Positioning For Infielders (Where to be and when to be there)

Where to Be and When (Positioning Infielders)

A common problem that I see when I’m coaching young players today is positioning. Watching young players today it seems like they are rarely in the correct spot and the correct time. It could be me just over analyzing and expecting too much from a young group of infielders, but to someone who has played the game at a high level and knows situations it seems like common sense. Obviously this is something that will be addressed with my team, so I figured I’d share with the readers what I’ll be saying to the guys about where they need to be and when they need to be there.

Photo Credit: www.piratesprospects.com

Most commonly I find that the 3^rd baseman is the one that is constantly out of position, whether he’s up when he should be back or vice versa. Something that really bothers me is when they get into “no-man’s land” that spot where they are playing about 3 steps behind the lip so that anything that hits that lip they will not have time to react to the ball. The 3^rd baseman essentially has 3 depths that they will play; in, back, and double play depth.

·        The 1^st position I will discuss is IN: The 3^rd baseman should be play in in a few situations; fast runner who is likely to bunt, bunting situations (1^st & 2^nd 0-outs), and with a quick lefty at the plate that is a “slap” type hitter.

·        The BACK position: The 3^rd baseman should spend quite a bit of time in the back position; they will be here with 2 strikes, 2 outs, power hitters at bat, and many other non-bunting situations. Players can learn to fake hitters out by starting up and moving back and vice versa to try and get a player to misjudge the positioning of the 3^rd baseman; this works best with the bunting threat hitters.

·        The DOUBLE PLAY position: This position is obviously used for double play situations, and is when the 3^rd baseman is about 1-3 steps behind the baseline. The reason this is double play depth is that it puts the 3^rd baseman is better position to throw the ball to 2^nd without throwing the ball behind them, but doesn’t put them too far back to make turning the double play difficult. This position can be used when you have hitters at the plate that are quick runners, but are not in a bunting situation.

The key as a 3^rd baseman is to be able to float between the positions. 3^rd basemen should ideally spend the majority of their time in the back position to have as much range as possible, giving them the ability to cut balls off in front of the shortstop.

        The middle infielders positioning is very important and can be the difference between saving a run or not. As a middle infielder knowing the situation is extremely important and it goes much deeper than how many outs there are. As a middle infielder there are several things that must be thought about before the pitch is ever thrown. For example; How many outs, where are the runners, are they fast, what kind of hitter is at the plate, is he fast, what’s the score, what inning is it, how much range does the corner infielder on my side have, how are we going to pitch this hitter, what has this hitter done already today? There is a lot to think about in the 20 seconds between pitches. Here is how a middle infielder should break it down:

·        Knowing the hitter is very important, as a 2^nd baseman if there is a big lefty at the plate who doesn’t run well and there is nobody on 1^st, I would play at least 3-4 steps into the outfield grass to give myself as much range as possible, trying to take away any cheap singles, especially with a runner on 2^nd. That being said if the hitter can run, I wouldn’t be playing as deep but still giving myself some room with a runner on 2^nd to keep the runner on 2^nd from scoring. 

·        The middle infielders should almost always deepen their positon with 2 outs, especially with a runner in scoring position. This will give them at least extra 2-3 steps of range on either side to try and save a run. From the shortstop side it is a little more difficult to play much deeper because of the throw that needs to be made, but they can still give themselves an extra step to extend the range.

·        Double play depth is a position that puts the middle infielders in position to get to the bag in time to turn the double play. This position should have the middle infielder about 6-8 steps away from the base. This position can be modified depending on the hitter, but the player should never be more than about 10 steps from the base as that will make them late to the bag and not allow the player to turn the double play.

Photo Credit: MLB on Youtube

The 1^st baseman is often lost when it comes to positioning. Many young 1^st basemen are afraid of not being at the bag on time so they play just a few steps away. I prefer to take the 1^st baseman as far off the line as possible with a right handed hitter at bat. Something that I’ve noticed in the many years I’ve watch this game is that the ground ball down the right field line from a right handed hitter is rare. It does happen, but it is extremely rare compared to the ground ball through the 4 hole. This being said as a coach I’d rather take away 10 singles and allow 2 doubles than vice versa. The 1^st baseman will really only play up on 3 occasions; known bunt situation, infield in (play at home), and when they are holding a runner on at 1^st because they are forced to be up. All other situations the 1^st baseman should be playing deep and off the line as much as possible, except with a left handed hitter.

        Positioning is has a major impact on the game, but it is really only given credit when it is something extreme like the “shift”. The small things like being at the right depth in the right situation can truly change the game because it will allow the infielder to get to the ball that they would not have normally reached. Keep in mind that positioning is completely based on the situation, these tips will help the young inexperienced infielder be closer to where they should be the majority of the time. These tips are things that infielders should learn and be able to do on their own. It will take some time to master it, and truly understand how hitter’s tendencies work. Once there is an understanding of situations and analysis of the hitters, infielders will find themselves getting to balls they never reached before.

Like what you’ve read or have some criticism let me know, leave a comment.

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