In baseball, a "batter" is a player who attempts to hit the ball thrown by the pitcher. The goal of the batter is to make contact with the ball using a bat, allowing them to run to first base and potentially score runs for their team. Batters face various pitches, which can be fastballs, curveballs, or sliders, and must decide when to swing based on the pitch's speed and location. When a batter successfully hits the ball, they can achieve different outcomes. A hit allows the batter to reach base safely, while a strikeout occurs if they miss three pitches. The effectiveness of a batter is often measured by their batting average, which reflects their success rate in getting hits. Key terms related to batting include home run, strike, and on-base percentage.