the first half and the home team batting in the second half. An inning ends after three outs are recorded against the batting team.

Some players can strike the ball so hard that it goes far, enabling them to run around all three bases and back to home plate in one attempt. This is called a “home run.” In close games, the winning run can be the decisive run that secures a team’s victory.

The defensive team attempts to get batters or base runners out, either by throwing the ball to a particular base to run out a base runner or by catching the ball that has been caught in the air, like cricket.

A batting innings is completed once both opposing teams have batted. A typical baseball game is played over nine innings, with each team alternating between offence and defence.

Baseball Playing Area

The area where a baseball game takes place is called the playing field. A Baseball playing area is called a diamond because of its shape – with both an infield (within the diamond) and an outfield extending outside the diamond all the way to the boundary. Fair territory is the area within the foul lines where most play occurs, while foul territory lies outside these lines and can affect gameplay. The outfield is bordered by the outfield fence, which marks the field’s boundary; a ball hit over the fence without touching the ground results in a home run. The pitcher’s mound is at the centre of the infield, a raised area where the pitcher stands to deliver pitches. The strike zone, located over home plate, determines whether a pitch is called a ball or a strike.

Baseball fielding and bases

The fielding team aims to prevent runs being scored from direct hits or batters running around the bases. Each fielder has specific duties:

The pitcher pitches the ball to the offensive team’s batter from a plate within the diamond. Once pitched and the ball is struck, the pitcher becomes another fielder attempting to run out base runners, usually at those trying to advance to first base. After a batted ball, fielders attempt to make plays such as catching a fly ball or fielding a line drive, depending on how the ball is hit.

The catcher is located behind the home plate where they kneel or squat in preparation for returning the ball to the pitcher if the batter fails to strike the ball.

First base is typically very demanding, as several balls are thrown to it in an attempt to run out batters. First base also guards the right side of the infield and may be involved in double-play situations, where two outs are made in one continuous play.

The second base player, alongside first base, guards the right side of the infield and attempts to catch balls hit in the air or on the ground. Second base also catches throws made to it to run out base runners and often participates in double plays.

The shortstops place themselves between second and third base and attempt to stop or catch any ball hit towards left field or throw to second or third base. The shortstop is also key in turning double plays and fielding line drives.

The third base player guards the area near third base and usually catches throws made to third. This player needs good reflexes (the ball is often hit hard in their direction) and a good throwing arm since it’s a long throw from third to first base.

On offence, strategies such as the sacrifice bunt are used to advance runners, even if it results in the batter being out at first. Players can also advance bases through stolen bases, showcasing their speed and base-running skills. Player performance is often measured by statistics like batting average, which tracks a batter’s success at getting hits.

Batting and pitching in baseball

A pitched ball is either described as a “strike” or “ball” by the umpire, based on the umpire’s judgment of whether the pitch passes through the strike zone. The strike zone is the area over home plate between the batter’s knees and shoulders. A strike is where a pitched ball is aimed at the batter, no lower than their knees or higher than their shoulders. Anything else is known as a ball.

A strike is called if a pitch is legitimate and the batter swings and misses, or fails to swing at all. If three strikes are called against the batting player without them having hit the ball, they are “struck out.”

Alternatively, if a pitcher pitches four “balls”, then the batter is permitted to proceed to first base without needing to hit the ball. The fielding team hope that the pitcher does not do this often as placing batters onto a base as base runners are likely to lead to them scoring more runs.

The starting pitcher is the player who begins the game pitching for their team. The pitcher’s role is to throw the batter off or make them strike the ball so that it can be caught or collected easily to reduce the likelihood of runs being conceded. Innings pitched is a key statistic for evaluating a pitcher’s workload and effectiveness. When analysing pitching statistics, metrics such as wins divided are used to calculate a pitcher’s win/loss percentage and assess their contribution to the team’s success.

Major League Baseball

Within the US, Major League Baseball (MLB) is one of the major leagues in professional baseball, divided into two leagues, the National League (NL) and American League (AL). Each league is divided into three divisions, East, Central and West.

Major league professional teams are known for their distinctive stadiums and traditions, which reflect their unique histories and local identities.

A typical baseball team roster includes several starting pitchers and other key positions. Teams also focus on developing top prospects, who are viewed as future stars and essential to long-term success.

The season is structured around scheduled games, with game time referring to both the duration and timing of each matchup.

American League:

• East: Baltimore, Boston, Toronto, NY Yankees, Tampa Bay

• Central: Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Minnesota, Chicago White Sox

• West: Oakland, Seattle, Texas, Houston, LA Angels

National League:

• East: Miami, Philadelphia, NY Mets, Washington, Atlanta

• Central: Chi Cubs, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati

• West: San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, LA Dodgers, San Francisco

Teams play the other clubs in their division, and this is known as the season. It lasts around 26 weeks and culminates in late September or early October. Then, the postseason begins, with the top teams from their leagues playing each other in playoffs to decide the division winners.

The structure is as follows:

The team that wins the most games during the season will win their division.

The two next-best ranked teams by win percentage play each other in a single-game elimination.

The winner of that game then plays the division champion with the most wins.

The two other division champions play each other in a five-game series.

Finally, the two winning teams play each other in a best-of-seven series for the league championship – called a pennant.

The two pennant winners contest the World Series, a best-of-seven series which results in a World Series Champion.

The baseball World Series

The World Series is the annual championship series of MLB in North America, contested between the American League champion team and the National League champion team since 1903. The Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves are among the most successful and historic teams in World Series history, each contributing to the event’s legacy.

New York has played a key role in baseball’s development and is home to iconic teams like the New York Yankees, whose achievements have shaped the sport’s cultural identity. The Yankees, in particular, are recognised as a symbol of urban success and have a massive fan base.

Recent World Series have featured standout performances from players such as Ronald Acuña Jr., who made a remarkable return from injury with a memorable home run and key runs scored, Rafael Devers, whose offensive power has been crucial for the Red Sox, and Juan Soto, known for his impact at the plate and ability to generate runs scored for his team.

Historically, the National Association served as an early governing body that contributed to the development and structure of professional baseball, paving the way for the modern World Series.

The winner of the World Series championship is decided through a best-of-seven playoff, and the winning team is awarded the highly coveted Commissioner’s Trophy.

As the series is usually played in October (and occasionally November), during the fall season in North America, it is sometimes referred to as the “Fall Classic.”

How to bet on baseball: know the game

With this guide to baseball, you should have enough to get started watching and betting on your first baseball match. There is more to baseball than in this article, but if you master these basics, you can follow this tactical game with its growing global popularity.

Now that you understand the fundamentals of baseball—from innings and strike zones to bullpen tactics and batting orders—you’re better equipped to follow the game with precision and purpose.

Baseball betting lets you wager on match winners, total runs, innings results, run lines, or even specific player performances. You can back the home run hero, bet on a low-scoring pitchers’ duel, or predict an underdog upset at long betting odds like 9/1. Baseball’s slower pace rewards patient bettors who understand its rhythm and data-rich nature.

Smart fans look beyond the box score. They analyse pitching matchups, current form, bullpen fatigue, batting averages, and fielding errors. Understanding when a manager will likely pull a starter or play aggressively can influence when and how you place bets.

If you’re new to betting on baseball, explore trusted betting tipsters who specialise in MLB or international leagues. For advanced users, arbitrage betting software can help identify price discrepancies and maximise value across bookmakers.

Whether you’re tracking a pennant race or just betting on a single game, knowing the sport’s structure, strategy, and nuance gives you an edge.

Baseball isn’t just hits and home runs—it’s a tactical contest of timing, statistics, and situational awareness.