Justin Verlander, of the San Francisco Giants, reacts as Joc Peterson, of the Texas Rangers, pops up a pitch.

Outfield Pop-Up

A pop-up that sneaks into the outfield might not necessarily look that much different from a standard fly ball. It might rise a bit higher, and as a result, it might not travel as far. Indeed, a lot of pop-ups that get out of the infield will fall into a range where both infielders and outfielders would have a potential play. This has the potential to be trouble for the defense, especially if the outfielders are playing deep. Is it possible for the infielders to range out far enough to make the catch? Yes. Is it possible for the outfielders to sprint in quickly enough to make the catch? Also yes. But is that guaranteed? Definitely not. If the ball falls into the no man’s land in the shallow outfield, it can easily go for a hit.