Where Are MLB’ Balls Officially Manufactured?
A different location produces 80% of all other baseballs.
Baseball excitement is at its height as the 12 remaining teams compete in October, each of them hoping to win the World Series. It’s time for the MLB Playoffs 2023.
Some viewers of the MLB Playoffs 2023 might be curious as to where the official MLB baseballs originate from as more and more casual viewers who only watch the postseason tune in.
Which firm manufactures MLB baseball?
The manufacturer of official Major League Baseball is Rawlings Sporting Goods, which has headquarters in Costa Rica since 1987.
The labor market in Costa Rica, where the local worker takes pride in producing these baseballs, is principally responsible for this decision.
There are about two million balls manufactured annually, with each one requiring ten days of precise labor.
The Rawlings Sporting Goods baseball manufacturing facility in Turrialba, Costa Rica, has a staff of about 300 individuals.
Baseballs used in the Major Leagues were produced in Haiti until 1987. But Rawlings Sporting Goods decided to move its manufacture to Costa Rica due to the nation’s political unrest.
The Minor League Baseballs and 80% of all other baseballs are produced in Dushan County, China, whereas the official MLB baseballs are made in Costa Rica.
Accordingly, unless you’re a full-time MLB player, you’re probably playing with a baseball that was created in China.
For the 2023 MLB Playoffs, how will baseball be tested?
A scientific metric known as the coefficient of restitution is used to evaluate the “liveliness” of baseballs. With this measurement, the speed of a baseball before and after a hit is contrasted.
To test this, balls similar to baseball bats are shot into a wall made of northern white ash at a speed of 85 feet per second using an air cannon.
A baseball must bounce at a speed between 0.514 and 0.578 times its initial velocity to be considered “live” by the industry.
