What are At-Bat Bets? - At-Bat Markets & MLB Betting Guide
In the US, there are a handful of sports that dominate and there are few as all-American as baseball. The MLB - baseball’s major league - is a global brand that is watched and enjoyed by millions around the world.
Major League Baseball action has also become a staple of the bettor’s sports diet, with online sportsbooks like Stake offering all kinds of betting markets on the biggest baseball games. Because of that, a wide range of different types of bets and markets have appeared, including at-bat betting.
In this guide, we’re going to break down exactly what at-bat betting is and how you can add it to your sports betting repertoire when betting on baseball right here at Stake.com.
What are At-Bat Bets? At-Bats vs Plate Appearances
First things first - what exactly are at-bats? Put simply, an at-bat is when a batter is up against the pitcher. Where it can get confusing for some, is when differentiating between an at-bat and a plate appearance.
A plate appearance is any time a player takes to the plate. An at-bet is essentially the conclusion to their bat, which is awarded to a batter and counts towards their batting average when they achieve one of the following:
Reach first base with a hit (the ball is struck into a fair territory)
Reach first base on an error (the fielder makes an error and misplays the ball)
Strikes out or is called out, excluding a sacrifice
Fielder’s choice (defence chooses to target another baserunner)
Once all nine players on the team batting have received an at-bat, that marks the end of the inning. An inning will also end if the defence claims three outs, with the final out being catching a runner stealing. In total, a regular game is nine innings but if the score is tied, extra innings can be awarded.
In at-bat bets, the “at bat” part of the name refers to the act of stepping up to the plate rather than being awarded an at-bat. They are essentially a type of bet that lets you wager on the outcome of a specific batter’s upcoming plate appearance.
At-bat baseball bets, then, are different to a standard moneyline bet where you’re wagering on the outcome of a single game. Instead, these bets are a popular type of prop bet - or proposition bet - on individual players as they step up to bat, meaning they can only be placed on live games in real-time for the batter at the plate or the next two batters in the relevant inning.
How to Place At-Bats on MLB?
To place an at-bat bet on baseball at Stake , you first need to find the specific fixture you want to place your bet on from the live game betting selection. The market is only available for the relevant inning that is currently being played out.
From there, you can choose the Outcome of Plate Appearance market from the list of different markets available. There, as this is a player props bet, you will be able to select your batter and choose one of a number of outcomes from the list.
Outcome of At-Bats
At Stake Sportsbook , we offer several different outcomes that you can bet on when a player is stepping up to the plate to bat. These are:
Hit: A batter gets to base because of a fairly-struck ball. This includes singles, doubles, triples, home runs, and no hits.
Strikeout: The batter is given a third strike. Other outcomes covered include being thrown out at first base and reaching base safely on the back of a wild pitch or pass.
Walk: The batter gets to base following four pitches that the umpire called ball. It also includes intentional walks where one pitch or more is thrown. There is no action if no pitches are thrown.
In-Play Out: A player is called out while the ball is in play. This includes tag out, fielder’s choice, force out, fly out, line out, pop out, ground out, or sacrifice bunt/fly.
Any Other: This covers other outcomes like HBP (batter hit by pitch), catcher interference, and fielding error.
If the innings ends before the outcome of an at-bat or there’s a pitching change, the bet is voided.
Benefits of At-Bat Betting in Baseball
At-bat betting has become a popular choice for bettors for several reasons. However, the main reason is that it offers value outside of the standard moneyline or outright bets. For example, if you have a regular season game where there’s only going to be one game winner, you can get better odds on the specifics of the game.
Live betting also offers players the chance to see how the game is unfolding and make informed decisions as the action plays out. For example, if you’re into the 6th innings and the batter about to step up has form in the game for striking out in his previous innings, you might like that the outcome will be the same again.
MLB Betting Strategy & Tips for Placing At-Bat Bets
As with any element of sports betting or online casino gaming , it’s important to note that there’s no way to guarantee a win. Whether you’re playing casino games like slots or betting on sports for the first time on soccer or American football , you’re playing a game of chance. However, there are some key points to remember to give yourself a chance at a more enjoyable experience.
Know the rules: This one might seem like a no-brainer but you would be surprised how many people start betting on baseball without even knowing the National League from the American League. We host a number of how-to guides with information on plenty of different sports at our blog for help.
Study form: It’s no good going into a game oblivious to the form or what position players you’re choosing play in. Study the game stats from the previous fixtures and look at who has impressed. It may help you predict the outcome of a batter's time at the plate.
Use a betting strategy: If you’re comfortable with the sports betting basics, including the terminology , and understand the odds , it might be time for you to look at using a strategy like the 1-2-3-6 or Oscar’s grind systems. We have plenty of information on progressive betting strategies and more in our blog .
Place Live Bets & Livestream Baseball
You can watch live entire games of baseball here at Stake by logging in, ensuring you have deposited funds in your account, selecting from the upcoming live sports fixtures and clicking on qualifying events. There are also free live streams, live fixtures and events in other sports, including basketball and horse racing , so check back regularly to catch all of the action.
If you’re placing bets on baseball, there are a few major bet types that you can choose from, including:
Parlays: You can choose multi-game parlay bets to combine a number of fixtures into one ticket.
Moneyline: This is the standard kind of bet, where you stake on the outcome of one game.
Innings bets: You can bet on things like who will win the 1st inning or whether there will be an extra inning.
Over/under: This is part of the innings bets, where you can bet on the 1st innings totals. This is different to other sports where it tends to be over/under for total team score.
Same-game multis: You can choose one game for bets and add multiple qualifying legs, including innings bets and player props, into a same-game multi bet .
Sports Promotions, Stake VIP Club, & Responsible Gambling
At Stake, in addition to all of the hottest sporting action from all around the globe, we’re also proud to say we offer some great sportsbook promotions and casino offers. You can make use of weekly rakebacks and reload offers , as well as get involved in challenges , giveaways , and more. There’s something for everyone.
Our regular players may also be eligible for our Stake VIP Club , where they can receive different levels of rewards based on their staking history. These levels include everything from bonus boosts to our dedicated VIP Host . The host can offer special bonuses directly and help with any questions or VIP queries .
We also believe that player wellbeing is of the utmost importance. That’s why we’re so happy to offer our Stake Smart responsible gambling initiative, including our detailed Stake Smart guide , to help players who feel their gambling may be becoming a problem.
