If you go to an MLB game, usually you’re hoping to get lucky enough to catch a foul ball or even a home run!
Part of going to a game growing up was getting there early enough to watch batting practice and hopefully catch a ball!
But with so many baseballs used per game, the cost must get expensive.
When you watch a Major League baseball game, you will notice there are dozens of balls used throughout a game.
Almost to where it seems like many are wasted.
Catchers toss out a ball if it hits the dirt on a pitch, foul balls seemingly every batter, home runs, and players throw major league baseballs into the crowd at the end of an inning.
With all the baseballs used during a game or discarded, one would be curious to ask.
With all the baseballs used during a game or discarded, you mind yourself wondering…
So, how much does an MLB Baseball cost?
The cost per MLB baseball is around $7.00 each. That’s the cost to make. About 9 dozen baseballs are used on average per game. There are 2,430 total MLB games per regular season.
That’s approximately 262,440 baseball used per MLB season with a cost of $1.8 million!
Next time you watch an MLB game, take notice of the number of baseballs tossed out during a game. It’s shocking once you know the cost of each ball.
Catching a baseball during a game however can leave a lifelong memory, so the cost there is worth it!
| Materials used to make a Baseball | Description |
|---|---|
| Leather | The exterior of a baseball is made from two pieces of leather that are stitched together. The leather is usually cowhide, and it is treated to make it more durable and weather-resistant. |
| Yarn | The interior of a baseball is made from layers of yarn that are wound around a small cork or rubber core. The yarn is usually made from wool or a wool blend, and it is wound tightly to give the ball its shape and density. |
| Cork or Rubber Core | The center of a baseball is made from a small cork or rubber core. The core is surrounded by layers of yarn and then covered with the leather exterior. |
| Stitching | The stitching on a baseball is done by hand using waxed thread. The stitching pattern is designed to give the ball an aerodynamic shape and to help pitchers throw curveballs and other breaking pitches. |
| Weight and Size | A regulation baseball must weigh between 5 and 5.25 ounces and have a circumference between 9 and 9.25 inches. The size and weight of the ball can affect how it travels through the air and how it behaves when it is hit or thrown. |
| Production | Baseballs are mass-produced in factories around the world. The majority of baseballs used in Major League Baseball are made in Costa Rica, where skilled workers can produce up to 2,000 balls per day. |
Does MLB reuse 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 and sometimes last for only one pitch. So yes, baseballs are reused, 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 major league 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.
As you can see, the cost to make that baseball was $7.00 but after MLB game used authentication, it’s now $100! Much better to try and catch one at a game instead.
Other discarded game balls are kept for batting practice. Either on-field batting practice or facility cage-type batting practice.
The good news is that even though discarded major league baseball isn’t used again in a game, they are reused in other ways.
Contents
How many baseballs does an umpire 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 a pitcher to grip and also to follow 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.
Game major league baseballs also called “gamers” are kept in a series of marked totes and buckets.
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.
Why is it so fun to catch a baseball during a game?
Fans of all ages are always more than excited, in fact, ecstatic if they are lucky enough to catch a foul ball or homerun during an MLB game.
Catching a home run is extremely rare and very exciting. As a fan and one who has been to many MLB games, it’s rare to catch one.
Not only is it rare to catch a home run, but also a foul ball or even a player throwing it into a crowd.
Kids love it, adults love it, and if you make a good enough catch, sometimes the cameras love it, and you make it on TV!
The best part about catching a baseball at an MLB game is the lifelong memory it gives. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.
You will always remember the game you caught the baseball at and who hit it.
Being lucky enough (and skilled enough) to catch a baseball is one of the best parts about going to a game for young baseball fans.
It makes you feel like you were part of the game. And you get to take home a piece of the game which is a piece of MLB history.
Take a look at some of the great fan catches at baseball games, some incredible catches!
If you’re ever lucky enough to catch or get a baseball at an MLB game, cherish it. I’m sure you will and that it will completely make your day.
Something you will tell your family and friends about and most likely post on social media. It’s exciting!
Can you buy MLB baseballs that are not used?
As you read above, buying an MLB-authenticated game-used baseball isn’t cheap. Somewhere around $100.00 for a regular game.
That price increases depending on the importance of the game as well.
Playoff games, no-hitters, and other historical games will have a greater cost to purchase those game-used MLB MLB-authenticated baseballs.
But what if you just want a normal new MLB baseball? Yes, you can buy those too.
They are around $25 to purchase a single baseball or $239 for a dozen, which is about $19 per baseball.
Quite an increase from the $7 it costs to make the baseball considering how many get used and discarded per game.
There really isn’t much of a benefit to buying a major league baseball that is unused other than hoping to obtain autographs on it.
You wouldn’t necessarily want to use the MLB team’s ball for $25 to play with.
Other than giving it out as a gift or using for autographs, purchasing a major-league baseball isn’t necessary.
The best thing to do is go early to an MLB game or even a Minor League Baseball game.
They use old Major League baseballs for batting practice in the Minor Leagues!
Stand in the outfield bleachers to better your chances of catching a home run ball.
Or stand close enough to the field and ask a player to throw you one. They will if you are nice enough!
FAQ
Does Minor League baseball go through as many baseballs as the MLB?
In the lower levels of minor league baseball, teams don’t have nearly the same budgets as major league teams so the amount of baseballs used will be way less than during a major league game.
The higher the minor league level, the more baseballs the minor league team will go through. Major League Baseball teams have much larger budgets than teams in the minors so they likely get rid of balls much faster if there are any scuffs on them.
Can you keep MLB baseballs?
Yes, if you catch an MLB baseball in foul play or from a home run you can keep the ball. Many fans bring their gloves to an MLB game with hopes of coaching a ball during the course of the game or from batting practice.
Why do baseballs cost so much?
Baseballs are expensive because of all of the raw materials that go into making the ball. In the video above, you can see a breakdown of how a baseball is made from scratch,
The steps that go into making a baseball is truly remarkable and it is incredible that baseball manufacturers are able to create ball after ball that are perfect.
How heavy is an MLB baseball?
An MLB baseball is 5-5.25 ounces. It’s nearly impossible to get the same weight out of every baseball due to the complex manufacturing process.
MLB has experimented with slightly different variations of the weight of baseballs in recent years but the changes often go without publicity.
How many baseballs are rubbed up for a game?
A minimum of 156 balls are rubbed up for each MLB baseball game at a time. There is an extensive process that teams must go through to rub up balls prior to each game.
Check out this memo for more details on the complexity behind getting game balls ready.
Final Word
There’s a cost to make an MLB Baseball and a separate cost to purchase, depending on the status of the baseball.
It cost about $7 for an MLB baseball. $7 to make it. The average MLB baseball cost is around $25 for a new baseball.
That cost increases if the MLB baseball is game used authenticated. Around $100 is the going rate to buy a game-used MLB-authenticated baseball.
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.
The good news is that MLB baseballs are recycled. Either for batting practice or sold after being authenticated.
The best part about MLB baseball is if you’re lucky enough to catch one at a game.
It leaves lasting memories and smiles. You could also give to a young fan and give that young fan a memory of a lifetime!
An insider tip is to try at Minor League Baseball games as well during batting practice.
They use MLB game-used baseballs and usually, you have fewer fans to deal with trying to catch a ball as well.
So the next time you’re at an MLB game or watching one, remember the cost of each baseball and how many times you see them being discarded. Or how many become foul balls or home runs.
It’s interesting to see where each baseball ends up in it’s lifecycle and hopefully one ends up in your possession!
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