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Right fielder

Defensive position in baseball

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A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the right fielder is assigned the number 9.

01Position description

Outfielders must cover large distances, so speed, instincts and quickness to react to the ball are vital. They must be able to catch fly balls above their head and on the run, as well as prevent balls hit down the right field foul line from getting past them. Being situated 250-300 feet from home plate, they must be able to throw the ball accurately over a long distance to be effective. Of all outfield positions, the right fielder often has the strongest arm, because they are the furthest from third base.

In addition to the requirements above, the right fielder backs up first base on every throw from the catcher and pitcher, when possible, and all bunted balls, since the catcher or the first baseman must be available for fielding the ball. The right fielder backs up second base on any ball thrown from the left side of the field, i.e. shortstop, third base, or foul line territory. The right fielder backs up first base when the first baseman is in a run down between 3rd base and home.

Right field has developed a reputation in Little League for being a position where weaker players can be "hidden" from the action. Unlike the Major League level where players routinely hit the ball in all directions and distances, most Little League players do not hit the ball into the outfield on a regular basis. Additionally, since right-handed batters, who tend to hit the ball in the left direction, are far more common than left-handed batters, the left fielder (and to lesser degree the center fielder) tend to have much more opportunities to make a play than the right fielder.

Right fielder Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees, seen here during his tenure with the Miami Marlins, signed (at the time) the richest contract in sports history in 2014.
Right fielder Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees, seen here during his tenure with the Miami Marlins, signed (at the time) the richest contract in sports history in 2014.

03Hall of Fame right fielders

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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Right fielder, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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