What "walk" means in baseball

In baseball, a walk refers to the act of a pitcher throwing four pitches outside of the strike zone, which allows the batter to freely advance to first base. If a batter has a good "eye" and can discern balls from strikes, they may be able to draw a walk and help their team advance on the bases. However, if the game is close and there are runners already on base, a walk can be a disadvantage for the pitching team as it loads the bases with potential scoring opportunities.