sacrificebunt

A sacrifice bunt, commonly called a sac bunt, is a bunt aimed at advancing a baserunner at the cost of the batter’s chance to reach base. When successful, the batter is credited with a sacrifice (SH) and is not charged with an at-bat, while the runner advances one base. Sacrifice bunts are recorded in the box score separately from hits and at-bats.

Execution and purpose: The batter squares to bunt and places the ball in fair territory, typically toward the first or third baseline. The goal is to allow a runner on first or second to advance a base, often to move a runner into scoring position for the next hitter. The play also sometimes sacrifices a runner from second to third, or from first to second, depending on game situation and the defense’s alignment. If the bunt is mishandled or the batter is thrown out at first, the runner’s advancement may still occur, but the outcome will not be a successful sac bunt.

Strategic considerations: Sacrifice bunts are most common in close late-game situations or when the offense seeks to maximize scoring chances with a weak hitter due to the runner on base and outs remaining. In modern baseball, teams bunt less frequently than in the past, favoring higher-risk, higher-reward hitting approaches. The decision to bunt depends on factors such as the batter’s bunting ability, speed of the runner, inning, score, and the opposing defense’s efficiency.

Variations and related plays: The sac bunt is distinct from a suicide squeeze or a safety squeeze, which involve bunting with a runner attempting to score or from different base positions. A sacrifice bunt contrasts with a productive grounder that advances runners but may not be credited as a sacrifice.