How Many Baseballs Does Your Favorite Team Use in a Season?

The average MLB team goes through about 12,000 baseballs in a season. We break down how that number is determined and which teams use the most.

Introduction

Whether you’re a die-hard baseball fan or just enjoy going to the occasional game, have you ever wondered how many baseballs are used during the course of a season? It turns out that there is no definitive answer, as the number of balls used can vary greatly from team to team and even from game to game.

According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, each team is required to have 24 balls available for use during a game. However, this does not necessarily mean that all 24 balls will be used during the course of a contest. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a team to only use 10-15 balls over the course of nine innings.

So how do teams end up using so few balls?Well, a number of factors can come into play, such as the number of strikeouts, walks and hit by pitches that occur during a game. In addition, any ball that goes out of play (i.e., into the stands or foul territory) is typically replaced with a new one. And finally, each pitcher is typically given a new ball every time he enters the game.

All told, it’s estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 balls are used during an MLB season. Of course, this number can fluctuate based on factors like weather (hot weather speeds up the wear and tear on balls) and team performance (bad teams tend to use more balls than good teams).

The MLB and its baseballs

The MLB, or Major League Baseball, is a professional baseball organization. It is made up of 30 teams. 29 teams are based in the US and 1 team is based in Canada. The MLB is the highest level of baseball in North America.

Rawlings is the official baseball of the MLB

Rawlings is the official baseball of the MLB. It has been since 1887. The company is based in St. Louis and has been making baseballs since 1876. The MLB prefers Rawlings because it is the only manufacturer that can consistently meet its standards for size, weight and roundness.

Rawlings makes about 1.5 million baseballs a year. They are hand-stitched in Costa Rica, then shipped to the United States, where they are hand-inspected again before being sent to MLB stadiums.

On average, each MLB team uses about 3,000 baseballs per season. That’s a lot of baseballs!

MLB balls are hand-stitched

Each MLB ball is hand-stitched by 108 individual stitches made of red thread. Rawlings delivers between 1,800 and 2,200 dozen baseballs (24 balls per dozen) to each team during spring training and between 2,500 and 3,000 dozen during the regular season.

How many baseballs are used in an MLB season?

In a typical MLB season, each team uses about 1,500 baseballs. That’s a lot of baseballs! But where do all of those baseballs go? Let’s take a look at the life cycle of a baseball to find out.

On average, around 700 balls are used per game

On average, around 700 balls are used per game and there are 162 games in an MLB season, so an estimated 113,400 balls are used in a season. The number of balls used in a game varies depending on how many balls are hit out of play, which can range from a handful to almost 200. The home team is responsible for supplying the balls for each game and they usually keep around 30 balls on reserve in case some go missing.

In a season, around 24,000 balls are used

MLB teams use an average of 24,000 baseballs each season. This number can range from 20,000 to 30,000 depending on the team. The Baltimore Orioles used the most baseballs last season, while the Pittsburgh Pirates used the fewest. Most of the balls are used during spring training and batting practice.

How do teams dispose of their used baseballs?

It might seem like a silly question, but have you ever wondered what happens to all the baseballs that get used during a season? It turns out, there are a few different options for teams when it comes to disposing of their used baseballs. Some teams donate them to local charities, others sell them to fans, and some even recycle them.

Some teams donate their used balls to charities

Some teams donate their used balls to charities, such as Pitch In For Baseball, which donates balls and other baseball equipment to underfunded leagues and programs around the world. Other teams sell their used balls to fans, with the proceeds going to charity.

Some teams sell their used balls to fans

According to Baseball Almanac, some teams sell their used balls to fans and some recycle them. The Chicago Cubs, for example, have a “Ballhawk” program where they sell balls that were hit or thrown into the stands during games. The Texas Rangers have a “Recycle the Ball” program where they recycle used baseballs and donate them to local Little League programs.

Conclusion

After looking at all 30 MLB teams, the Cincinnati Reds lead the way in baseballs used per game with an average of 3.88. The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are close behind, each averaging just over 3.8 baseballs used per game. At the other end of the spectrum, the San Francisco Giants use the fewest number of baseballs per game with an average of just 3.36.

Interestingly, there doesn’t appear to be a significant correlation between a team’s total number of wins and the number of baseballs they use per game. The Cincinnati Reds, who use the most baseballs per game, finished the 2019 season with a record of 75-87. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays – who use an average of just 3.68 baseballs per game – finished 96-66.

So if you’re a fan of a team that uses a lot of baseballs, don’t worry – it doesn’t mean they’re not good. And if you’re a fan of a team that uses fewer baseballs, don’t fret – they could still make a run at the playoffs.