Position player

In baseball, a position player is a player who on defense plays as an infielder, outfielder, or catcher. In Major League Baseball (since 1973 in the American League and since 2022 in the National League),[1] there is also a designated hitter, who bats but does not play any defensive positions (and is therefore not a position player). Position players are eligible to pitch, and a manager will use a position player as a relief pitcher on rare occasions. This typically happens if a game is a blowout, if no other pitchers are available, or if the game has gone well into extra innings. Although a position player may be eligible to pitch, the pitcher is not considered a position player.[2]