What is a Wild Pitch in Baseball
A wild pitch is a pitched ball so far out of the strike zone that the catcher cannot control it, allowing baserunners to advance or a batter to reach base on a third strike.
A wild pitch (WP) is a pitched ball that is so errant — high, low, or wide — that the catcher cannot control it with ordinary effort, allowing baserunners to advance or a batter to reach first base on a dropped third strike. Wild pitches are charged to the pitcher as a measure of control problems.
How a Wild Pitch Is Scored
The official scorer determines a wild pitch when:
- The pitch is far enough from the strike zone that a catcher making reasonable effort cannot stop or block the ball
- One or more baserunners advance as a result
- On a third strike that gets away, the batter reaches first base
A ball in the dirt that a catcher could have blocked with normal effort is scored as a passed ball (charged to the catcher), not a wild pitch.
Wild Pitch vs. Passed Ball
| Wild Pitch | Passed Ball |
|---|---|
| Charged to the pitcher | Charged to the catcher |
| Ball was too difficult to control | Catcher should have stopped it |
| Pitcher's error of control | Catcher's error of execution |
The distinction between wild pitch and passed ball is a judgment call by the official scorer and is sometimes controversial.
Consequences of a Wild Pitch
- Runners advance — Each runner may advance one or more bases; in exceptional cases (ball rolling to the backstop) runners may advance two bases
- Runs score — If a runner on third base advances home on a wild pitch, that run is considered earned (unlike passed balls, wild pitches do not change the earned run calculation)
- Batter reaches base — On a third strike that the catcher cannot control, the batter can run to first; the catcher must throw the batter out
Wild Pitches and ERA
Wild pitches do not remove the "earned" status of runs that score — unlike errors. If a run scores because of a wild pitch, it still counts as an earned run against the pitcher's ERA.
Career Wild Pitch Leaders
Pitchers who throw with high velocity and sharp breaking balls tend to generate more wild pitches:
- Nolan Ryan — MLB career wild pitches record (200+)
- Power pitchers and knuckleball pitchers tend to have elevated wild pitch totals
- Modern analytics track wild pitch rate per 9 innings as a measure of pitcher command