How Much Does a Baseball Weigh?

I was playing catch with one of my teammates prior to a game and we started off by warming up with a weighted baseball. The weighted baseball was clearly marked as weighing 8 ounces, but the normal baseball we were used to throwing did not show the weight.

That got us both to wonder what the weight of a normal baseball is. Luckily for me, I have a bunch of random baseballs and a nice kitchen scale that could help answer that question – how much does a baseball weigh?

A baseball weighs anywhere from 5 ounces to 5.2 ounces. Brand new baseballs weigh closer to 5.0 ounces while used baseballs weigh closer to 5.2 ounces. Other types of baseballs, like low compression baseballs, weigh around 4.6 ounces. Soft compression baseballs for T-Ball weigh around 4.2 ounces.

The type of baseballs you’d see in Major League Baseball are leather baseballs and those normally weigh 5 ounces. These are also the same type of baseballs most players have been using since at least high school baseball.

In the rest of this article, we’ll review what the rules are around the weight of a baseball, how heavy is a baseball (by the type of baseball), and how much extra weight water-logged baseballs hold.

The MLB Rulebook Says Baseballs Should Weigh Between 5.0 and 5.25 ounces

Baseball has a lot of rules around the type of equipment that is allowed to be used during games. When it comes to baseballs, the MLB Rulebook is very specific on the weight of a baseball.

“It shall weigh not less than five nor more than 5¼ ounces avoirdupois and measure not less than nine nor more than 9¼ inches in circumference.” (Rule 3.01)

And in case you’re wondering, “avoirdupois” refers to a system of measuring weights in pounds and ounces.

If any player is caught manipulating the weight of the baseball, the umpire will remove the ball from the game and eject the player from the game. That player is also suspended for 10 games.

Brand New Leather Baseballs Weigh 5 Ounces

I had a couple of brand new Wilson A1010 Pro baseballs that were still in their plastic packaging, so I opened up a brand new baseball to weigh it. After doing some research, I knew that baseballs were supposed to weigh 5 ounces, but I wanted to test it out myself.

As you can see from the photo, the brand-new leather baseball weighed exactly 5.0 ounces. It did start to fluctuate between 5.0 and 5.1 ounces, but the brand-new leather baseball ended up weighing exactly 5.0 ounces.

Used Leather Baseballs Weigh Between 5.0 – 5.2 Ounces

In addition to some brand-new baseballs, I also had some used Wilson A1010 Pro baseballs that I could weigh.

I knew these used baseballs should weigh around 5 ounces exactly, but I also thought that they would be a little heavier because they have been used. After all, a used baseball is exposed to more elements than a brand-new baseball, like rolling around in dirt and grass.

As you can see from the photo, a used leather baseball weighed 5.2 ounces.

There are many factors that can go into how much a used baseball weighs. For example, a baseball that was used for one pitch is going to weigh less than a baseball that has been used for a year during practices. So used baseballs probably weigh somewhere between 5.0 ounces and 5.2 ounces.

Synthetic Leather Baseballs Weigh Around 5.1 Ounces

I had a bucket of baseballs that contained a lot of synthetic leather baseballs and I was curious if those weighed around 5 ounces as well. Baseballs made from synthetic leather are good for practice because they still have the look and feel of a baseball, but they are much cheaper to purchase than game balls.

The type of synthetic leather baseball I used was one from Adidas that also had the Dick’s Sporting Goods logo on it. I was actually unable to find that product on Adidas’ website or on Dick’s Sporting Goods website so I think they no longer make these types of baseballs, but I did find the exact same Adidas baseballs for sale on eBay.

As you can see from the photo, synthetic leather baseballs weigh around 5.1 ounces. Keep in mind these are also used baseballs so they are generally a little heavier than brand-new ones, but it’s still good to know that these synthetic leather baseballs are the same weight as game balls.

Low Compression / Soft Touch Baseballs Weigh Around 4.6 Ounces

Low-compression baseballs, which are normally used for youth baseball leagues like Little League and Tee Ball, tend to be squishier and less in weight.

I also had a few of these Flexi Balls, which are low-compression baseballs, in my bucket of baseballs so I decided to weigh those to see just how much a low-compression baseball weighs.

Low-compression baseballs weigh around 4.6 ounces. These types of baseballs are normally used for youth baseball leagues and are less than the standard 5-ounce baseballs used in professional baseball.

Soft Compression Baseballs Weigh Around 4.2 Ounces

Soft compression baseballs are normally used for youth baseball leagues, like tee-ball, and those who are just beginning to play the game of baseball. These types of baseballs are made with a type of sponge rubber, which makes them lighter and squishier than baseballs used in professional baseball.

I had a couple of used Wilson soft compression baseballs in my bucket of used balls so I took those out and weighed them.

Soft compression baseballs weigh around 4.2 ounces. These types of baseballs are normally used for youth baseball leagues, like Little League, and for those who are just starting to learn the game of baseball.

Water-Logged Leather Baseballs Gain an Additional 3.0 – 3.4 Ounces

I was doing some research for another article on whether or not baseballs could float, so I had a couple of water-logged baseballs that I figured I would weigh.

I used the same brand new Wilson A1010 Pro baseball and the same used Wilson A1010 Pro baseball from above. Both of these baseballs were submerged in water for about 3 and a half hours before they were weighed again.

I found the brand-new leather baseball gained an additional 3.4 ounces in weight while the used leather baseball gained an additional 3.0 ounces in weight. The brand-new leather baseball went from 5.0 ounces to 8.4 ounces while the used leather baseball went from 5.2 ounces to 8.2 ounces.

I figured these baseballs would gain some weight from being water-logged, but I didn’t think they would gain this much. This info is probably not useful for everyday baseball players, but it is definitely interesting!