What is a Cutoff Man? Definition and Examples

What is a Cutoff Man in Baseball?

A cutoff man is an infielder who stations himself on a line between the outfielder fielding a ball and the base the throw is headed toward. His job is to catch the outfielder's throw and make a decision in a fraction of a second: relay the ball to the base to get the lead runner, or "cut it off" and hold it (or throw elsewhere) to prevent trailing runners from advancing. Every extra-base hit to the outfield triggers a cutoff assignment — it is one of the most choreographed plays in baseball.

How the Cutoff Play Works

The positioning is geometric, not improvised. On a ball hit to the outfield with a runner trying to score, the first baseman or shortstop (depending on the side of the field and the base involved) sprints to a spot roughly 40–60 feet in from the outfield grass, directly on the throwing line between the outfielder and home plate. The infielder raises his arms so the outfielder has a clear target and listens to the infielders behind him, who yell "cut" or "relay" (or call a base number) based on whether the throw can get the runner.

The decision tree is simple:

• Throw is on line and strong enough → let it go through (a "relay" isn't needed) or catch-and-redirect in one motion.
• Throw is off line or too weak to get the lead runner → catch it and either hold the ball or fire to another base to catch a trailing runner trying to take an extra bag.

A clean relay takes about 0.8–1.2 seconds from catch to release. Elite middle infielders shave that by catching across their body with their momentum already turned toward the target.

A Real Example

Watch any replay of a play at the plate on a gap double: the right fielder retrieves the ball, the second baseman is the cutoff man positioned in short right field, and the shortstop covers second. In the 2019 World Series, the Nationals repeatedly executed textbook cutoff-and-relay plays to hold Astros runners at third on balls that would have been singles-plus-an-error against sloppy teams. Outfielders with elite arm strength — think a 95+ mph throw from the warning track — can sometimes bypass the cutoff entirely, which is why Statcast tracks outfield assist throws and exchange time on relays.

Why It Matters

Cutoff execution doesn't show up in a box score, but it shows up in runs prevented. A missed cutoff lets the batter move to second on the throw home — that runner then scores on a single that would have been harmless. Teams grade it internally as part of run prevention, and it's a core component of defensive WAR for infielders who handle relay duty. For fantasy and DFS purposes, outfielders with strong arms and good cutoff discipline suppress opponent run totals, subtly boosting pitcher value.

Limitations and Common Misconceptions

The cutoff man is not the same as the relay man in casual usage — the cutoff man *becomes* the relay man only when he actually re-throws the ball. Also, fans often blame the outfielder for a "bad throw" when the real mistake was an infielder out of position, forcing the outfielder to throw too far. Finally, the cutoff man should almost never let a throw sail past him untouched if it's off line — catching it stops the play from unraveling further.

In Legends Deck: Infielders with high defensive ratings execute cutoff decisions automatically, cutting down extra bases on gap hits. Outfielders with elite arm ratings can skip the cutoff entirely and gun runners at the plate — check the arm grade before you decide how aggressive to be with your runners.