backstop
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A catcher; the position of catcher.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Bench may be the greatest catcher subjectively, but he's not statistically. Statwise, Yogi Berra is the all-time backstop, regardless of which measure you prefer. Berra's Total-Z is one-third of a standard deviation higher than Bench's, and his Core-Z average is a point better.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “backstop” mean?
A catcher; the position of catcher.
Is “backstop” formal or informal?
backstop is generally slang.