what is a bracket pitcher

A "bracket pitcher" in softball is generally understood as a pitcher whom a coach trusts to pitch in the most important games of a tournament, often during the bracket or elimination rounds. This term can have several interpretations, but the most common understanding is that a bracket pitcher is usually the ace or one of the top pitchers on the team, brought in to pitch during the critical bracket-play portion of tournaments when the stakes are higher. This pitcher may even be specifically brought in to appear for bracket games, possibly even coming from another city just to help the team during the bracket phase of the tournament. The term originated from tournament formats where teams first play pool or round-robin games and then move into bracket play, which are elimination games. The bracket pitcher is considered reliable and skilled enough to help the team win these high-pressure games. It can be a somewhat polarizing term because some teams use their best pitchers in all games, while others reserve one for bracket play only. In short, a bracket pitcher is a trusted, often top-level pitcher used strategically in important tournament games, particularly in bracket or knockout rounds rather than earlier pool play.