Balls in the MLB: Collector's Item for Fans and Discarded for Teams

The average lifespan of a baseball during a Major League game is about eight pitches.

It must be taken into account that Major League Baseball ( MLB ) is made up of 30 franchises and that in a regular season, there are 162 games, so the amount of balls they use is enormous.

During MLB games, eight to ten dozen baseballs are used in an average game.

The average lifespan of an autographed baseball during a Major League game is about eight pitches. Once the baseballs are no longer in the game, they are recycled for batting practice or moved to the minor leagues.

Once a batting practice ball is used once or twice, depending on the team, the ball is transported to the batting cages in the team's stadium. From there, a ball usually lasts another four to five days.

On average, each team, in each season, uses about 30,600 balls: 9,000 balls in training sessions and 21,600 balls for the season.

What are baseballs made of?

The construction varies, usually, the ball's core is made of cork, rubber, or a mixture of both, and sometimes it can consist of several layers. Several layers of thread are wound around it, first a thicker one that gives volume to the center and finished with a thinner cotton thread. This allows it to be smoother before being sewn. 

Finally, 2 leather covers are placed in the shape of an 8. Each one has 108 perforations around it, allowing it to be sewn perfectly. This seam is done with a red thread, either nylon or polyester. The rolled hem is flatter and offers less wind resistance.