Catcher Pickoffs

The pitcher is not the only defender who can try to erase a baserunner between pitches— the catcher can also attempt to pick off runners after they have received a pitch. As long as the ball is still live (that is, the result of the pitch wasn’t a walk, hit by pitch, or foul ball, for example), then the catcher can throw the ball down to a base in an attempt to pick the runner off. The vast majority of the time, this is specifically the catcher throwing down to first base to try and nail a runner whose leadoff has gotten a little too big. If the defender at the base catches the ball and tags the runner while they are off the base, the runner is out. This specific type of pickoff is sometimes called a “back pick,” or “throwing behind” the runner.

The risk of this sort of play is that if the catcher’s throw is off the mark, or if the fielder isn't ready for the throw, the ball can easily sail past the base into the outfield, at which point the base runner can be off and running. But when a catcher can, well, catch a runner napping, they can really help out their cause.