What is the Most Dangerous Position to Play in Baseball

Key Takeaways

• Overall, baseball is a safe sport when compared to full contact sports like football, ice hockey, soccer and basketball
• Danger risks and injury factors do exist and increase as players get older
• Ranking of each baseball position by increasing danger/injury risk

Introduction

When compared to full contact sports like American football, basketball and ice hockey, the danger of getting hurt while playing baseball is fairly low. [1]

Of course, playing in any sport has inherent risk to injury and baseball is no different.

In order to determine the most dangerous position in baseball, I am going to first define the danger risk and injury factors and rank each baseball positions accordingly.

[1] MedStar Health Research Intramural Grants Program (https://www.medstarhealth.org/news-and-publications/articles-and-research-reports/is-baseball-safe-for-your-child)

Danger Risk vs Injury Factor

Because baseball is a highly interactive sport between offensive and defensive players, the overall chance of injury increases with combination of player’s age and position.

Another words, a position that is “safe” at one age level may be more dangerous and riskier at the older levels.

DANGER RISK

A danger risk is a chance that you will get hurt because of something or someone.

For example, if you are a third baseman, you have a very little time to react when a batted ball’s exit velocity (i.e. how fast a ball comes off a bat) is over 100 mph.

That translates into a higher danger risk for third baseman when compared to say, a second baseman who is much further away from the home plate.

Old Days of Baseball

It wasn’t too long ago when a game of baseball was played in a rough and tumble way. Similar to old slap stick hockey, the Pete Rose an Johnny Bench era (euphemistically referred to as “trucking”) ended careers of many promising professional baseball players due to injury caused by another player.

Thankfully, the rules have been modifies over the last 10+ years which resulted in dramatic decrease in injury but you simply cannot get away from possible getting hurt playing in any sport.

Of course, violent home plate collisions and dirty sliding still happens but due to rule changes, they happen less frequently.

The most common rule to protect youth baseballs players is a rule called “no-head-first-sliding-to-any-bases” until players generally turn 12 or 13 years old.  This rule ensure that the player’s head and hands are protected from injuries (i.e. being stepped on, etc.).  Some leagues go as far as instituting “no-head-first-sliding-to-home-plate” until 14 or 15 years old.

INJURY FACTORS

On the other hand, the injury factor is a primarily due to lack of discipline and/or poor body mechanics.

Some examples inherent injury factors are:

• Poor conditioning
• Poor throwing mechanics
• Throwing too frequently
• Pitching breaking pitches at a young age
• Not stretching/warming between pitches (infielder/outfielders)

One thing to keep in mind is that players with poor swing habits and odd pitching mechanics will be at a greater risk of getting injured as they get bigger, stronger and faster.

Getting Hurt Playing Youth Baseball

The danger associated with playing youth baseball (around 6 to 9 years old) is quite miniscule as long as parents and coaches pay attention players on the field and in the dugout.

Most kids in this age group cannot hit that hard nor can they run fast where a collision between two bodies will result in an injury.

Most mishaps that I have seen are from:

• Swinging bats near other children
• Baseball is thrown to another player when he or she is not paying attention
• Bat being thrown after making the contact with a baseball

On rare occasion, some batters will be plunked but kids in this age group cannot hit that hard nor can they run fast where a collision between two bodies will result.

Between the ages of 10-12, kids are noticeably faster and can hit harder.  On the defensive side of the baseball, I saw that third baseman and pitcher got the bulk of the black and blue bruises from batted balls.

On the offensive side, the only injuries I saw were few hit-by-a-pitch instances on the head or ankles.

Playing Middle and High School and College Baseball

A 2007 study by Dick et al in the Journal of Athletic Training studied collegiate players and determined that over 45% of injuries came from the batter, base runner and pitcher. [2]

The researchers determined that the game injuries resulting from a batted ball constituted 10% of all game injuries with almost half of those injuries occurring at third base, shortstop and second base positions.

Pitchers came in at fourth with 14% of pitchers getting hurt from batted balls (i.e. comebackers).

[2] Epidemiology of collegiate injuries for 15 sports: summary and recommendations for injury prevention initiatives (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17710181/)

Ranking Dangerous Baseball Positions

Please keep in mind that this list is based on my personal experience and observation.  As such, you may have a different opinion on the ranking so feel free to leave a comment to share your point of view.Generally speaking, outfield positions are more dangerous as players get older.

#9 – First Baseman (1B)

First baseman’s duty is to skillfully grab all thrown balls, regardless of if a ball is thrown high or low into the ground which can cause injury.

In addition to scooping up tough throws in the dirt, they have to keep one foot on the bag which can be stepped on by runners.

On occasion, 1B also has to contend with screaming line drives from left handed batters.

• DANGER RISK – low to medium risk of colliding with a runner; low risk of being stepped on; medium risk from fielding a badly thrown ball from another infielder; low risk of running into side wall/chain link fence wile attempting to catch a foul ball
• INJURY FACTOR– little to no injury factors because a first baseman requires no appreciable movement nor does he has to make repetitive throws;

#8 – Second Baseman (2B)

Unless there is a double play opportunity, the second baseman has the safest position of all infield positions because he is furthest away from the home plate (approximately 127 feet on a 60×90 field)

This is because second baseman is usually farthest away from the batter’s box (approximately 127 feet on a 60/90 MLB field) so they have plenty of time to react a batted baseball.

• DANGER RISK – high risk of collision with a runner (especially dirty player like Hundley); some risk of collision with other infielders from chasing down a pop fly
• INJURY FACTOR– second baseman usually does not make long throws so the inherent injury factor is small

#7 – Center Fielder (CF)

Center fielders covers the largest area on the field. 

In addition to cover the center field, he is also responsible for covering the overlapping areas on the left and right center.

Center fielders need speed and range to cover them all.

• DANGER RISK – high risk of collision with another player (especially with older kids); minor risk from balls lost in the sun and/or collision with a rear fence/wall
• INJURY FACTOR– high risk of lower leg injury due to rapid acceleration to chase down a fly ball; high risk of upper body injury due to making long throws with “cold” shoulders

For 6 to 9 year old players, not much happens in the outfield so the risk of injury is very small.  You will see most kids picking dandelions and watching butterflies.

For 10 to 12-year-old players, it gets more exciting with line drives and flyballs coming their way but because they are still not physically mature, the overall danger risk is still low.

By the time they reach 13-year of age, most play on 60×90 fields (READ “COMPLETE GUIDE TO BASEBALL FIELDS), requiring them to run hard to chase down baseballs and make longer throws.

In many regions, youth baseball enrollment id declining so 13-year-olds may play with 14 and 15-year-old players, increasing the likelihood of collision.

To minimize the danger risk, center fielders will need to learn to communicate with other outfielders. They should also be acutely aware of their surroundings as each field may have different wall configurations (i.e. learn to recognize warning tracks).

#6 and #5 – Right and Left Fielders (RF, LF)

Left and right fielders face the same risk as center fielders EXCEPT that they also have to contend with side walls.

• DANGER RISK – in addition to the high risk of collision with another player, left and right fielders also have to worry about colliding with a side wall or fence.
• INJURY FACTOR– high risk of lower leg injury due to rapid acceleration to chase down a fly ball; high risk of upper body injury due to making long throws with “cold” shoulders

Although most school and rec fields are regularly shaped, there are some really odd shaped fields.

Below is a video of Yankee rookie Dustin Fowler getting hurt in Chicago White Sox stadium with that awful wall that sticks out (WARNING – graphic)

The same rule about calling for ball applies to RF and LF positions.

RF and LF must be aware of the wall prior to a game and learn the gauge the distance.

As someone who is competitive, chasing down a foul ball and getting hurt at this level is just not worth it!

(Read my post on WHO HAS PRIORITY OF CATCHING A BASEBALL?)

#4 – Shortstop (SS)

Shortstop is usually positioned little bit closer than a second baseman but they are still pretty far away from the batter’s box.

However, short stops have added responsibility to field the most amount of batted balls because over 90% of the batters are right-handed.

• DANGER RISK – high risk of collision with a runner (especially dirty player like Hundley); some risk from fielding a ball with bad hop; some risk of collision with other infielders from chasing down a pop fly
• INJURY FACTOR– injury from making repetitive throws (i.e. Didi Gregorius with Yankees who had to get TJ surgery while playing SS)

For younger players, the risk of a facial/head injury incidences are high duto delayed reaction time. Risks are also   higher in rec and camp settings versus tournaments (probably due to more disciplined players)

Ranked #4 – First Baseman (1B)

First baseman’s duty is to skillfully grab all thrown balls, regardless of if a ball is thrown high or low into the ground which can cause injury.

In addition to scooping up tough throws in the dirt, they have to keep one foot on the bag which can be stepped on by runners.

On occasion, 1B also has to contend with screaming line drives from left handed batters.

#3 – Third Baseman (3B)

Third base is also referred to as the “hot corner” and below is why a third baseman has to have one of the quickest reflexes:

• Over 80% of the players are right-handed, “pull” hitters resulting in batted balls ending up between 3^rd base and 2^nd base
• Third baseman is approximately 85 feet away from the home plate
• Pitcher is closer to home plate at 60 ft 6 inches but most ground balls end up between 3^rd and 2^nd base

Unlike pitchers, a third baseman has the advantage of being in a ready position before the pitch so his danger risk is not as high as pitchers.

• DANGER RISK – high risk of getting hit with a screaming line drive or hard ground ball; some risk of collision with other infielders from chasing down a pop fly; low risk with colliding with a side (chain link) fence to catch foul balls
• INJURY FACTOR– injury from making hard and long throws

For young players (under 12 years old), third base is no more dangerous than first or second infielders.

#2 – Catcher (C)

Catcher is the only position where a player is allowed to wear external protective gear.

But baseballs have an interesting way of finding spots that are not protected like fingers, toes, hands, arms, thighs and feet.

Even wearing a cup to protect the family jewel are not 100% effective (you know what I mean if you played as a catcher and got hit in that spot).

• DANGER RISK – high risk of collision with a runner coming home (though the rules make it clear that runners are no longer allowed to truck over catchers); high risk of getting hit from a swung bat; high risk of getting hit with a foul-tipped ball; high risk of getting hit in the unprotected spot when blocking breaking pitches that ends up in dirt
• INJURY FACTOR– high risk of knee injury from making repetitive squatting motions; high risk of injuring an arm from making long and hard throws from an awkward position (distance from home plate to 2^nd base is 127 feet {refer to Posy from Orioles who moved from catcher to first base}

Although there are high risks being a catcher, this is my FAVORITE position because it allows a player to learn the game of baseball very quickly. If you want to see some examples, search for “baseball nut shots” on YouTube!

#1 – Pitcher (P)

Regardless of the size of a playing field, pitchers are the closest defensive player to a batted ball (not counting catchers who are behind the home plate).

Did you know that a 5 oz ball with a 70 mph+ exit velocity (i.e. ball coming off of a swung bat) exerts anywhere from 2,500 to 3,100 lbs of force?

Did you also know that it takes less than 0.4 seconds to reach the pitcher who, after a ball is released from his hand, is usually closer than 55 ft from the home plate?

Though pitchers getting hit by batted balls (i.e. comebackers) are super rare with young players,  things change quickly from 12+ year old players.

• DANGER RISK – medium to high probably of getting hit by a batted ball, also known as the comebackers; in older leagues, most pitchers allow other infielders to catch pop fly ball
• INJURY FACTOR– high risk of arm and shoulder injury from making repetitive throws ; high risk of getting an elbow injury from throwing breaking pitches at an early age

It is absolutely critical that pitchers are taught to be in a good defensive position as soon as the ball is released to limit the risk of getting hurt.

In addition, any throwing mechanical flows are amplified as players get older and can throw harder so it is very important to identify and fix and pitching mechanic issues early on.

Search “baseball comebackers” on YouTube and see why it is important to teach young pitchers to be prepared as an infielder after releasing the ball.

Final Thoughts

All positions in baseball have a certain degree of danger risks and injury factors, especially for inexperienced ball players.

Though younger players tend not to face these risk, it is important to start teaching them early on so that they can develop good habits to minimize potential injuries down the road.

Related Posts

• Playing outfield is a good thing
• Assigning field positions
• Matching players to positions
• What are the different positions in baseball -what your baseball positions says about you
• What is the easiest and toughest position in baseball

Reference Links

• StopSportsInjuries.org
• Med Star Health – Is Baseball Safe for Your Child? (https://www.medstarhealth.org/news-and-publications/articles-and-research-reports/is-baseball-safe-for-your-child
• Factors Influencing Ball-Player Impact Probability in Youth Baseball  (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4332638/)