A Major League baseball has 108 double stitches, or 216 individual stitches, sewn by hand with red waxed thread. The first and last stitches are hidden under the cover so the seams stay smooth. Every official MLB ball is still stitched by hand, at the Rawlings factory in Costa Rica.
Equipment explained
Baseball stitches at a glance
The seams on an official ball
Double stitches
108
Individual stitches
216
Thread
Red waxed cotton thread
Thread length
About 88 inchesJust over seven feet per ball
Sewn by
Hand, at Rawlings in Turrialba, Costa RicaMachines have never matched hand stitching
Hidden stitches
The first and last stitch are tucked under the cover
Cover pieces
Two figure eight pieces of cowhideStitched together along the seam
Figures as reported by Rawlings and MLB.
Why the Seams Matter
| Effect | How the stitches help |
|---|---|
| Grip | Pitchers hold the seams to control the ball |
| Movement | Raised seams catch the air and make pitches break |
| Four seam vs. two seam | The name comes from how many seams cross the air each rotation |
| Seam height | Lower seams can make a ball carry farther and break less |
For the rest of what goes into a ball, see what baseballs are made of.
Related
How much does a baseball weigh · What are baseballs made of · How many baseballs are used in a game · Why MLB rubs mud on baseballs
Details from Rawlings, the official ball maker of MLB.