If a pitcher begins their wind-up but stops entirely, what is the ruling assuming there are runners on base?

When a pitcher begins their wind-up but then stops entirely while there are runners on base, this is classified as a balk. In baseball, a balk occurs when the pitcher fails to deliver the ball to the plate after starting a motion that would normally lead to a pitch. The rules are put in place to prevent deceitful movements that could confuse base runners about whether the pitcher will throw to home plate or attempt to pick off a runner.

In this scenario, the act of stopping the wind-up creates an unfair advantage by potentially misleading the runners regarding the pitcher’s intentions. The rules governing pitching behaviors are designed to maintain fairness and clarity in gameplay, specifically to protect the base runners. As a result, the correct ruling for a pitcher stopping their wind-up is indeed a balk, leading to the advancement of runners on base.