SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/base-ball-in-dirt

A pitch hits the ground, then bounces through the strike zone. The batter does not swing. What is it?

A ball. A pitch has to enter the zone in flight to be a called strike.

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  1. A strike
  2. A ball ✔
  3. A do-over pitch

Why: The rulebook says a pitch that touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone is a ball. Only a pitch that goes through the zone in the air can be a called strike.

Huh, didn't know that: If the batter swings and misses at a bouncing pitch, it is still a strike.

The dad joke
Why did the pitch go to therapy? It kept hitting rock bottom.
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References

Answer: A ball. The rulebook says a pitch that touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone is a ball. Only a pitch that goes through the zone in the air can be a called strike.

  1. Official Baseball Rules, 2026 Edition mktg.mlbstatic.com/mlb/official-information/2026-official-baseball-rules.pdf
    If the pitch touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone it is a "ball."
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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