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How do catchers communicate pitch selections to pitchers?

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Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers, wearing a white uniform and helmet, watches his hit while holding a bat during a game at Dodger Stadium. — Baseball Freddie Freeman, shown here in a 2023 game, was named World Series MVP in 2024 after hitting four home runs and driving in 12 runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In baseball, catchers communicate pitch selections to pitchers using two primary methods:

Traditional Signals: Traditionally, the catcher uses a series of finger movements to signal which pitch should be thrown and where it should be located.1
PitchCom: At the beginning of the 2022 season, Major League Baseball (MLB) approved the use of PitchCom, a wireless communication system. This technology allows catchers, pitchers, and infielders to covertly relay pitch selection information, replacing or supplementing manual hand signals.1

These communication methods are essential for the battery—the pairing of the pitcher and catcher—to coordinate their defensive strategy against the batter.21