Early afternoons are typically quiet at Rogers Centre. Before a Blue Jays night game, players run the steps, ballpark guides lead fans on tours and stadium staff prepare for the evening’s game. Otherwise, it’s dead. The field itself is unused.

Shortly after 4 p.m., though, a different scene kicks off. Dozens of players and coaches pour onto the field and start hitting and throwing a couple hundred baseballs in all directions. Some balls will leave the field entirely, while others will skip toward defenders or crisscross the infield from base to base. Everything will happen at once, with multiple baseballs in the air almost constantly, and yet this daily juggling act rarely leads to injuries or even confusion. To those who participate, it somehow makes sense. “You could say it’s almost synchronized,” says Toronto Blue Jays third base coach Luis Rivera.

Welcome to big-league batting practice, where organized chaos reigns for an hour every afternoon.