SportsSeptember 6, 2026

offspeed

OFF-speed

Definition

Refers to pitches thrown at a slower velocity than a pitcher's fastball, intended to disrupt a batter's timing.

Etymology

A compound of 'off' and 'speed,' emerging in baseball terminology to describe pitches that intentionally lack the high velocity (speed) of a standard fastball.

In the news

The article describes the success of pitcher Ian Seymour by noting how effectively he utilized his 'offspeed' pitches alongside his fastball to keep hitters off balance.

Ian Seymour pulled in fourth against Rangers

Read the full article ↗

NBC Sports

Related words

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.