Sports can bring people together and baseball is one of the most popular sports in the world, including in many Spanish speaking countries. It is one of the most played sports in many countries including Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela. A sport such as baseball has a community of fans that transcends what language is used to discuss the game.
It can be fun to learn sports vocabulary in another language in order to broaden the group of people with whom you can share your interest! The following baseball terms in Spanish will give you a great start whether you want to play or watch the game with Spanish speakers.
Spanish Baseball Vocabulary
While the nature of the game can vary from country to country, the vocabulary tends to be similar.
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El bateador |
Batter |
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Bate |
Bat |
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El Receptor o Cátcher |
Catcher |
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Béisbol |
Baseball |
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Pelota |
Ball |
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El lanzador o Pícher |
Pitcher |
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Jonrón |
Home run |
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Base |
Base |
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Primera base |
First base |
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Segunda base |
Second base |
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Tercera base |
Third base |
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Beisbolista |
Baseball player |
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El jardinero |
Outfielder |
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Equipo |
Team |
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Puntaje |
Score |
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Base meta |
Home plate |
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Batazo bueno |
Hit |
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Entrada |
Inning |
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Fuera |
Out |
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Carrera |
Run |
Discussing Baseball in Spanish
First and foremost, it is important to know that a lot of the terms used in baseball in Spanish come directly from English. You’re likely to quickly recognize words such as cátcher, béisbol, pícher, and base. If you want to talk about baseball in Spanish, learning these words won’t take long.
As a baseball player, you might hear phrases such as:
- Estás out. -- You are out. This is used when the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. Notice that the English preposition out is kept in the Spanish phrase.
- Estás ponchao. -- You are punch-out. Estás ponchao is used to indicate that a batter has struck out. It refers to the physical motion the umpire in this instance.
Watching Baseball
If you decide to watch a baseball game with friends, you will want to understand what is going on. While many phrases and words come from English, there are some expressions that you may not recognize until you learn the Spanish for them. For example:
- Se le llenó la casa. -- The bases are loaded.
- Batió un jonrón. -- He batted a homerun.
- Pillar al corredor. -- Caught between two bases.
- Jonrón con casa llena. -- Grand slam (a home run with the bases loaded).
- Colgar la tercera argolla. -- This literally translates to ‘‘hang the third ring’’ in English; it is used when the pitcher gets the third out.
All Things Baseball
While this is not a comprehensive list of all things baseball, it will give you a smooth headstart when talking about the game in Spanish. Besides enjoying a fun pastime, you will get to sound like a native after learning these expressions to describe a very popular sport in the Spanish-speaking world. Batter up!