wild pitch

American  

[wahyld pich] / ˈwaɪld ˈpɪtʃ /

noun

Baseball.

1. a pitched ball that the catcher misses and could not be expected to catch, allowing one or more base runners to advance one or more bases.

---

wild pitch Idioms  

1. A careless statement or action, as in Calling comic books great literature—that's a wild pitch. This term comes from baseball, where it signifies a pitched ball so far off target that the catcher misses it, enabling a base runner to advance. [Mid-1900s]

---

Etymology

Origin of wild pitch

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Compare meaning

How does wild-pitch compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• passed ball vs. wild pitch

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wild pitch

A wild pitch from McLean left Venezuela with runners on second and third base and on the next pitch Kansas City Royals slugger Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly allowed Perez to score.

From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026

After a wild pitch, Rootman delivered his two-run single.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026

George Springer led off with a base hit, was bunted over to second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2025

And an inning later, the Dodgers would keep piling on, turning a bases-loaded opportunity into a two-run rally after Andy Pages scored on a wild pitch and Smith beat out a potential double-play ball.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2025

"A wild pitch, and it's all up with our side," he thought, as he took his place in the "box."

From The Rover Boys at School by Edward Stratemeyer