Baseball Rules · Scoring · Definitions
Passed Ball vs Wild Pitch — What's the Difference?
Same result on the field. Completely different in the scorebook. Here's exactly how to tell them apart — and why it matters for stats.Quick Answer
Wild pitch = pitcher's fault. Passed ball = catcher's fault.
A wild pitch is a pitch thrown so erratically that the catcher cannot be expected to catch it — charged to the pitcher. A passed ball is a catchable pitch that the catcher fails to handle — charged to the catcher. Neither is scored as an error. Both allow baserunners to advance.
⚡ Wild Pitch (WP)
Pitcher threw a ball too high, wide, or in the dirt to be caught with ordinary effort. Charged to the pitcher's stats. Can result in earned runs against the pitcher.
🧤 Passed Ball (PB)
Catcher failed to catch a pitch they should have handled with ordinary effort. Charged to the catcher's stats. Runs scored are not earned runs against the pitcher.
I've watched enough baseball games — youth, high school, and MLB — to know that the passed ball vs wild pitch call is one the most misunderstood scoring decisions in the game. Parents in the bleachers argue about it. Coaches grumble about it. And it matters more than most people realize because it affects pitching ERA, catcher stats, and how runs get scored.
The Full Breakdown — Wild Pitch vs Passed Ball
| Wild Pitch | Passed Ball | |
|---|---|---|
| Who's responsible | Pitcher | Catcher |
| Why it happens | Pitch thrown too high, wide, or in the dirt to catch with ordinary effort | Catchable pitch that the catcher fails to secure |
| Scored as an error? | No | No |
| Appears in whose stats | Pitcher's stats (WP column) | Catcher's stats (PB column) |
| Earned runs? | Runs scored CAN be earned runs against the pitcher | Runs scored are NOT earned runs against the pitcher |
| Runners advance? | Yes — at their own risk | Yes — at their own risk |
| Stolen base credited? | No | No |
| Who decides | Official scorer's judgment | Official scorer's judgment |
Is a Wild Pitch an Error?
No — a wild pitch is not an error
A wild pitch is charged to the pitcher as its own statistical category (WP) but is not recorded as an error. The distinction matters because errors affect fielding percentage while wild pitches do not. However, unlike a passed ball, a wild pitch CAN result in earned runs being charged to the pitcher — because the erratic throw is considered the pitcher's fault, any runner who scores as a direct result is an earned run in the ERA calculation.
This is the most searched question related to this topic — and the answer trips people up because it feels like it should be an error. The pitcher threw a ball that led to a runner advancing or scoring. Shouldn't that be an error? By the strict definition of an error in baseball — a fielding mistake that extends the at-bat or allows a runner to advance — a wild pitch doesn't qualify because it's treated as a pitching statistic rather than a fielding one.
Is a Passed Ball an Error?
No — a passed ball is not an error either
A passed ball is charged to the catcher as its own statistic (PB) but is not recorded as an error and does not affect the catcher's fielding percentage. The key difference from a wild pitch is the earned run implications — runs scored as a result of a passed ball are NOT earned runs against the pitcher. Since the catcher is responsible, the pitcher's ERA is protected. This is meaningful for a pitcher who throws a great game and has a catcher mishandle a pitch that leads to a run scoring.
Who Decides — Wild Pitch or Passed Ball?
The official scorer makes the call, and it's genuinely one of the harder scoring decisions in baseball. The scorer has to make a judgment about whether an ordinary catcher could have caught the pitch with regular effort. If yes and the catcher didn't — passed ball. If the pitch was too erratic to reasonably expect a catch — wild pitch.
Factors the scorer considers: pitch location (how far out of the zone), whether the ball hit the dirt, the catcher's positioning, whether the pitch was in a spot the catcher was set up for, and the skill level expected at that level of play.
The crossed signals problem
One of the most common causes of passed balls at the MLB level isn't a bad pitch or a bad catcher — it's crossed signals. If the catcher sets up for a breaking ball away and the pitcher throws a 98 mph fastball up and in, the catcher's reaction time is off through no fault of their own. Scorers have to use judgment here — was the pitch catchable with ordinary effort given what the catcher could reasonably expect? It's a genuine gray area that scorers wrestle with regularly.
What Does PB Mean in Baseball?
PB stands for passed ball — it's the official abbreviation used in box scores and catcher statistics. You'll see it in the catching section of a box score alongside putouts (PO), assists (A), errors (E), and caught stealing (CS). A high PB total for a catcher is a negative statistic indicating difficulty handling pitches, particularly breaking balls and pitches in the dirt.
All-time MLB leaders in passed balls tend to be catchers from earlier eras when the position was less refined — modern MLB catchers typically record very few passed balls in a season. For context, most starting MLB catchers will record somewhere between 3 and 12 passed balls in a full 162-game season. Youth and high school catchers will record significantly more as they develop.
Does a Passed Ball Count as a Stolen Base?
No — advancing on a passed ball or wild pitch is not a stolen base
When a runner advances on a wild pitch or passed ball, the advancement is credited to the wild pitch or passed ball — not to the runner as a stolen base. The runner doesn't get credit for the steal and the catcher doesn't get charged with a caught stealing opportunity missed. This applies regardless of whether the runner was moving before the ball got past the catcher.
The Dropped Third Strike — How It Fits In
The dropped third strike is a specific situation that overlaps with both wild pitches and passed balls and deserves its own explanation.
When a pitcher throws a third strike and the catcher fails to catch it cleanly — whether due to a wild pitch or a passed ball — the batter has the opportunity to run to first base, provided first base is unoccupied or there are two outs. This is called the uncaught third strike rule.
| Situation | Batter Can Run? | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| First base empty, any number of outs | Yes | Batter can attempt to reach first before being tagged or thrown out |
| First base occupied, fewer than 2 outs | No | Batter is automatically out — rule prevents easy double play via this path |
| First base occupied, 2 outs | Yes | Force situation — catcher must tag batter or throw to first |
| Bases loaded, 2 outs | Yes | Force at any base — catcher can step on home |
Whether the uncaught third strike is scored as a wild pitch or passed ball follows the same rules as any other situation — whose fault was it that the ball got past? If the pitch was uncatchable, it's a wild pitch. If the catcher should have had it, it's a passed ball.
Which Pitches Cause the Most Wild Pitches and Passed Balls?
Breaking balls and pitches with heavy movement are the biggest culprits — curveballs, sliders, and especially knuckleballs give catchers the most difficulty. A curveball that breaks sharply in the dirt is much harder to block than a fastball in the same location. The unpredictability of movement, combined with the velocity, makes these pitches the most likely to result in a wild pitch or passed ball.
At the youth level, the wild pitch rate is dramatically higher than at the professional level — young pitchers haven't yet developed the command to consistently keep the ball in catchable zones, and young catchers are still developing the blocking and receiving fundamentals. Watching 10U travel ball, you'll see a handful of wild pitches and passed balls every game. It's a fundamental part of how the game is learned at that level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a passed ball and a wild pitch?
The difference comes down to responsibility. A wild pitch is charged to the pitcher — the pitch was thrown so poorly that the catcher couldn't be expected to catch it with ordinary effort. A passed ball is charged to the catcher — the pitch was catchable but the catcher failed to secure it. Both allow baserunners to advance but affect different players' statistics.
Is a wild pitch an error in baseball?
No. A wild pitch is recorded as its own statistic (WP) in the pitcher's stats but is not scored as an error and does not affect fielding percentage. Unlike a passed ball however, a wild pitch can result in earned runs being charged to the pitcher's ERA if a runner scores as a direct result.
Is a passed ball an error on the catcher?
No. A passed ball is recorded in the catcher's statistics as PB but is not scored as an error and does not affect fielding percentage. Runs scored as a result of a passed ball are not earned runs against the pitcher — since the catcher is responsible, the pitcher's ERA is protected.
Does a passed ball count as an earned run?
No. Runs that score as a result of a passed ball are unearned runs — they are not charged to the pitcher's ERA. This is because the passed ball is the catcher's responsibility. Wild pitches are different — runs that score on a wild pitch can be earned runs against the pitcher.
Does advancing on a wild pitch count as a stolen base?
No. When a runner advances because a pitch got past the catcher — whether a wild pitch or passed ball — the advancement is credited to the wild pitch or passed ball, not to the runner as a stolen base. The runner gets no stolen base credit and the catcher gets no caught stealing opportunity.
What does PB mean in baseball?
PB stands for passed ball — the official abbreviation used in box scores and catcher statistics. It tracks how many times a catcher failed to handle a catchable pitch, allowing baserunners to advance. A lower PB total is better for a catcher.
Who decides if it's a wild pitch or passed ball?
The official scorer makes the call based on judgment. The key question is whether an ordinary catcher should have been able to catch the pitch with regular effort. If yes and they didn't — passed ball. If the pitch was too erratic to reasonably expect a catch — wild pitch. It's one of the more subjective scoring decisions in baseball.
Can a wild pitch or passed ball happen on a third strike?
Yes — and it creates the uncaught third strike situation where the batter can attempt to run to first base. The batter can run if first base is unoccupied or if there are two outs. The scoring of wild pitch vs passed ball follows the same rules as any other situation. The batter is still credited with a strikeout regardless of whether they reach base safely.
The bottom line
Wild pitch — pitcher's fault, pitcher's stats, can hurt the ERA. Passed ball — catcher's fault, catcher's stats, protects the pitcher's ERA. Neither is an error. Both allow baserunners to advance. The official scorer makes the call based on whether the pitch was reasonably catchable.
For youth baseball parents watching a runner score from third on a ball in the dirt — whether it gets scored a WP or PB matters for your pitcher's stats. If the ball was uncatchable, it's a wild pitch and that run is earned. If the catcher should have blocked it, it's a passed ball and the run is unearned. Worth knowing.
→ Do MLB Catchers Wear Cups? · Best Catcher's Mitts for 2026 · Most Important Positions in Baseball