Ace

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In baseball, an ace is the best starting pitcher of any team and nearly always the first pitcher in his starting rotation. Barring injury or exceptional circumstances, an ace usually always starts on Opening Day. In addition, aces are usually preferred to start crucial playoff games, sometimes on three days rest.^{[citation needed]}

The term may be a derivation of the nickname of Asa Brainard, (real first name: "Asahel"), a 19th century star pitcher, who was sometimes referred to as "Ace".^[1][2]

In the early days of baseball, the term "ace" was used to refer to a run.^[3]

References

v d e Baseball positions Pitchers Ace pitcher Starting pitcher Relief pitcher Middle relief pitcher Long reliever Setup pitcher Closer Left-handed specialist Fireballer Power pitcher Control pitcher Groundball pitcher Flyball pitcher Switch pitcher Defensive players by number Pitcher (1 / P) Catcher (2 / C) First baseman (3 / 1B) Second baseman (4 / 2B) Third baseman (5 / 3B) Shortstop (6 / SS) Left fielder (7 / LF) Center fielder (8 / CF) Right fielder (9 / RF) by type Infielder Outfielder Utility player Utility infielder Position player Battery Fourth outfielder Corner outfielder Offensive players Batter Runner Batting order (1–9) Designated hitter Pinch hitter Pinch runner Lead off Leadoff hitter Cleanup hitter Clutch hitter Contact hitter Switch hitter Non-players Official scorer Umpire Manager Coaches General manager Related Disabled list Phantom ballplayer