Major League Baseball has seen some drastic changes since its inception. Like other aspects, it also brought massive differences in how many baseballs are used in a game.
As the main event, the MLB rule book influenced other professional and regional tournaments, including minor leagues and high school and college baseballs.
Before I stepped into a baseball career as a minor league player, I was amazed to watch MLB matches as a spectator. Every now and then, pitchers, catchers, and even the umpire determine brand-new baseballs. And still, the same tradition is going on.
Later I learned the reasons behind players changing playing balls. And the more I learned, the more I understood the commitment and knowledge required to be a great baseball player.
I’ve included all the information in this article to give you a clear idea of why and how many balls are replaced in a game and the whole MLB season. You’ll get some surprising insights; make sure to read the rest.
How Many Baseballs are Used in an MLB game
In a regular MLB game, anywhere from 70 to 90 baseballs will be utilized. The exact sum can change depending on variables, including the day’s temperature, the pitcher’s repertoire, and the frequency with which foul balls and home runs are hit.
Usually, there are about 72 baseballs used per game, with the host team providing them. Prior to the game, the umpire crew conducts a thorough inspection of the baseballs and gives their stamp of approval.
In the course of a game, a baseball may become scuffed, dirty, or damaged to the point where it is no longer playable. As needed, the umpires will replace these balls.
Even more so, during the course of the game, teams can ask the umpires for fresh baseballs. If a ball is hit into the stands or is lost in some other way, a new one is brought out to the field.
When you add up all the baseballs used in an MLB game, it may seem like a lot, but it ensures that the game is played with well-maintained equipment and keeps the players safe.
Baseball Ball Replacement Rule in MLB
Before understanding how many baseballs are used in a game, you need to understand why they replace a playing ball.
According to Major League Baseball official rules, section 4.01(e), there are specific situations when the umpire is biased toward changing the baseball ball. These are:
- If the pitcher is requesting a new baseball
- If the current ball is hit out of the game
- If the playing ball got discolored or scratched too much
Let’s take a deeper look at these instances.
Pitcher requests a new baseball
In baseball, pitchers sometimes get the chance to replace the current playing ball. If the ball lost its adequate status or got dead, a pitcher can call for a new ball to the umpire, even if the umpire hasn’t witnessed its status first.
However, some pitchers used to seize unfair advantages because of this rule. So, MLB added a slight change in 2019, which states that umpires can always reject a pitcher’s request to change the ball if the play isn’t ended or the ball isn’t dead.
In addition, if the ball hasn’t gone out of the playground and the hitter and runners haven’t reached the base, the umpire can’t change the ball. Also, the pitcher can’t request a new ball.
In the case of the home run, if the hitter hasn’t crossed his home plate, any ball request will be rejected.
Ball is hit by the batter and goes out of the play
Any dead ball, including the home run and foul ball, are considered eligible to change the ball. An umpire must change the ball to resume the match from the halt.
“In baseball, balls that are foul, home run, or in any way went out of play by hitting or pitching are considered a dead ball.”
Discolored or worn ball
If the ball is in play yet has faded, umpires should change the ball immediately. If you watch some MLB matches or seasons, you’ll see this practice is frequent nowadays.
The umpire inspects the playing every now and then to find out whether it’s worn, dirty, or discolored. And later, if the umpire finds any issue with the ball, he can instantly reject the ball from the baseball game.
What’s the Average Lifespan of Baseballs?
Different baseball leagues and tournaments use different numbers of balls in a single match, But the fun fact is most professional baseball leagues use A-grade quality baseball. The most popular pro league baseball manufacturer is Rawlings.
Even though the event host may pick balls from different manufacturers, the quality, material, and lifespan are almost identical in every ball.
It’s actually the nature of the tournaments, the maturity of the players, that determines how much a baseball is used in a game.
The research was conducted by MLB, where they found that every ball is used for, on average, 3-7 pitches in their event. So, there is no argument on if quality determines the number of balls used in a game.
To understand why baseballs are replaced, go through the below section.
When Umpires or Players Change a Ball in Major League Baseball?
Unlike cricket or other ground sports, balls get replaced in baseball like crazy. Sometimes, it’s the umpire who decides to replace a playing ball. On the other hand, sometimes, it’s the pitcher who frequently changes the ball.
And another role is the catcher, who just leaves a ball now and then. Regardless, all of them replaced the ball for some legit reason. Let’s check out why and when they do so.
Umpire Changes Baseballs
Any umpire is biased to the baseball official rulebook set by MLB. If any situation occurs violating any of the baseball rules mentioned above, the umpire makes his call to change the ball.
However, umpires can independently decide to change a ball or accept the replacement request called by the pitching team member, especially the pitcher.
But whoever takes the decision, it’s based on ball performing status. For example, if the ball is hit out of the baseball field, balls got scratched or faded, etc., umpires replace the ball.
Replacement Discretion/Right
Every player in the baseball game has the right to change a ball in certain situations. When it comes to MLB or minor league baseballs, trust me, these are some of the peculiar situations when balls get replaced.
I was watching a match between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers, where both home and away teams changed the playing balls 115 times, each MLB team 75 and 40 balls chronologically.
Austin (catcher of the Cleveland) said to Tucker (catcher of the Tigers) that Rawlings would make a bank of money that night! Ha. Ha.
And this is not a rare case. In every MLB game, catchers frequently toss balls after getting in hand. Then umpires give new balls to the pitchers.
Situation 1: When Catchers Ask for a Ball Replacement
Catchers can generally ask for a ball replacement if the hitter can’t make a square shot perfectly. If the hitter gazes at a shot, it makes a scratch on the ball.
As a result, the pitcher finds it a little inadequate to get the grip. To get the pitcher rid of this issue, catchers toss the baseball aside towards the ball bag and ask the umpire to change the ball.
Situation 2: When Pitchers Ask for a Ball Replacement
Another common possibility where a pitcher can call for a ball change is when his pitching ball hits the ground before being hit by the batter or crossing the home plate.
This is also because the hit causes a scratch on the baseball. Both pitcher and catcher can make a call to change the ball in this situation.
Ball Replaced for Fans
Every major or minor league baseball game has a set of balls kept aside to give away to the fawning fans before, during, and after the match. The baseball team players sign their autographs on the ball. It’s a typical scene in professional baseball leagues.
Not only that, any player who holds the ball during innings over time can choose to toss balls toward their fans.
That means, in a nine inning game, at least 9 balls are given away to the fans used in the game. If there are more than nine innings, there will be more balls used.
How Many Balls Are Used in Different Baseball Leagues?
Depending on the league type, the organizer’s rules, and even the event region, the number of balls used per match can vary drastically.
However, pro baseball leagues always require the highest number of balls. Let’s take a deeper look at how many baseballs they use in a game.
The number of Baseballs used in an MLB Game.
In Major League Baseball games, 9 to 12 balls are used in a single inning. With that reference, 96 to 120 balls can be used in a nine-inning game.
Sometimes, the number of used balls can increase by 150 depending on the extra innings and different batting and pitching occurrences.
Balls Used in an MLB Season
Following the estimation above, the number of balls used in a season is surprisingly insane. For example, if you consider the American League, in every MLB season, 30 teams participate. The average game played by each MLB team is 162.
If I assume each game uses approx 110 balls, the total number of balls used in a season is,
“100 balls x 30 teams x 162 games = 486,000 balls/per season”
Yep! They got enough balls to freak out any baseball fan. Let’s make it a little more interesting. Can you guess how much MLB spends on baseball balls in a season?
Depending on the on and off-season, each Major League Baseball stamped ball can cost around $10-$18. Let’s assume 15 bucks. So, you can assume the MLB baseball costs can be $15 x 480,000 = $7,290,000 in a season!
How Many Baseballs Are Used in a Minor League Baseball Game?
If you’re assuming the number of balls used in the minor league is lower than in major leagues, you guessed it right.
Each AAA minor league baseball game may consume a minimum of 70 balls. The number gets lower if considering AA or A minor leagues, where an average of 50-60 baseballs are used in a single game.
As a former minor league pro, I know very well why it’s less than MLB. In minor league baseball, the fanbase is not that much solid as most of them are actually players’ parents. And players don’t do giveaways like MLBs.
Besides, where in MLB baseball, players can use discrete to replace a ball even after a single pitch, minor league players have to continue the game with scratched balls.
How Many Balls Are Used in High School Baseball Games?
According to the 2018 rulebook of the National Federation of State High School Association, at least 3 balls should be used in one game. However, if both teams agree, a match can end up using only 2 balls.
The reason is pretty apparent. High school baseball leagues don’t have the fancy budget like MLB or minor leagues. So, they need to cut costs by using fewer balls each game.
How Many Balls Are Used in College Baseball Games?
The situation in college baseball is relatively better than in high school baseball. This is one of the core baseball levels before selecting players for professional leagues.
Knowing the fact, organizers of all the games give their best to make it feel like a pro league match. Besides, many college league games get sponsorship from different ventures, ex-baseball players, and organizations.
There can be up to 60 balls used per match in college baseball. As per my findings, CWS or College World Series prepares a match with a minimum of 360 balls. There can be 120 additional game-prepared balls by the World Series host, meaning a total of 480 balls.
What Happens to the Balls Used in an MLB Game?
Depending on the ball status, the tournament organizer takes different approaches to utilize these used baseballs. However, the most common uses of the old baseballs are keeping these aside for batting or fielding practice and Bullpen.
Batting Practice:
If you’ve ever seen MLB players polishing up their batting skills, be assured that these are the same balls used in an MLB game previously in the same season.
The MLB baseball organizers pass any bill that’s replaced due to discretion for the batting practice sessions of the baseball hitters. In this way, they can cut the cost of getting new balls for warming up. And also, players can get the feel of an actual match ball.
I appreciate this approach because baseball spring training isn’t cost-efficient. And as a coach, I feel this often.
Bullpens:
All relief pitchers warm up in a separate playground before stepping into an actual game, which is also called Bullpen.
This helps them prepare their mindset and body to be part of the game to avoid serious injuries. The balls used in the Bullpens are actually the previously replaced balls in an average MLB game.
"Relief pitchers are the substitute pitchers who take the place of the players of the home team when they get injured such as hand fatigue."
Other than that, as mentioned before, MLB baseball players give away some balls to their fans with autographs. After signing, they simply throw all the balls to the spectators also.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many baseballs are prepared for a day-long MLB game?
On average, the total number of balls used in one game is around 96 to 120. As 30 teams participate in a whole day event, it can be anywhere between 240 to 300 dozen balls (2880 to 3600 balls) a day.
However, to avoid any unexpected occurrence, MLB prepares more than 150 baseballs per match and 4500 balls per day.
How much does MLB spend on baseball each year?
MLB is the premier league in baseball. So, the budget they invest in organizing their event is sky-high. Just only for baseballs, their expected budget is more than $7.2 million to $10 million every year.
Do they reuse baseballs that hit the dirt?
MLB baseball host reuses thrown-out or dirty baseballs but not in a real match anymore. Some leftover balls are stored for the warm session in bullpens and batting practices.
Besides, a vast number of these unused balls are sent back to their affiliates’ minor league organizers to host their game and also for practice purposes. MLB doesn’t give away dirty baseballs to the fans.
Are all baseballs hand stitched?
Yes, balls used in baseball games have hand stitches, carefully designed by some highly talented workers. The cost of baseballs is higher than other balls because of the hand-stitched design. In every ball, there are 108 double stitches, the same number introduced in 1934 by MLB baseballs.
Why do baseballs have red stitches?
Previously, MLB baseballs had blue, red, and black stitches. But later, they adapted only red stitched baseballs.
According to Major League Baseball officials, this is because it’s the most visible color among the rest. In pro league baseball, every single silly feature matters. So, it’s an intelligent approach, no doubt.
What do umpires rub on baseballs?
In the baseball history vault, “Lena Blackburne Balls Rubbed Mud” is something every pro league player is familiar with. It was introduced back in 1930.
Umpires rub baseballs with this mud so pitchers can get a firmer grip on the ball. It also diminishes the surface shine. This approach is mainly helpful for pitchers who apply high swings. And not only the umpires but workers of the events also rub all balls before getting in the game.
A recent news piece by Fox Sport stated that Major League Baseball game organizers are trying to figure out a different approach by improvising the seams or stitches.
How Many Baseballs Are Used In A Game: Finishing
Still, wondering how many baseballs are used in a game? Hopefully, you got the answer. In conclusion, the number of balls used in a baseball game can vary depending on different factors.
These are mainly the pitcher’s discretions, umpire’s calls, number of foul balls, and home runs. However, if looking at the recent history of the last 10 baseball seasons, the average number of balls used is 8 to 10 dozen balls (96 to 120) used in a single MLB game.
If you want to know more interesting facts about baseball, make sure to buzz me with your questions in the comment box. Till then, happy baseball day!
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Hello everyone. My name is Jason Butler, and I live in California, America. I was a professional AAA Minor League Baseball player. I lost my chance of playing MLB for injury issues, but I did not lose my love for baseball. I attended the coaching training program and am now working as a coach in a small school in San Diego.
I always love to share my experience and knowledge if that can help you. Play baseball, and stay fit.