In baseball, the term pitch is defined as the act of throwing the baseball toward home plate where the batter is waiting to attempt a hit, thus starting a play. The term is derived from the Knickerbocker Rules, and the ball was originally pitched underhand, as one would pitch in horseshoes. Overhand pitching in baseball was disallowed in baseball until in 1884.

A variety of pitches are used in baseball, all with slightly different speed, trajectory, and angle. These variations are used to keep the batter from being aware of what to expect and are