When watching baseball game, you might hear expressions like "line drive drive" or "a high fly ball." Both indicate that fielder made a direct catch, but are there such things as "sharp fly balls" or "high line line drive"? What are the criteria for distinguishing between them? This time, we'll explain "line drive" and "fly balls" with the help of gameplay videos.

What exactly are "line drive" and "flies"?

line drive and fly balls are terms used to describe the height and speed of a batted ball, but there are no clear criteria for either.

First, line drive refers to a batted ball that travels close to the ground, without arcing, and flies in a straight line. It is characterized by its high batted ball speed, giving defense very little time to react. Therefore, there is a high probability that it will get through the gaps between fielder and become hit, but if fielder is well-positioned and can react and catch, it will result in an out.

In contrast, a fly ball is hit high into the air, following an arcing trajectory and staying in the air for a long time. If it goes high near infielder, it's called an "pop fly," and if it goes high in outfield area, it's called an "outfield fly." Because of its long hang time, it's usually easy for defense to catch and results in an out. However, depending on the distance it travels, it can also become Home Run run.

Thus, the difference between the two lies in the angle of the batted ball and the speed of its trajectory. However, there is no clear standard, so they are sometimes described as "half-line drive" or "line drive-like fly balls," and the distinction is currently based on subjective judgment. As the name suggests, a "half-line drive" refers to a batted ball with a trajectory that is between line drive and a fly ball; it is not as straight as line drive, and does not rise as high as a fly ball.

From here, we'll show you the difference between line drive and a fly ball in a video.

Outs and Home Run...! Introducing various line drive.

As explained earlier, line drive have a high probability of becoming hit, but they can also often result in outs if fielder is well-positioned or reacts quickly.

The first example I'd like to introduce is line drive that flew over the head of Chiba Lotte Marines Lotte's Yudai Fujioka. In Orix Buffaloes vs. Chiba Lotte Marines game on April 29th, Orix Buffaloes 's Yusuke Mugitani hit a sharp line drive that looked like it would go over Fujioka's head and be hit, but he made a spectacular jump and catch. This is an example of line drive that resulted in an out thanks to good position and timing catch.

Next, pitcher reacted quickly and instantly got a powerful line drive out. It was a game between Tohoku Rakuten Eagles and Fukuoka Softbank on April 26th. Tohoku Rakuten Eagles 's Rui Rui Muneyama hit a low line drive toward mound, but Fukuoka Softbank 's pitcher Ryo Oyama reflexively reached out and caught the ball in his glove. If the ball had gone through, there was a chance the runner could have reached base, but pitcher reacted and catch, resulting in line drive pitcher.

On the other hand, a sharp line line drive can sometimes result in Home Run. In Fukuoka Softbank vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters game on May 1st, in the top of the 7th inning with the score tied at 2-2, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham-Chusei Mannami hit a line line drive towards left field. The ball was hit with great speed and quickly landed in the left field stands. It was a crucial Home Run run.

When is an "infield fly" applied? Types of flies you should know

First up is an outfield fly that resulted in an out. It was a game between Fukuoka Softbank and Saitama Seibu Lions on May 14th. Saitama Seibu Lions pitcher Natsuki Natsuki Takeuchi, making his first appearance of the season, continued to pitch well through the middle innings. In the bottom of the fifth inning, he faced a pinch with two outs and a runner on second base, but he got out of it by getting Fukuoka Softbank 's Ryoya Kurihara to hit a fly ball to right field. Comparing it to a video of line drive, you can see that the ball was launched high and stayed in the air for a long time.

Also, while fly balls are often thought to be easy outs, in outdoor stadiums, wind and twilight can cause the batted ball to be lost sight of and dropped. On August 13, 2023, in a game between Chiba Lotte Marines and Saitama Seibu Lions at Zozo Marine Stadium, a fly ball hit behind short stop was blown off course by the wind and dropped. Saitama Seibu Lions, who boasts seven "Mitsui Golden Glove Awards," Sosuke Genda Even the players seem to be having difficulty catch.

Among the flies is an "infield fly" that is sentenced by umpire.

The infield fly is a rule that prevents the defense side from gaining too much advantage in pop fly. When a fly goes up to infield with no outs or one out, first or second base, or bases loaded, umpire calls an infield fly, and whether fielder catch or drops the ball, hitter is out. The purpose is to prevent fielder from intentionally dropping the ball by aiming for double plays.

We looked at the characteristics and differences between line drive and fly balls. Next time you watch a game, I hope you'll pay attention to the trajectory and speed of the batted ball.

Text by Pacific League Insight Editorial Department