Fielder’s Choice Meaning in Baseball

Definition: A fielder’s choice is a play where a fielder catches a hit ball and chooses to try and get a different runner out instead of the batter. Because the fielder focused on another runner, the batter is able to reach first base safely. Even though the batter is “safe,” they are not credited with a “hit” in their statistics because the defense could have theoretically gotten them out if they hadn’t been busy making a play elsewhere.

This situation most often occurs when there is a runner already on base. For example, if there is a runner on first and the batter hits a ground ball to the shortstop, the shortstop might decide it is easier to throw the runner out at second base rather than throwing all the way to first. The runner at second is out, but the batter stays safe at first. In the eyes of the official scorer, the defense “chose” which out to take. It is a smart strategic move for the defense because it removes the runner who was closest to scoring.

A fielder’s choice can also happen without any out being recorded at all. If a fielder tries to throw a runner out at home plate but the runner is safe, the batter still reaches first base on a fielder’s choice. The key detail is that the fielder’s primary intent was to get someone other than the batter. For the batter, it can be a bit frustrating because their batting average doesn’t go up, but it is still helpful for the team because they managed to put a fresh runner on the bases to keep the inning going.

Example: With a runner on first, the batter hit a grounder to the second baseman, who threw to second for the out, allowing the batter to reach first on a fielder’s choice.