Scoring position

From BR Bullpen

A runner is said to be in scoring position when he is on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can only score if the batter hits an extra base hit, while a runner on second or third can score on a single.

Many of baseball's "little ball" or "one run" tactics center around attempts to move a runner on first base into scoring position. Such tactics were dominant in the 1890s and the Deadball Era, when extra base hits were relatively rare. The modern prevalence of power hitters has made the distinction less important, and some announcers will say that "first base is scoring position" when a notable power hitter is batting.