The great thing about baseball is that people of various sizes and athletic abilities can play the sport.
The different defensive positions take a variety of skills and have different demands.
Some of these skills include speed, soft hands, strong arm, anticipation and quickness.
Having all of these skills makes you a candidate for every position, but below we will break down the different skills and the different positions to help you determine what position you should play.
What Position Should I Play in Baseball?
The key is to assess your skills in some key areas and match them up with the demand for the different positions. For example, if you are quick and have soft hands, a middle infield position would be ideal. If you are fast with a strong arm, you may be able to excel in the outfield.
We would recommend picking multiple positions and working on the variety of skills to be the most complete player on your team.
Below, we will dive into the following topics:
- How to assess your skills to help you determine your position
- What positions require what skills
How To Assess Your Skills To Help You Determine Your Positions
The key is to be honest about your skill set. Below, we have a list of skills that are important in the different positions in the game of baseball. Go ahead and rate yourself on a scale of 1-5 (1 being poor, 5 being excellent). Ready?
- Speed
- Arm Strength
- Quickness
- Soft Hands
- Anticipation
- Height
If you scored yourself a 4 or 5 in every category, you could play every position on the field. Let’s get into the specifics of each position and break down what skills are most important in specific positions.
What Positions Require What Skills
Below, we will break down the following positions: middle infield, corner infield, outfield, catcher and pitcher.
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Middle Infield (2nd Base and Shortstop)
Most Important Skills
- Quickness
- Soft Hands
Secondary Skills
- Strong Arm
The most important skills for these two positions are quickness and soft hands. Arm strength is more important for shortstop compared to the 2nd base position. If you have a high level of quickness, soft hands and a strong arm, the coach might give you a shot at shortstop, which is a vital position on the field. The shortstop and the center field position might be the most vital to a team’s success defensively.
These two positions require an infielder to be able to get a ball hit into a hole, make a play and quickly get rid of the ball to 1st or 2nd base to get the force out.
They also must be able to turn a double play, which requires quick, soft hands to catch the ball and quickly release as time is vital. In the outfield, the outfielders often have more time and can take a big windup before firing the ball to the appropriate base.
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Corner Infield (1st Base and 3rd Base)
Most Important Skills
- Arm Strength
- Soft Hands
Secondary Skills
- Height
The corner infielders do not require the same level of quickness as the middle infield and are often played by players with more size, especially first base. Traditionally, someone that can really hit the ball hard and far, but may not be fast or quick, will play first base. The positions requires the person to be able to field a simple ground ball and to catch the ball for a force play on an ground ball to the infield
3rd base is more of a complex position and requires more skill than 1st base. The throw can be difficult across the infield and requires a stronger arm. However, the positions doesn’t require a big range left to right to field a ground ball as many ground balls hit to 3rd base are hit pretty hard.
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Outfield (Left, Center and Right)
Most Important Skills
- Arm Strength
- Speed
Secondary Skills
- Anticipation
The outfield positions are often made up of players with higher end speed, especially center field, which covers the most ground. Traditionally in baseball, the center fielder is a fast player that can go get the ball when hit into a gap.
The corner outfield position does not require as much speed. Arm strength is great to have in the outfield as it can cut down runners and prevent them from taking an extra base on a base hit or a ball hit into a gap.
A strong arm on a right fielder is important as it is further from 3rd base than left field is. So on a base hit to right field with a runner on first base, the right fielder must field the ball and possibly fire the ball to 3rd base to keep the runner from taking 2 bases on a base hit.
Overall, anticipation is important as the best outfielders are able to read the ball off the bat and get a quality jump on making the play. The outfitters, even though they may only get 1-4 balls per game, must be ready on every pitch for their chance to make a play.
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Catcher
Most Important Skills
- Arm Strength
- Anticipation
Secondary Skills
- Soft Hands
The catcher is a vital position in the game of baseball. They are involved in every pitch and must be able to call a good game for the pitcher. This position requires someone that is tough and ready to get dirty. Many balls are in the dirt and they can take foul balls off the face mask or chest protector. They have to be ready to block balls in the dirt and be involved in every pitch.
The strong arm is important to keep base runners from stealing bases. Anticipation of what the pitcher needs to do and what the hitter is trying to do helps the pitcher experience success.
The soft hands are important when a ball is in the dirt and for framing pitches.
Pitcher
Most Important Skills
- Arm Strength
- Anticipation
Secondary Skills
- Height
The arm strength of the pitcher is really important to the overall speed he is able to throw. Of course, as pitchers progress the ability to throw a variety of off speed pitches is often the difference between a good pitcher and a great pitcher. Anticipation is important to understand what the hitter is trying to do and what his strengths are.
Overall, height on a pitcher is often desired because of the longevity and the potential extra velocity, although there have been great pitchers who aren’t very tall.
Next Steps: What Position Should I Play in Baseball
The best players are the most versatile. Go ahead and work on the various skills such as ground balls, fly balls, arm strength, soft hands and speed. To be the best player for your team, having versatility makes someone a coach’s dream player.
A player should not only focus on one position until they are playing a high level in baseball. Unless you are a standout shortstop or centerfield, you will more than likely play multiple positions in youth baseball and through high school depending on the strength of your teammates.