Want to know the difference between batter vs. pitcher? Batter and pitcher are both nouns, but batter can also be used as a verb. Both have connections to baseball games, so check out their definitions here with example sentences, and be on your way to elevating your chances for success in this battle of wits!
verb, noun
Batter is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, batter is a mixture of eggs, flour, and liquid often used for baking. People use batter for recipes like pancakes, cupcakes, and cakes and for coating ingredients, usually for frying. Batter, as a verb, means to hit something forcefully and repeatedly. In baseball or softball, the batter is the player who swings at the pitches using a baseball bat, attempting to reach home base by hitting a ball far enough onto the entire field or gaining enough balls for a walk.
In Major League Baseball, 30 teams battle it out to win. The season is one of the longest in major American sports, with 162 games played between April and early October. Eight teams, four from each league, the American League and National League, play best of five, meaning the first team with 3 wins moves to the next level. The next level is the best of 7 and the final championship. The advantage for left-handed hitters is that they are closer to the base field gap. There are also more right-handed batters than left, though some players can switch hands. If you want to see a real batter vs pitchers situation, check out the MLB.
The left-handed batting approach, some argue, gives left-handed batters greater chances of success because they are closer to the first base plate.
Another situation for using batter as a noun is for architecture. A batter in construction is a receding slope of a wall or structure. It is an intentional slope.
Left-handed hitters in baseball stand on the right-hand side of the home plate.
The advantage in baseball of hosting home games is huge! Home teams on home-fields often win more games.
Jonathan Bales is the author of daily fantasy baseball, Fantasy Baseball for Smart People.
Elite hitters practice a lot and spend hours honing their skills. Their approach to hitting has to be skilfully executed.
noun
Unlike batter, pitcher is a noun with a few different meanings. A pitcher is a jug or holder containing pourable liquid, like a lemonade pitcher. Another use of pitcher as a noun is in baseball or softball. The pitcher is the player who pitches in a game of baseball. They are the person who throws the ball from the pitcher's mound located at the center of the diamond to the batter who hits the ball. There are 4 types of pitchers in any given baseball team, a starting pitcher, middle reliever, setup reliever, and the closer.
The origins of pitcher come from Old Norse "Bikarr" or middle Dutch "Bekker" meaning goblet. Other sources say pitcher also stems from the Medieval Latin word "bicarium" which probably originates from the Greek "bikos" meaning jug, wine jar, or vase with handles. In baseball, there only used to be one pitcher per game. This player would be responsible for pitching the entire season. Now because of injuries, there are up to 14 pitchers available per team in modern baseball. This approach has changed how baseball is played and gives teams a better chance of success.
The waitress brought a pitcher of iced water to the table.
Walter Johnson is regarded as one of the greatest pitchers of all time because of his longevity and dominance of great American baseball.
Grab a few lemons, a pitcher, water, and sugar to make delicious lemonade.
Reliever pitchers enter the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, fatigue, or for strategic purposes.
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants. They attract and drown their prey with nectar.
In MLB history, Aroldis Chapman is attributed with throwing the fastest pitch at 105.1 mph by PITCH/fx.
Batter
Batter is the liquid substance used to make pancakes, cakes, cover fish, muffins, etc., or as a transitive verb to pound or beat with successive force. It's also the name for the player who hits the ball in a baseball or softball game. Another use of batter is in architecture, referring to the upward slope of an outward-facing wall.
Pitcher
Pitcher is a noun. It either refers to the player in a game of baseball who pitches the ball or is the name for the jug in which liquids are kept and poured.
Bottom Line
These two words have a few different meanings. Remember that the pitcher is throwing in baseball, and the batter is holding the baseball bat, ready to hit it. Pitcher is another name for a large jug, and batter, as a verb, can mean to hit with force.
When to use batter?
When to use pitcher?
How to remember batter vs. pitcher
Spell checkers don't always have you covered. Sometimes your word might be spelled correctly, but it could be the wrong word. In English, there are lots of confusing terms that look alike but are spelled differently, and many terms that mean the same thing but are easily misused.
Here are the most commonly confusing word pairings, with definitions and examples of their usage.