What does baserunning mean?
Baserunning refers to the act and craft of running the bases in baseball and softball — the set of skills a player uses to advance safely from base to base toward scoring a run. It covers everything from explosive acceleration out of the batter's box to reading a hit ball, deciding whether to take an extra base, stealing bases, tagging up on fly balls, and sliding to evade a tag. Good baserunning is often described as a blend of speed, instinct, and game awareness rather than raw athleticism alone, which is why coaches treat it as a teachable discipline with its own drills. The term is chiefly American English and appears almost exclusively in sports commentary, coaching manuals, and box-score analysis. Its importance is captured in a familiar adage: speed may be a gift, but smart baserunning wins close games.
nounThe action and skill of running the bases in baseball or softball, encompassing techniques such as stealing bases, advancing on hits, and sliding safely.
- The skill and activity of advancing between bases in baseball or softball, including stealing, tagging up, and sliding.
"Her aggressive baserunning turned a routine single into a double."
"The coach praised the team's baserunning after they executed three stolen bases in one inning."
"Poor baserunning cost them the game when the runner was doubled off second base."
Almost never pluralized; used as an uncountable mass noun in practice.
"The highlight reel showcased a season's worth of daring baserunning."
In baseball, the fastest way around the bases isn't always sprinting — sometimes it's knowing exactly when to stop, turn, and dare the defense to throw you out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of baserunning
The compound combines 'base', from Latin 'basis' and Greek 'basis' meaning a step or foundation, with 'running', the gerund of the verb 'run', which traces back through Old English 'rinnan'/'ærnan' to a Proto-Germanic root shared with other Germanic languages. The term arose in nineteenth-century American baseball terminology as the sport codified its rules for advancing between bases.
Related word forms
How baserunning is actually used
Primarily used in American English and in baseball/softball contexts; written as one word, though 'base running' as two words also occurs.
Easily confused with baserunning
A baseline is the marked path between bases, while baserunning is the act of running those paths.