big hitter
1. A person, group, or organization of exceptional talent, ability, influence, authority, or success. Ms. Smith's law firm is a big hitter in this city. I've become known as something of a big hitter in the company since securing that new client last week.
2. A product or brand that sells or has sold extremely well. Through its clever advertising campaign, this new vacuum cleaner has become a big hitter in the industry.
bad-ball hitter
In baseball, a batter who tries to hit pitches that are out of the strike zone. A: "What on earth is he swinging at?" B: "He's a bad-ball hitter, it's just how he plays. He'll hit one eventually."
heavy hitter
1. An extremely successful, important, or influential person. John is a real heavy hitter in the world of finance. Many people have tried to copy his success.
2. A high-scoring athlete, especially a baseball player. The team would be foolish to trade their heavy hitter. He's the reason the team did well this season.
heavy hitter
An important or influential individual or organization. For example, This publishing house is one of the heavy hitters in the textbook industry. This expression originated in sports such as boxing, where it literally meant "hitting hard," and was transferred to other enterprises in the mid-1900s.
pinch hitter
A substitute for another person, especially in an emergency. For example, Pat expected her mother to help with the baby, but just in case, she lined up her mother-in-law as pinch hitter . This expression comes from baseball, where it is used for a player substituting for another at bat at a critical point or in a tight situation (called a pinch since the late 1400s). [Late 1800s]