What Are Baseballs Made Of?

What Material is an MLB Baseball Made Of?

Major League Baseball teams use around 600,000 balls combined during the course of a single season, with the average ball only being in play for five to seven pitches during a game.

These days, the balls used in Major League Baseball consist of a cork center which is called a "pill." This core is wrapped tightly in wool and polyester or cotton yarn and covered by two peanut-shaped cuttings of cowhide which are stitched together around the ball.

Synthetic Leather Baseballs (Vegan Baseballs)

While the official Major League baseballs are still made from real leather, synthetic leather baseballs are growing in popularity.

The large number of baseballs needed for a team to operate a practice or game makes synthetic leather baseballs a good option to consider. The solvent-free manufacturing process used to create TPU leather is much more friendly to the environment than the processes involved in producing a standard leather baseball. Synthetic baseballs make a perfect sustainable replacement with the same look and feel as a standard leather baseball. 

Baseballs have evolved through many forms since the beginnings of the sport. The materials that comprise a baseball have consistently changed along with the development of new materials and technology. 

Early on, baseballs did not all look the same. Some of the first baseballs were crudely crafted by players, using whatever supplies were available, including old rubber from shoes wrapped in yarn and leather. These balls varied greatly in size, weight, and how far they would travel coming off the bat. 

Eventually, as the sport grew in popularity and organization, baseball began to become more regulated. Teams from the New York area met in an attempt to standardize the baseball and decided on the weight, size, and style of the ball. Eventually, a ball with a rubber core, figure 8 stitching, and a leather horse or cowhide covering became the agreed-upon standard ball.