In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: he strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base (by a base on balls, hit by pitch, or catcher's interference); or He hits a fair ball which causes a preceding runner to be put out for the third out before he himself is put out or reaches first base safely (see also left on base, fielder's choice, force play)

A batter does not have a plate appearance if, while he was at bat, a preceding runner is put out on the basepaths for the third out in a way other than by the batter putting the ball into play (i.e., picked off, caught stealing). In this case, the same batter continues his turn batting in the next inning with no balls or strikes against him.

A batter may or may not be charged with a plate appearance (and possibly at-bat) in the rare instance when he is replaced by a pinch hitter after having already started his turn at bat. In this case, the pinch hitter would receive the plate appearance (and potential of an at-bat) unless the original batter is replaced when having 2 strikes against him and the pinch hitter subsequently completes the strikeout. In this case the plate appearance and at-bat are charged to the first batter. (see rule 10.15b)

Todd Lynn Helton (born August 20, 1973) is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Colorado Rockies. He is a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, four-time National League Player of the Month, and three-time Gold Glove winner.

As of the end of the 2011 season, among all active players, Helton was first in on-base percentage (.421), tied for second in doubles (554), third in intentional walks (183), and eighth in slugging percentage (.550).

Helton holds the Colorado Rockies club records for hits (2,380), home runs (351), doubles (560), walks (1,264), runs scored (1,338), RBIs (1,324), on-base percentage (.421), games played (2,073), total bases (4,065) and other categories. Helton hit his 2,000th career hit against the Atlanta Braves on May 19, 2009.

As of the 2012 season, Helton was the fourth-most senior active MLB player to have spent his entire career with one club, behind Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera.

Helton attended Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee and was a letterman in football and baseball. In football, he posted 2,772 total yards as quarterback. In baseball, as a senior, Helton posted a .655 batting average and 12 home runs and was named the Regional Player of the Year. Baseball America also bestowed him with All-American honors for his senior season.

Albertin Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz also known as the "Cuban Missile" (born February 28, 1988) is a Cuban-AndorranMajor League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. Chapman bats and throws left-handed. He is listed at 6'4" (193 cm) tall and weighing 195 pounds (88 kg). He currently holds the record for the fastest recorded pitch speed in Major League Baseball, throwing 105.1 mph (169.1 km/h); however, the accuracy of this is disputed. He was also clocked by one radar gun at 106 mph (170.6 km/h) in a game against Pittsburgh, although, again, there is some controversy as to the actual speed.

Chapman was part of the Cuban national team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He played domestically for Holguín in the Cuban National Series.

After a failed attempt to defect in the spring of 2008, Chapman was brought to Havana to meet with Cuban President Raúl Castro who gave him a conditional reprieve, suspending him for the remainder of the National Series season and also keeping him off Cuba's national team for the Beijing Olympics, but allowing him to return to the National Series and play in the World Baseball Classic.

Derek Sanderson Jeter ( /ˈdʒiːtər/; born June 26, 1974) is an American baseball shortstop who has played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. A five-time World Series champion, Jeter has been a central figure of the Yankees during their success of the 1990s and 2000s due to his clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning. He is the Yankees' all-time career leader in hits (3,155), games played (2,472), stolen bases (342), and at bats (10,066). His accolades include twelve All-Star selections, five Gold Glove Awards, four Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards, and the Roberto Clemente Award. Jeter is the all-time MLB leader in hits by a shortstop, and the 28th player to reach 3,000 hits.

The Yankees drafted Jeter out of high school in 1992, and he debuted in the major leagues in 1995. The following year, he became the Yankees' starting shortstop, won the Rookie of the Year Award, and helped the team win the 1996 World Series. Jeter continued to contribute during the team's championship seasons of 1998–2000; he finished third in voting for the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 1998, recorded multiple career-high numbers in 1999, and won both the All-Star Game MVP and World Series MVP Awards in 2000. He has consistently placed among the AL leaders in hits and runs scored for the past ten years, and since 2003 has served as the Yankees' team captain.

Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975) is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.

Rodriguez is considered one of the best all-around baseball players of all time. He is the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs, breaking the record Jimmie Foxx set in 1939, and the youngest to hit 600, besting Babe Ruth's record by over a year. Rodriguez has fourteen 100-RBI seasons in his career, more than any other player in history. On September 24, 2010, Rodriguez hit two home runs, surpassing Sammy Sosa's mark of 609 HRs, and became the all-time leader in home runs by a player of Hispanic descent.

In December 2007, Rodriguez and the Yankees agreed to a 10-year, $275 million contract. This contract was the richest contract in baseball history (breaking his previous record of $252 million).

In February 2009, after previously denying use of performance-enhancing drugs, including during a 2007 interview with Katie Couric on 60 Minutes, Rodriguez admitted to using steroids, saying he used them from 2001 to 2003 when playing for the Texas Rangers due to what he called "an enormous amount of pressure" to perform.