How many baseballs are used in an MLB season? We take a look!

There sure seems like a lot of baseballs are used during every single MLB game. But just how many? How Many Baseball Are Used In A Season?

When you watch an MLB game, you’ll notice there are dozens of balls used throughout one game. Almost to where it seems like many are wasted.

Catchers toss out a ball if it hits the dirt off a pitch, fouls balls seemingly every batter, home runs, and players throw balls into the crowd at the end of an inning.

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How many baseballs are used in an MLB season?
Final Word

How many baseballs are used in an MLB season?

It seems like the number of baseballs used in an MLB game has no limit. Is it necessary to get a new ball every time a pitch hits the dirt? Well according to the official MLB rulebook, Rule 4.01(e)(2): the umpire will replace a baseball when a ball has become discolored or unfit for further use.

With all the baseballs used during a major league baseball game, one would be curious to know.

How many baseballs are used in a season?

About 9 dozen baseball are used during an average nine-inning game.

There are 2,430 total MLB games per regular season.

That’s approximately 262,440 baseball used per MLB season!

Do they reuse baseballs in MLB? What happens to all the baseballs?

It would be a complete waste to throw out the baseballs that get discarded during a baseball game.

Especially knowing they cost about $7 each to make and sometimes last for only one pitch. (See our article “How much does an MLB Baseball Cost?” )

Baseballs are reused or repurposed, but not in games.

In the MLB, discarded baseballs are never reused in a game. Some go through a process to get authenticated and sold in MLB shops and online as games used memorabilia.

For example, authenticated MLB baseballs will be re-sold with the exact game date the ball was used.

Check out this game-used ball from a Yankees and Mets game from 2020.

Simply search on mlbshop.com under your team and collectibles & memorabilia.

Other discarded game balls are simply kept for batting practice or balls get tossed if there is significant damage.

Either on-field batting practice or facility cage-type batting practice is where the quality balls end up.

The good news is that even though the discarded baseballs aren’t used again in a game, they are reused in other ways.

This allows MLB to save money on batting practice balls at both the major and minor league levels. It also gives fans a chance to have a piece of history by purchasing an authenticated MLB baseball.

How many MLB baseballs are made each year?

Now even though there are about 300,000 new baseballs used per MLB season, the MLB manufactures much more.

Some baseballs are used for direct-to-consumer purchasing, autographs, practice, pre-game, and memorabilia.

Rawlings manufactures approximately 2.4 million baseballs per year. Again, not all are just for MLB games.

The process of making an MLB baseball is very interesting and takes a lot of work for one ball. It’s very precise and fun to see.

Check out this video showing the process of making a Rawlings Official Major League Baseball:

What baseball does MLB use?

MLB’s official baseball maker is Rawlings. For over 40 years Rawlings has been the exclusive supplier of baseballs to the Major Leagues.

Every Rawlings ROMLB (Rawlings Official Major League Baseball) baseball is carefully crafted with the finest materials available and assembled, weighed, measured, tested and inspected for the highest possible level of quality and consistency.

All of Rawlings Major League Baseballs supplied to MLB teams are manufactured and assembled at a Rawlings Factory in Costa Rica.

Rawlings MLB Baseballs are made of three components: an exterior shell of cowhide, a winding of several layers of yarn, and a core of rubber-coated cork, also known as a “pill.”

Rawlings gets its baseball cowhide from Tennessee Tanning, a well-known tannery operation in Tennessee.

Tennessee Tanning gets its cowhides from Cargills Beef Plant in Pennsylvania.

Interesting facts about MLB Baseballs

Fact	Description
MLB baseballs are handmade	Each MLB baseball is handmade by the Rawlings Company in Costa Rica. The process involves wrapping yarn around a cork and rubber core, then stitching the leather cover onto the ball.
MLB baseballs are rubbed with mud	Before each game, MLB baseballs are rubbed with a special mud to remove the shine and give the ball a better grip. The mud comes from a secret location on the Delaware River and is applied by umpires before the game.
MLB baseballs are replaced frequently	MLB baseballs are replaced frequently during games, with an average of 8-10 dozen balls used per game. This is due to the wear and tear on the balls from being hit, thrown, and caught.
MLB baseballs are tested for consistency	MLB baseballs are tested for consistency in weight, size, and compression to ensure that each ball is the same. This helps to maintain a level playing field for all teams and players.
MLB baseballs are designed to be aerodynamic	MLB baseballs are designed to be aerodynamic, with raised seams that help pitchers throw curveballs and other breaking pitches. The seams also help to increase the ball’s grip and control for fielders.
MLB baseballs are subject to controversy	MLB baseballs have been subject to controversy in recent years, with some players and analysts claiming that changes to the ball’s composition have led to an increase in home runs. MLB has denied any intentional changes to the ball, but continues to monitor and study its performance.

How many baseballs do umpires carry?

Before all MLB games, an umpire crew or attendant prepares 6 dozen or more baseballs.

That means they “rub” the baseballs with mud to give them a rougher surface.

The rougher surface makes it easier for pitcher to grip.

This also follows MLB Rule 4.01(c) which states that “the umpire shall inspect the baseball and ensure they are regulations baseball and that they are properly rubbed so that the gloss is removed”

Extra baseballs may be prepared or previously prepared baseballs as to meet the average number of baseballs used during a game which is about 9.

Generally, an umpire can only carry about 6 baseballs in their pouch. Any more than that is just problematic.

The rest of the game balls, also called “gamers”, are kept in a series of marked totes and buckets to be pulled from when the umpires pouch becomes low or out.

In spring training teams are less likely to go through as many balls as they do during a regular baseball season.

In spring training, teams are rotating many players in and out throughout the game and there are way fewer pitcher requests by a pitcher.

What is the most baseballs used in one game?

There isn’t a true number or precise count of the most baseballs ever used in one game.

According to many MLB equipment managers and umpires, the most they usually see in one 9-inning game is 120 baseballs. So, 10 dozen.

Obviously, this number increases if a game goes into extra innings. This is why having 10 or more dozen baseballs prepared for each game is necessary.

“Gamers” that went unused in previous games are still legal and eligible to use in future games.

Typically, they will be used in the same series or stay with the home team to be used for the next game.

How many baseballs are used in minor league games?

The number of baseballs used in minor league games is much less than in major league games.

Minor league teams have much smaller budgets than major league teams and the amount of balls that are used is going to be significantly less as a result.

The average minor league team used between 600-800 dozen baseballs throughout a regular season.

With 150 games per season that would equate to about 4 to 6 dozen baseballs used during a nine-inning game which is a few dozen baseballs less than an average MLB game.

Major league baseballs are often called “pearls” because they are so clean and brand new.

In the minor leagues, they are less likely to rotate a new ball into the game as frequently as the major leagues do.

Starting pitchers and relief pitchers are the main players that ask for new balls from the home plate umpire and the most likely to notice scuffed balls that could potentially impact their control

Final Word

Baseballs are discarded during every single baseball game at an alarming rate. Above 250,000 baseballs are used throughout an MLB season.

From scuffs to foul balls, every little thing that could alter a baseball’s surface causes the ball to be removed.

At least we know that they are not truly wasted. They are either recycled for batting practice or sold after being authenticated.

If we only count the number of MLB team, 30; and the number of games per team, 162; we can calculate about how many baseballs are used in an MLB season.

There are a total of 2,430 MLB games per year with about 9 dozen baseballs used per game on average.

Therefore, approximately 262,440 baseballs are used per MLB season just for the scheduled MLB games.

That number increases when you factor in MLB baseballs used just for authenticated purposes such as autographs and memorabilia.

It also increases for baseballs that are used strictly for practice. In total, all factors being included, about 2.4 million MLB baseballs are produced each year.

So the next time you watch an MLB baseball game and notice a baseball being discarded, remember how many more have been and will be discarded.