Assist (baseball)

An assist is credited to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball (after it has been hit by the batter) prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional.

It is the outfielder's job to field the ball and make an accurate throw to another fielder who is covering the base before the runner reaches it.

This is especially important if the runner was trying to reach home plate, as the assist and tag prevent the baserunner from scoring a run.

In recent years, some sabermetricians have begun referring to assists by outfielders as baserunner kills.

This can be combined with baserunner kills for better accuracy, as runners often do not try for an extra base when an outfielder with an excellent arm is playing.