Teaching Situational Awareness: Heads-Up Baseball
How many times have you watched a youth game and seen a fielder standing flat-footed when the ball was hit to them? Or a runner who did not know how many outs there were? Or a hitter who swung 3-0 with the bases loaded in a tie game? Situational awareness is the most impactful yet most neglected area of youth baseball development.
Coach Gerald Bautista
Professional Baseball Veteran | Hitting & Fielding Coach
Gerald Bautista spent nine years in professional baseball — including time in the Cleveland Guardians organization and independent leagues — competing at levels most players never reach. That career gave him a firsthand education in what separates athletes who advance from those who plateau: efficient mechanics, a confident plate approach, and the mental edge that holds up under pressure. He now brings that knowledge to the coaching box, working with catchers, infielders, outfielders, and hitters to build the complete player — one who is ready for the next level before they get there.
Credentials & Experience:
- ✓9 years of professional baseball, including Cleveland Guardians organization
- ✓Independent league experience at the highest non-MLB level
- ✓Specializes in swing mechanics, fielding fundamentals, and plate approach
- ✓Works with athletes from youth travel ball through college-bound players
Situational awareness in baseball means knowing what is happening around you and what is about to happen before it does. It is the fielder who shifts two steps to the right because they noticed the hitter is late on fastballs. It is the runner who tags up on a shallow fly ball because they read the outfielders momentum. It is the hitter who takes a pitch because they know a walk is as good as a hit in this situation.
This guide covers three areas of situational awareness: defensive awareness (knowing your responsibility on every play), base running awareness (making smart decisions between bases), and hitting awareness (adapting the approach to the situation). Each section includes specific teaching methods and drills.
Defensive situational awareness
Defensive awareness starts with a pre-pitch routine that every fielder performs before every pitch. This routine keeps the mind engaged and the body ready.
The pre-pitch checklist
Before every pitch, each fielder should answer four questions: (1) How many outs? (2) Where are the runners? (3) If the ball is hit to me, where do I throw? (4) If the ball is not hit to me, where do I go? This four-question routine takes 3 seconds and completely changes a players defensive engagement. A player who runs through this checklist is mentally ready for whatever happens next.
Positioning adjustments
Situational awareness at the advanced level includes adjusting positioning based on the hitter, the count, and the pitch. With two strikes, the outfield plays slightly shallower because the hitter is more likely to make defensive swings. With a runner on second and nobody out, the infield plays at double-play depth. These adjustments require understanding the situation and making proactive decisions rather than standing in the same spot every pitch.
Communication
Situational awareness is shared through communication. Before each pitch, infielders should call out the number of outs and the play to make. Outfielders should communicate their positioning to each other. The catcher should remind the infield of the situation. A team that communicates is a team that is aware. Silence on defense is the clearest sign of low situational awareness.
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Base running situational awareness
Knowing the outs
The number one base running mistake in youth baseball is not knowing how many outs there are. With zero or one out, a runner on third should tag on a fly ball. With two outs, the runner goes on contact. The difference between these two decisions is the difference between scoring a run and making a game-ending out. Before every pitch, runners should look at the coach for the out count reminder and confirm it themselves.
Reading outfield play
Base runners should read the outfielders momentum and body position to make advance decisions. If the outfielder is running away from the infield, the ball is going over their head and the runner should advance aggressively. If the outfielder is camped under a fly ball with momentum toward the infield, the throw home will be strong and the runner should hold. These reads save runs and prevent outs.
Score and inning awareness
The situation on the scoreboard affects base running decisions. Down by 5 runs in the 6th inning, aggressive base running is warranted because you need runs. Up by 1 in the 7th, conservative base running protects the lead. A high-IQ base runner adjusts their aggression level based on what the team needs. Teach runners to think about the score before deciding to take a risk.
Hitting situational awareness
Knowing your job
Every at-bat has a primary objective based on the situation. Runner on second, nobody out: the job is to hit the ball to the right side to advance the runner to third. Runner on third, less than two outs: the job is to put the ball in play to score the run. Down by 4 in the 7th: the job is to get on base by any means. Situationally aware hitters know their job before they step in the box.
Count awareness
The count determines the hitting approach. Ahead in the count (1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1): look for a pitch to drive, be selective. Behind in the count (0-1, 0-2, 1-2): expand the zone slightly, protect the plate, focus on making contact. Even counts (1-1, 2-2): battle mode, react to what you see. A hitter who treats every count the same has low situational awareness.
Two-out approach
With two outs, everything changes. Runners are going on contact, so even a ground ball through the infield can score a run. The hitter does not need to hit the ball hard. They need to hit the ball somewhere. The approach shifts from driving the ball to making solid contact and using the whole field. Awareness of the two-out situation changes swing decisions, pitch selection, and aggressiveness.
Five drills for building situational awareness
1. Freeze and quiz
During practice scrimmages, blow a whistle at random points and freeze the play. Point to any player and ask: How many outs? Where are the runners? What is your job on the next play? Award points for correct answers. This drill forces every player to stay mentally engaged between pitches.
2. Situation batting practice
During batting practice, call out a situation before each hitter steps in: "Runner on second, nobody out. Your job is to move the runner." The hitter must execute the situation. Score based on execution: did the ball go to the right side? Was the runner advanced? This makes batting practice meaningful instead of just swinging.
3. Two-minute drill
Set up a game situation: bottom of the 7th, down by 2, runners on first and third, one out. The offense has 2 minutes of real time to score the tying and winning runs. The defense must execute. This high-pressure, time-limited drill forces situational thinking under stress and creates urgency that mimics real game situations.
4. Silent defense drill
Play an inning of scrimmage where no verbal communication is allowed from the coaches. Players must communicate all situation information themselves. This reveals which players are situationally aware and which rely on coaches to tell them what to do. After the inning, discuss what communication was missing and why it matters.
5. Decision replay
After games, identify 3-5 plays where a situational decision was made (good or bad). Replay the scenario in practice the next day. Let the player who made the decision try it again with the benefit of reflection. Then let other players try the same scenario. This builds a shared library of situational knowledge that the entire team can draw from.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep young players focused during games?
Give them a specific job on every pitch. On defense: the four-question checklist. On the bench: chart the opposing pitcher or track situational tendencies. In the on-deck circle: observe the pitcher and plan the at-bat. Players lose focus when they have nothing to do. Structure their attention with specific tasks.
Should I yell out the situation to my players during games?
At ages 8-10, yes, remind them regularly. But by age 11-12, start reducing the reminders and expecting players to know on their own. The goal is self-sufficient situational awareness, not coach-dependent awareness. If you always tell them, they never learn to know on their own.
What is the single most important situational awareness skill?
Knowing the outs. Everything in baseball depends on the number of outs. Base running decisions, defensive positioning, hitting approach, risk assessment. A player who always knows how many outs there are will make dramatically better decisions than a player who does not. Make it the first item on every checklist.
Aware players win games
Mind & Muscle develops situational awareness through interactive game scenarios, decision-making exercises, and pre-pitch routine training.
Download Free TodayFrequently asked questions
Give them a specific job on every pitch. On defense: run the four-question checklist. On the bench: chart the pitcher. In the on-deck circle: study patterns.\n\nPlayers lose focus when they have nothing to do. Structure their attention.
At ages 8-10, yes, remind them regularly. By 11-12, start reducing reminders and expect self-awareness.\n\nThe goal is self-sufficient situational awareness. If you always tell them, they never learn to know on their own.
Knowing the outs. Everything depends on it: base running decisions, defensive positioning, hitting approach, risk assessment.\n\nA player who always knows the outs makes dramatically better decisions.
Integrate it into existing drills. Add situations to batting practice. Run the freeze-and-quiz during scrimmages. Discuss scenarios during water breaks.\n\nSituational awareness does not need its own time block. It needs to be woven into everything you already do.
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