Pitcher Jimmy Herget (of the Colorado Rockies) watches as catcher Hunter Goodman reacts to a pop-up hit off the bat of Atlanta's Alex Verdugo.

Pop Up in the Infield

The batter hits a high pop-up that arcs over the infield, attracting a gaggle of infielders, one of whom will attempt to catch it. This is an infield pop-up, and it typically happens several times in a particular game. As long as a fielder catches the ball before said ball touches the ground— and the vast majority of times, that’s exactly what’s going to happen— the batter is out. The funny thing is, in certain circumstances, the defense doesn't actually have to catch the ball to get the batter out. If those circumstances don’t apply, however, the fielders had better catch that ball, otherwise they're all going to wind up looking silly.