Baseball always carries fascinating facts and statistics, making it among the most complicated yet popular sports in the world. Indeed, even the design of the baseball ball has a long story.
The simplest and most frequently-asked question about it must be, “How big is a baseball?” A quick answer for you is the standard ball is 9 to 9.25 inches in circumference. Read on to know more.
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What Are the Baseball Dimensions?
A baseball flies back and forth on the field while getting hit and caught during the game. Indeed, it must fit well in the baseball glove and allow the bat to hit nicely to create an intended trajectory.
So, satisfy your curiosity about the regulation measurements of a baseball with the chart below:
| in inches | in cm | |
| Baseball circumference | 9 – 9.25 | 22.86 – 23.495 |
| Baseball diameter | 2.875 – 3 | 7.3 – 7.6 |
| Baseball radius | 1.437 | 3.65 |
Due to its construction as a sphere, the baseball width is similar to its diameter, roughly around 3 inches.
How Much Does a Baseball Weigh?
The baseball size comes with a heft of around 5 to 5.25 ounces. The baseball weight is the total measurement of its multiple parts, including:
- A center made of cork and rubber
- A wrapping around the center made of yarn
- An outer layer of white cowhide (or synthetic composite leather, depending on the product)
- And hand-sewn stitches in red that hold everything together
What Are the Different Types of Baseballs?
Many might not be aware that there is more than one type of baseball used in official games. Indeed, there are three common kinds that you might encounter when watching matches from different leagues and countries:
- Hard baseball – This is the official ball used in MLB games; its dimensions and weight are mentioned above.
- Soft baseball – There are actually two types of softballs, one for slowpitch and the other for fastpitch. The slowpitch design is 3.5 inches in diameter, while the latter is 3.82 inches.
- Rubber baseball – You can see this type of ball in Japanese baseball games. It also has two kinds called Type M and Type J rubber balls.
The former is for the major leagues and larger, measuring 2.81 – 2.85 in diameter.
Meanwhile, the latter for junior players is 2.7 – 2.74 inches in diameter.
Baseball Sizes Compared to Other Sports Balls
To give you an idea about how big (or small) a baseball is, compared to the gear in most common sports’, here’s the chart of their dimensions and weight:
| Sport balls | Diameter ( in inches) | Weight ( in oz) |
| Baseball | 2.875 – 3 | 5 to 5.25 |
| Softball (official) | 12 | 6.25 and 7 |
| Table tennis | 1.6 | 0.095 |
| Volleyball | 8.15 – 8.39 | 9.2-9.9 |
| Basketball | 9.4 | 22 |
| Cricket | 2.80 – 2.86 | 5.75 |
| Tennis | 2.575 – 2.7 | 1.98–2.1 |
| Golf | 1.68 | 1.620 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many grams is a baseball?
As stated above, a baseball weighs 5 to 5.25 ounces, which is equivalent to 142 to 149 in grams, and 0.142 to 0.149 in kg.
What is the history of the baseball ball size?
Indeed, the baseball ball was not of its current dimensions back in the first days when the game was invented.
During the mid-1850s, the regulation baseball weighed 5.5 to 6 ounces (156-170 grams). Its circumference was significantly larger than the official ball, measuring 8 to 11 inches (20.3-28 cm).
The use of materials to make the ball core also changed in 1910, as cork outlasts rubber and allows faster and farther flying.
The official construction of the baseball was determined in 1976. And with the change of materials, the baseball weight is reduced to around 5 ounces. Since then, Rawlings has been the sole ball manufacturer for Major League Baseball.
Conclusion
So, how big is a baseball? You now have the answer about its dimensions and weight, as well as a quick comparison of its size to other sports’ balls. It is incredible how the materials and shape of the piece also contribute to how the game is regulated and played.
It’s surely a thrilling challenge for baseball players to master the hit and catch that uses the ball to their advantage. But, this object always has its way of bringing surprise for both the audience and the players themselves.
Rogers is a hardcore baseball enthusiast. He joined Nations Baseball as a writer to share his knowledge and help others realize their passions for the sport. Roger is striving towards becoming a coach at his local baseball club.
