Spanish calls a homer a jonrón most often, with cuadrangular and vuelacerca also common in game talk.
You hear a ball jump off the bat, the crowd rises, and the announcer’s voice climbs. Then comes the word choice. If you’re watching baseball in Spanish, translating “home run” isn’t just swapping one label for another. The Spanish terms carry flavor, rhythm, and little cues about where the speaker is from and what kind of baseball they follow.
This piece gives you the everyday words, when each one shows up, how to write them correctly, and how to say them without feeling stiff. You’ll leave with phrases you can use in a conversation, a caption, or a play-by-play line.
Home Runs In Spanish Terms You’ll Hear In Games
In Spanish baseball talk, you’ll run into three core options again and again. Each one points to the same scoring play, but the setting can steer which word sounds natural.
Jonrón
Jonrón is the most widely recognized Spanish form for “home run.” It’s a Spanish adaptation of the English phrase, and it’s common across many Spanish-speaking baseball markets. If you want one safe pick for conversation, this is it.
Cuadrangular
Cuadrangular literally ties to the idea of four bases. It’s a clean, descriptive option, and you’ll hear it in broadcasts, recaps, and stats talk. It can feel a touch more formal than jonrón in some settings, but it still sounds natural when the game is live.
Vuelacerca
Vuelacerca is vivid. It paints the picture of the ball “flying close” and getting out. Some regions and some announcers lean on it more than others. When you hear it, it often comes with a little extra excitement in the call.
Home run
You may also hear the English term, especially in casual speech, highlights, or among fans who mix English baseball vocabulary into Spanish. When it’s written in Spanish text, style guides often treat it as an English term that should be marked as such.
When People Pick One Word Over Another
Spanish baseball vocabulary shifts by country, league, broadcast style, and even the personality of the announcer. There isn’t one “correct” option in every moment. There is a “sounds right here” option.
Live Broadcast Energy
During the call itself, many announcers go with jonrón because it’s fast and punchy. You’ll also hear cuadrangular when the announcer wants a smooth rhythm in a longer sentence. Vuelacerca can appear as a spicy alternate when the booth wants variety without sounding forced.
Box Scores And Stat Lines
Stat writing often prefers consistency. You’ll see abbreviations like “HR” kept from English baseball stats, even inside Spanish text. When the word is written out, jonrón and cuadrangular are both common, depending on the outlet’s house style.
Talking With Friends
In conversation, people often pick the word that matches what they grew up hearing. Some groups say jonrón every time. Others switch between jonrón and cuadrangular without thinking about it.
Spelling, Plurals, And Accent Marks
If you’re writing Spanish, spelling matters more than you might think. A single missing accent can make a word look off to a native reader, even if they still get your meaning.
Jonrón Needs The Accent
The standard form is jonrón, with an accent on the “ó.” The Diccionario de la lengua española entry for “jonrón” records it as the Spanish form used for the baseball play where the batter sends the ball out and completes the circuit to score. That accent matters in Spanish spelling.
The Plural Is Jonrones
Pluralizing it is straightforward: jonrones. The Diccionario panhispánico de dudas guidance on “jonrón” notes the adapted form and its plural usage in Spanish across the Americas.
What About Writing “Home Run” In Spanish?
Some writers keep the English term in Spanish sports writing. A style-focused note from FundéuRAE on “jonrón” as the Spanish adaptation of “home run” points out that jonrón is a settled Spanish option and mentions how the English term is typically presented when kept in Spanish text. If you’re writing for a Spanish-reading audience, jonrón usually reads cleaner than dropping in English.
Pronunciation That Sounds Natural
Getting close on pronunciation does more than avoid mistakes. It makes your Spanish flow. You don’t need perfection. You need a steady rhythm and the right stress.
How To Say “Jonrón”
Stress lands on the last syllable: jon-RÓN. The “j” is the Spanish throaty “h” sound, like the start of jamón. Keep the vowels clear and short: “o” like “oh,” not a diphthong.
How To Say “Cuadrangular”
Break it into chunks: cua-dran-gu-lar. Stress lands near the end: -LAR. The “gua” at the front can trip people up. Say it like “kwa,” in one quick beat.
How To Say “Vuelacerca”
It splits cleanly: vue-la-cer-ca. The “v” and “b” often sound close in Spanish. Aim for a soft “b” sound at the start, like “bweh.” Stress often lands on “CER.”
If you’re learning Spanish through baseball clips, try this simple drill: say the word once slowly, then once at game speed, then put it into a short sentence you can reuse.
Terms That Orbit A Homer And Show Up Right Away
Spanish broadcasts don’t stop at the main label. They layer in extra phrases that tell you the situation: runners on base, inning pressure, and whether the ball left the park or stayed in play.
Out Of The Park Vs. Inside The Park
When the ball clears the fence, you’ll hear phrases like se fue del parque or la sacó. When it stays in play and the runner circles anyway, you’ll hear jonrón dentro del parque for an inside-the-park home run.
Solo, De Dos, De Tres, Grand Slam
Spanish often counts the runs created by the swing:
- jonrón solitario (bases empty)
- jonrón de dos carreras (one runner on)
- jonrón de tres carreras (two runners on)
- grand slam or jonrón con bases llenas (three runners on)
How MLB Defines The Stat
If you want the formal stat definition that underlies scorekeeping, MLB’s glossary entry for Home Run (HR) gives the standard scoring description used in official stat contexts.
Now let’s put the vocabulary into a single view you can scan quickly.
| Spanish Term Or Phrase | What It Means In Plain English | When You’ll Hear It |
|---|---|---|
| jonrón | Home run | Most common all-purpose term in Spanish baseball talk |
| cuadrangular | Four-base homer | Broadcasts, recaps, and written sports pages |
| vuelacerca | Homer (colorful label) | Some announcers, some regions, highlight-style calls |
| la sacó | He knocked it out | Live calls right after contact, fan reactions |
| se fue del parque | It left the ballpark | Fence-clearing shots, dramatic calls |
| jonrón solitario | Solo home run | Recaps and stat talk when bases were empty |
| jonrón de X carreras | Two-run/three-run homer | Any time runners were on base |
| grand slam / jonrón con bases llenas | Four-run homer with bases loaded | Big scoring swings; announcers often linger on it |
| jonrón dentro del parque | Inside-the-park home run | Rare plays when the ball stays in play and the runner scores |
Phrases You Can Use Without Sounding Stiff
Knowing the noun is nice. Being able to say a full sentence is better. Here are lines that sound like real baseball talk in Spanish, with small variations that fit different moments.
Play-by-play Style Lines
- ¡Jonrón! (simple, classic, loud)
- Conectó un jonrón por el jardín izquierdo.
- Se la llevó, cuadrangular.
- La sacó en cuenta completa.
- Jonrón de tres carreras y le da la vuelta al marcador.
Postgame And Recap Lines
- Pegó dos jonrones en la serie.
- Terminó con un jonrón y cuatro impulsadas.
- Ese cuadrangular cambió el juego.
Fan Talk Lines
- Ese jonrón fue un misil.
- La pelota salió disparada.
- La sacó sin esfuerzo.
One small tip: Spanish often uses verbs like conectar, pegar, or dar with jonrón. Pick one and stick with it in your writing so your sentences feel consistent.
Writing Home Runs In Spanish Without Tripping On Style
If you’re posting captions, writing a recap, or translating an English sentence, these choices can keep your Spanish clean and readable.
Capitalize Like Spanish Sports Writing
In Spanish, common nouns usually stay lowercase: jonrón, cuadrangular, vuelacerca. Team names and player names take caps, of course. If you’re writing a headline, you might capitalize more words based on the outlet’s style, but Spanish body text still leans lowercase for the play name.
Keep “HR” When It’s A Stat Context
In stat-heavy writing, “HR” is widely understood. You can write: Terminó con 2 HR. If you write the word out, do it once and then stick with your choice: jonrón or cuadrangular.
Don’t Over-Translate English Baseball Slang
English baseball slang can sound odd if you translate it word-for-word. If your English sentence says “He went yard,” Spanish often prefers something like la sacó or se fue del parque. It lands better and still feels playful.
Here’s a compact reference table you can keep nearby when you’re writing.
| What You Want To Say | Natural Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| He hit a home run | Pegó un jonrón. | Short and common |
| A two-run homer | Un jonrón de dos carreras. | Clear in recaps |
| It left the park | Se fue del parque. | Often said right after contact |
| Grand slam | Grand slam / jonrón con bases llenas | Both show up |
| Inside-the-park home run | Jonrón dentro del parque. | Useful when describing rare plays |
| He homered twice | Conectó dos jonrones. | Good for a stat line |
A Simple Checklist For Speaking And Writing
If you want a short routine that works every time, use this:
- Pick jonrón as your default term.
- Use cuadrangular when you want a smoother, more descriptive line.
- Use vuelacerca when you hear it in the broadcast you follow and it feels normal to you.
- Write jonrón with the accent, and pluralize it as jonrones.
- Use “HR” in stat lines if the context is a box score or a quick recap.
That’s the whole play in Spanish terms: one main word you can trust, two common alternates, and a set of phrases that make your Spanish sound like it belongs in the ballpark.
References & Sources
- Real Academia Española (RAE).“jonrón | Diccionario de la lengua española.”Defines the Spanish term and records its standard spelling and meaning in baseball.
- Real Academia Española (RAE).“jonrón | Diccionario panhispánico de dudas.”Notes usage details like the adapted form and plural in Spanish.
- FundéuRAE (Fundación del Español Urgente).“jonrón, en beisbol, adaptación de home run.”Explains the Spanish adaptation and gives style guidance for writing the English term in Spanish text.
- Major League Baseball (MLB).“Home Run (HR) | Glossary.”Provides the official stat definition used for scoring and standard baseball terminology.