What Is a Ball in Baseball?
A ball is a pitch the batter is not required to chase.
A ball is a pitch outside the strike zone that the batter does not swing at.
A ball in baseball is called when a pitch misses the strike zone and the batter does not swing. Four balls give the batter a walk, allowing them to go to first base. This makes pitch location important because the pitcher must challenge the hitter without making the ball too easy to hit. The ball-strike count is one of the main tactical layers of baseball.