switch hitter
noun
a batter who can bat both right-handed and left-handed and so is able to bat from either side of home plate.
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switch hitter
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switch-hitter
switch-hitternounbaseball a batsman who can hit either right- or left-handed
switch hitter
American
[swich hit-er]
/ ˈswɪtʃ ˈhɪt ər /
Or
switch-hitter
noun
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Baseball. a batter who can bat both right-handed and left-handed and so is able to bat from either side of home plate.
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Slang. a bisexual person.
switch-hitter
British
noun
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baseball a batsman who can hit either right- or left-handed
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slang a bisexual person
Etymology
Origin of switch hitter
First recorded in 1925–30 switch hitter for def. 1, and in 1965–70 switch hitter for def. 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He finished two homers shy of Aaron Judge’s American League record of 62 and shattered Mickey Mantle’s 1961 mark of 54 for the most ever for a switch hitter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Freeman is not a switch hitter since he can’t hit from the right side.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026
Rutschman hit 21 left-handed, and the switch hitter then turned around to the right side and hit six more right-handed during a 30-second bonus round.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 10, 2023
Rutschman, it should be noted, is a switch hitter but has been notably more productive from the left side.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2023
Toro has some value as a utility player and a switch hitter.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 26, 2022
As a switch-hitter, Freeland has had more success from the left side than the right.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
The switch-hitter pulled an 0-1 pitch far beyond the left-field wall and grinned at Schallock as he rounded the bases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2024
The switch-hitter launched a two-run homer Friday, becoming the youngest player since at least 1901 to homer four times in his first seven games.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2023
Tommy Edman, a switch-hitter, batted from the right side against right-hander Luke Weaver.
From Washington Times ● May 25, 2023
He touched 100 with his fastball and had Lindor, a switch-hitter batting lefty, chasing on back-t0-back splitters low and away.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 26, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
