What does baserunner mean?
A baserunner is a player on the batting team in baseball or softball who has successfully reached one of the three bases and is attempting to advance around them in order to score a run. Once a batter becomes a baserunner by reaching first base — whether through a hit, a walk, an error, or being hit by a pitch — that player's role shifts: they no longer swing the bat but instead rely on speed, judgment, and daring to steal bases, advance on teammates' hits, and cross home plate. The term appears constantly in game commentary and analysis, where phrases like 'stranding baserunners' describe a team's failure to convert runners into runs. The word can be written as one word or two ('base runner'), with both spellings accepted, though the closed form is increasingly standard. It is a specialized term whose meaning is transparent within its sport but rarely used outside baseball contexts.
nounA player on the batting team in baseball or softball who has reached base and is attempting to advance around the bases to score a run.
- A player in baseball or softball who has safely reached a base and is trying to advance to subsequent bases and eventually score a run.
"The baserunner took off for second the moment the pitcher committed to his delivery."
"With two outs and a baserunner on second, the batter worked the count full before lining a single to center field."
"Good teams teach their baserunners to read the ball off the bat and react instinctively."
Standard pluralization applies; the plural is common in commentary, e.g. when discussing how many runners a pitcher leaves on base.
"The pitcher stranded twelve baserunners over seven innings but escaped without allowing a run."
A baserunner who reaches third base is said to be 'in scoring position' — ninety feet from home, and from glory.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of baserunner
Baserunner is a compound of the English words 'base' and 'runner', formed within the vocabulary of baseball, which codified in the United States during the nineteenth century. The word 'base' derives from Latin 'basis', meaning foundation or footing, entering English via Old French and later applied to the fixed stations a player must occupy. 'Runner' comes from Old English 'rinnan', meaning to run. The compound arose naturally as the sport developed its terminology, describing precisely what the role involves: running between bases.
How baserunner is actually used
Written either as one word ('baserunner') or as two words ('base runner'), with both forms widely accepted; 'base runner' was historically more common but 'baserunner' now predominates in American sports journalism. The term belongs almost entirely to the vocabulary of baseball and softball commentary and analysis.
Easily confused with baserunner
A runner is a general term for someone who runs, while a baserunner refers specifically to a baseball or softball player occupying or advancing between bases.