Bat boy

A bat boy (or bat girl) is a young person who takes care of bats and other equipment. The bat boy may fetch bats discarded by batters as they are running to first base, and may otherwise keep equipment from littering the field.

Some bat boys have gone on to become major league ballplayers.

The position is somewhat similar to the ball boys and ball girls who sometimes sit in corners of the field and fetch foul balls to remove them from the field between plays.

As of 2025, Major League Baseball requires bat boys and bat girls to be at least 14 years old, ever since a near-disaster in Game 5 of the 2002 World Series when San Francisco Giants' manager, Dusty Baker's three-year-old son Darren wandered onto the field mid-play and was nearly trampled at home plate while attempting to pick up a bat.