Unlike the NFL, MLB has a much more niche fan base, however, people will still look up the MLB betting odds and wager on the games, much like they do any other sport. Baseball has been around for quite some time, by 1908 the game had already produced superstars, World Series champions, slang and more.
The game is not all that easy to understand when you might watch it, especially if you are totally new to it, however it can be easy to understand with the right perspective and enough research, and that is why we are here today. Baseball is easy to understand once you get your head around the terminology. Okay, so it is not a sport for everyone. It is quite a long game and there are a lot of rules, jargon, and technical factors.
However, it is a great game to bet on, but if you want to bet on the MLB, you need to have at least a basic understanding of how it works. So, let’s get down to it, how does the MLB work? How do they get a home run? And what else is there to know that will help you when you are placing your bets with a sportsbook such as Fanduel.com
What are the basics?
Let’s understand the basic rules of the game before we go any further. Each match is held between two teams, and each team contains 9 players; a catcher, pitcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman, and three outfielders. Outfielders will stay at the left field, right field and center field.
There are 9 innings in a game, and after these 9 innings the runs are counted off the teams, the team who scored the most runs wins, if the score is equal after 9 innings then extra innings are added until a winner is apparent. Each team will get an equal chance of batting and fielding.
Teams arrange and submit their batting orders and this cannot be changed throughout the course of the game, they are allowed to sub players in, but the subbed player needs to bat in place of the replaced player.
Should the batsman be able to hit the ball from the pitcher then they have to run to at least one base, they can run to as many bases as they want, but they will need to touch every base with a part of their body. If they get tagged out, then they cannot cross any more bases.
If the batter should swing their bat and miss, then this is a strike, however, the ball needs to be in the strike zone. If they get a strike thrice, then they are out. If 4 balls miss the strike zone however, then the batsman gets advantage, and they can reach first base and do not need to swing their bat.
There are four outs in baseball, strike out, force out, fly out, and tag out. Let’s explain these.
- A strikeout is when the batsman misses the ball three times in the strike zone.
- A force out is when the batsman misses completing the base before the defensive player.
- A fly out is when the batsman hits the bat into the air and the fielder catches the ball with no bounce.
- A tag out is when the defensive player with the ball tags the runner with the ball while running.
How does it work?
The MLB is made out of two leagues, the American league and the National league. Each of these has 15 teams and three divisions. Every team has a series of minor-league teams whose players are at varying stages of development, which forms the breeding ground for pro players.
The regular MLB season will last for 162 games, with most of these played within a given teams league, although there are two stretches of interleague play.
The winners of each division advance to their leagues’ division championship playoffs, and the winners of the two divisional series meet in the league championship series. The winner of this will then play in the World Series.
Understand terminology.
Let’s look at some important terminology that you need to know.
- Batting average- the measure of what percentage of a player’s at-bats results in base hits.
- RBI’s- This is the measure of the total runs of runs a hitter generates from their at-bats, with the exception of runs that are scored due to errors on behalf of the fielding team. A batter is awarded an RBI when they get a hit, a sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly, infield out, or fielder choice that leads to runners scoring.
- Home Run= When a batter reaches home safely with a single swing of the bat. Many home runs are hit over the outfield fence, however, sometimes a player may hit inside the park and get a home run.
- OBP- That measures how often a batter reaches base.
- Slugging Average- This is the number of total bases, divided by the number of at-bats. This statistic measures a batters true power. OBP is then added to slugging average to determine the on-base plus slugging, known as OPS.
- At Bats- This is the official number of times that the player has taken the plate as a batter. This number does not count walks or sacrifices.
- Runs- Runs are the number of times a batter has crossed the home plate.
- Hits- Hits are the number of times a batter has safely reached their base, this does not count walks or sacrifices.
- Runs Batted In- This is the number of times a batter has made it possible for their teammates to score. This does not include hits that result in a double play or runs that are scored as the result of an error.
- Stolen Bases (SB) and Base on Balls (BB)- Stolen bases are the number of times that a base runner has successfully advanced to the next base without the help of the hitter. Whereas, Base on Balls are the number of times a batter has been awarded first base as a result of four balls being pitched outside the strike zone (walks).