A Beginner’s Guide to Baseball Scorekeeping Symbols and Position Numbers

Why I looked this up

I kept seeing baseball plays written as compact combinations such as 6-3, E6, and BB. I understood the game itself, but not why a shortstop was represented by 6 or how a few marks could preserve an entire trip around the bases.

I went to MLB’s current scorekeeping guides and worked backward from the notation. The key realization was that a scorecard records three different things together: which fielders handled the ball, what happened to the batter, and how each runner moved between bases.

MLB also notes that people use different scorekeeping methods. That means a scorecard does not have to look exactly like every other card. The position numbers and common abbreviations still provide a practical shared vocabulary.

The nine defensive position numbers

These numbers identify fielding positions, not uniform numbers:

Number	Defensive position	Common abbreviation
1	Pitcher	P
2	Catcher	C
3	First baseman	1B
4	Second baseman	2B
5	Third baseman	3B
6	Shortstop	SS
7	Left fielder	LF
8	Center fielder	CF
9	Right fielder	RF

The sequence becomes useful when a ball is put in play. MLB’s example 6-3 means the shortstop fielded the ball and threw it to the first baseman for the out. A fly ball caught by the left fielder can be recorded as 7.

My mental shortcut is to separate the field into groups: 1 and 2 are the battery, 3 through 6 are the infield, and 7 through 9 are the outfield. That grouping is my own memory aid; the individual number assignments come from MLB’s guide.

Common scorekeeping symbols

MLB’s scorekeeping material lists several abbreviations that explain how a plate appearance or runner movement ended:

Symbol	Meaning
1B	Single
2B	Double
3B	Triple
HR	Home run
BB	Base on balls, or walk
IBB	Intentional walk
K	Strikeout
Backward K	Called third strike
HP	Hit by pitch
FC	Fielder’s choice
E	Error
SB	Stolen base
WP	Wild pitch
PB	Passed ball
BK	Balk
SH or SAC	Sacrifice bunt
SF	Sacrifice fly
DP	Double play
FO	Force out
L	Line drive
F	Foul fly
B	Bunt
U	Unassisted play

A number can add the responsible fielder to a symbol. For example, E6 points to an error charged to the shortstop because 6 is the shortstop’s position number.

How the batter’s box represents the bases

On a traditional scorecard, each batter gets a box for a plate appearance. The route around that box follows the baseball diamond: home to the lower-right corner for first base, then the upper-right corner for second, the upper-left corner for third, and finally back home.

That layout lets the scorer record both the initial result and later advances. A batter might reach first on 1B, move again because of a later play, and eventually complete the path to home. MLB’s guide describes circling the completed run and noting the play or player that drove the runner in.

My order for reading an unfamiliar entry

Instead of trying to decode every mark at once, I use this checklist:

1. Look for a result symbol. Start with entries such as 1B, BB, K, FC, or E.
2. Translate every number as a defensive position. In 6-3, read 6 as shortstop and 3 as first baseman.
3. Follow the numbers in order. They show how the ball moved between fielders during the out.
4. Trace the runner’s path around the box. This shows which bases the runner reached after the original plate appearance.
5. Check for an advance symbol. SB, WP, PB, or BK can explain movement that was not caused by another hit.
6. Find the recorded out. A scorecard commonly tracks whether the play produced the first, second, or third out of the inning.

This order keeps two similar-looking ideas separate: 6-3 describes fielders participating in a play, while 1B or 2B describes the batter’s hit.

A few entries decoded

• 6-3: Shortstop to first baseman for an out.
• E6: The batter reached because of an error by the shortstop.
• BB: The batter reached on a walk.
• K: The plate appearance ended in a strikeout; a backward K identifies a called third strike.
• SB: A runner advanced on a stolen base.
• DP: The play resulted in a double play; accompanying position numbers can show which fielders handled the ball.

What I looked up next

The part I found most useful was the distinction between recording a result and recording a route. A symbol such as BB explains why the batter reached base. Lines around the box preserve what happened afterward. Position numbers explain who handled the ball when the defense made a play.

So my compact reference is: letters describe the event, numbers identify the fielders, and the diamond records the runner’s progress. Individual scorekeepers may arrange or annotate those details differently, but that three-part reading method gives me a dependable place to begin.