What does 'dry humping' mean in baseball? Viral clip from Jeff Passan podcast has casual fans confused

Relievers run from it, worried it will leave them weary after a period of isolation. Managers and pitching coaches try to avoid it at all costs, fearing it will wear down their bullpens over the course of a season. Fans rarely hear much about it, aside from the occasional passing comment.

Dry humping might not be an epidemic in the world of high-stakes baseball, but it is a source of frustration among bullpen arms.

Some instances of dry humping are more noticeable than others. When a reliever warms up while his teammates get into scoring position in a tight game, only to have the warmup cut short after they fail to score, dry humping is taking place.

It might sound naughty. It’s certainly not common practice in the big leagues. But it does happen on rare occasions, sending relievers into a tizzy.

Don’t believe us? Here’s what ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Rangers reliever Pete Fairbanks had to say about the matter.

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What does 'dry hump' mean in baseball?

We'll let Fairbanks handle that. While speaking with Passan in his "Sources Tell Jeff Passan" podcast, Fairbanks explained that dry humping refers to a reliever warming up to the point of getting ready to enter in the game only to not be inserted into the matchup as expected.

According to Fairbansk, there are levels to dry humping. The act generally is reserved for close games in which the result hangs on a knife's edge. A reliever might be called in as their teammate toils from the mound, with the expectation from both parties being that he'll be turned loose on the opposition after warming up.

"You start warming up," Fairbanks said. "Obviously, there's degrees to it. The worst dry humps are the ones to which you then have to fire it off and be as warm as you would be to go in a game with no guarantee that you go in the game."

Arms turn to jelly as a reliever returns to his initial post as fan and teammate.

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"One dry hump is usually okay, two dry humps does not feel very good," Fairbanks said.

Fairbanks said he has been dry humped approximately three times in his career.  The moments have left their imprint on his career all this time later.

"I felt like I couldn't move my arm for about eight hours," Fairbanks said of one occurrence of dry humping.

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Pete Fairbanks-Jeff Passan clip

Why do pitchers dislike being 'dry humped'?

According to Fairbanks, the act of being dry humped is an uncomfortable one. It requires players to bring themselves to the cusp of preparedness, only to dash their hopes of entering into the contest. The problem isn't merely ideological, however. The process of getting ready to enter into a game is a dramatic one for relievers, one that requires plenty of stretching, loosening and discomfort. To take on that responsibility, only to see it slip from one's grasp, can prove challenging to accept -- especially when one's arm and shoulder are burning.

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Who is Pete Fairbanks?

Fairbanks is an eight-year MLB veteran who has turned out for the Rangers, Rays and, most recently, Marlins. A native of Webster Groves, Missouri, Fairbanks has enjoyed a solid career in the spotlight. From 2020-2025, Fairbanks posted a 2.94 ERA with 304 strikeouts in 244.1 innings of work. His lively fastball, decent extension and strong collection of breaking pitches has made him one of the steadier relievers in baseball. Ahead of the 2026 season, Fairbanks inked a one-year, $13 million deal to join Miami. In terms of average annual value, Fairbanks is the ninth-highest paid reliever, per Spotrac.

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