A sacrifice bunt is when the batter softly taps the ball on purpose to advance a runner, accepting that he’ll likely be thrown out at first. He «sacrifices» his at-bat to move the runner into scoring position.
How it works
The batter squares up and deadens the ball toward a spot the defense can’t reach in time to get the lead runner. It doesn’t count as a time at bat, so it doesn’t hurt his batting average — the trade is one out for one base of progress.
When teams use it
It’s a small-ball tactic: common in close, low-scoring games to push a runner from first to second, or second to third, with a big hitter coming up. In the modern, power-heavy game it’s used less than before, since giving up outs is now seen as costly — but in the right spot, it still wins games.
FAQ
Does a sacrifice bunt hurt your average?
No: a sacrifice doesn’t count as an official at-bat, so it doesn’t lower the batting average.
How is it different from a bunt for a hit?
A sacrifice aims to advance the runner even at the cost of an out; a bunt for a hit tries to reach base safely.
