And here's the pitch!

The pitcher initiates the action by, well, pitching. First, though, the pitcher has to "come set". This specifically refers to the pitcher, standing on the mound, bringing their arms together, then pausing. The length of the pause varies, but it must be long enough to be discernable. Also, the pitcher cannot come set while the batter is not paying attention to them. The first time they do, the home plate umpire can issue a warning, and if the pitcher does it again, the umpire can issue an automatic ball.

After they come set, the pitcher goes into a motion that prepares them to release the ball. When there are no runners on base, most starting pitchers use something called the “windup” as their pitching motion. No two windups are quite the same, but the general idea is that the pitcher starts facing home plate, and their motion usually includes some form of leg kick that helps them generate power.

The pitcher comes set, then pitches. What happens next hinges on what the batter does in response.