If the defense successfully appeals batting out of order, which of the following is true?

• A. The proper batter is declared out.
• B. The batter who was at bat is not out.
• C. The ball becomes dead.
• D. The defense is penalized.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how batting order mistakes are handled when the defense raises an appeal. If the defense successfully appeals that a batter has come to the plate out of order, the rule punishes the batter who batted in the incorrect spot by declaring that batter out. At the same time, the proper batter in the correct spot is recognized as the one who should have batted, and the lineup is corrected so the game continues with the proper sequence. In other words, the penalty is an out charged to the batter who violated the order, and the appropriate batter takes his place in the batting order moving forward. The defense isn’t penalized for making the appeal, and while there are details about how runners and prior events are treated, the defining outcome is that the correct batter is declared out.