Baseballs

Baseballs are spherical sports equipment used in the game of baseball. A standard professional baseball is white with red stitching, about 9 inches in circumference and weighing about 5 ounces. The ball’s core is typically cork, sometimes with a rubber component, surrounded by multiple layers of yarn and finished with two interlocking pieces of white leather stitched together with 108 double stitches. The stitching height and seam are designed to affect grip and flight.

Official baseballs are regulated by Major League Baseball, and the ball used in MLB games is manufactured under contract by Rawlings to specific standards. The white leather cover and red stitches are characteristic, and the ball is designed to be durable enough for use in professional play. Many other levels of play use similar construction but with varying specifications and brands, including youth and collegiate balls that may differ in size and weight.

In addition to official MLB balls, manufacturers produce a range of practice and training balls with differing hardness, seam heights, and cover materials to suit training, youth programs, and casual play. The evolution of the baseball’s materials has included changes in core composition and windings, while the basic concept—a cork or rubber core wrapped in yarn and covered in leather—has persisted.