Positions & Strategy
Types of Pitches in Baseball: Fastballs, Breaking Balls and Offspeed
A guide to baseball's main pitches, from four-seamers and sinkers to sliders, sweepers, curveballs, changeups, splitters and the knuckleball.
Mason Hale
Mason Hale is the pen name of the small independent editorial team behind The Dugout News.
Rules Explained
The MLB Pitch Clock Explained: Timers, Pickoff Limits and Bigger Bases
How MLB's pitch timer works, from the 15- and 18-second clocks and batter rules to disengagement limits, bigger bases and the effect on game length.
Stats & Sabermetrics
How to Read a Baseball Box Score, Line by Line
A line-by-line guide to the baseball box score: the line score, batting and pitching lines, the notes section and pitcher decisions like W, L and S.
Rules Explained
The Infield Fly Rule Explained (And Why It Exists)
When the infield fly rule applies, what the umpire calls, what runners can do, why the rule exists and the famous 2012 Wild Card Game call.
MLB Guide
MLB Postseason Format Explained: Wild Cards, Byes and Series Lengths
How MLB's 12-team postseason works: seeding, wild cards, first-round byes, series lengths, home-field rules and how standings ties are broken.
Stats & Sabermetrics
WAR Explained: What Wins Above Replacement Really Measures
What Wins Above Replacement measures, how replacement level works, why FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference disagree, and how to read WAR values.
Rules Explained
The Strike Zone Explained: Official Definition and How It Is Called
What the rulebook says the strike zone is, how it moves with each batter, why umpires' zones differ, and how pitch tracking and ABS measure it.
Positions & Strategy
The Nine Baseball Positions Explained: Roles, Numbers and Skills
A guide to all nine baseball positions: their scoring numbers, responsibilities and typical skills, plus the DH, utility players and premium spots.
MLB Guide
How the MLB Season Works: From Spring Training to the World Series
The full MLB calendar explained: spring training, the 162-game balanced schedule, All-Star break, trade deadline, postseason and offseason.
Rules Explained
Baseball Rules for Beginners: How the Game Actually Works
New to baseball? Learn how innings, outs, balls and strikes, fair and foul balls, force outs and scoring really work, explained step by step.