Last Updated on July 3, 2021 by
No! Somehow, science has proven that softball is harder than baseball, the reasons being that softball pitchers pitch faster, the hitters and fielders react faster in softball than in baseball. Also, the length of the field is part of the reason why softball is harder than baseball. This question is very common, which do you think is harder, baseball or softball? The truth is these two sports are just too common. They have the same field, the same amount of players, and the same aim. Most people think baseball is harder than a softball, they say it’s because of the pitching in baseball, hitting, and length of the field. It’s funny because these same things are what make softball harder than baseball.
A Table Showing The Differences Between Softball And Baseball
| Softball | Baseball |
| Pitchers in softball control the ball by putting their hands on the seam. She can also change the speed of the ball dramatically. | Baseball pitchers use their fingertips to throw the ball. The distance from the mound(where the pitcher is) and home plate(where the battery is) is 60 feet. |
| A pitcher moves from low to high and pitches from a 43 feet distance which gives the hitter less time to react to the changing pitch. | Baseball pitchers pitch with a high to the low formation which gives the batter more time to react. |
| Left-handed batters are at an advantage because they can slap. What that means is they can run towards the ball and hit it. This move throws an infielder off guard. | Here, the balls reach the plate in 0.38 seconds. It takes infielders 4.3 seconds to get the ball and take the runner out. |
| The time infielders have to react to a ball is 50% less than that of baseball. They have to react In 0.350 seconds. Most times, players don’t we the ball clearly. | A baseball runner is of advantage because he has time to steal. |
| The distance between the home plate and mound is pretty small, this is part of what makes it complex. | Baseball fields are bigger. The baseball Fields are at most 16700 square feet, so there isn’t a problem when it comes to distance. |
Things To Know About Baseball And Softball
Baseball players are put on a 400ft diamond(measuring from home plate to the center-field) to play in. The bases on this field are 90 feet apart and the pitcher’s mound is 60 feet away from home plate on higher ground. Baseballs are white, they have a nine inches circumference, and they are pitched overhand with a speed of 100mph or more at major league baseball. Do you know how hard you have to throw to meet a speed like this?
Softball players play on a 200 feet diamond(also measuring from home plate to center field). Based on field size, bases here are 60 feet apart and the pitcher’s mound is just 43 feet from home plate. Softballs are yellow, they have a 12 inches circumference which makes them bigger, and finally, they are pitched with a speed of 65mph at the professional level.
Comparing Both Games
Without any doubt, we can say that the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball, the speed these balls attain after being pitched makes it hard for the batter to hit it. Softballs are not thrown as fast as baseball but, the pitching distance is smaller which also makes it hard for the batter not to get thrown off. Even after this, hitting a baseball is way harder than hitting a softball.
The speed of a baseball is good, yea it travels faster and throws hitters off. One thing is that when a good hitter comes up to bat, he times the pitch very well and throws the pitcher off his game. In both games, the pitcher adds movements to their every pitch. When a batter becomes too good and keeps hitting the ball, the pitcher has to employ some additional skill to throw the batter off; we are talking about drop balls, curveballs, and screwballs. These pitching skills are added in both games. But softball has this one skill that baseball doesn’t, it works almost all the time. It’s called the rise ball, it’s hard for a pitcher to achieve and for the batter to hit.
Now, when it comes to scoring a run, this one is tricky. Traditionally, baseball fields are bigger, and making a run in baseball is almost like running across the whole softball pitch, although baseballs are lighter and travel farther when hit by the batter because of the pitching speed. When a ball has been hit far away, it makes it easier for the runner to score a run before the ball gets back to the pitcher. On the other hand, softballs are heavier and denser than baseball, the field is smaller so the ball can’t travel very far unlike baseball, scoring a run is a bit hard here because it takes no time for the ball to get back to the pitcher after being hit by the batter. We think it’s hard to score a run for both sports.
Now we know with the comparisons, there is no clear answer on which is harder but, softball has been proven to be scientifically harder based on distance, speed, and reaction speed. You know how physicists calculate stuff.
Which Reaches Homerun Faster, A Baseball Or A Softball?
Based on the distance between the mound and home plate in both games, a softball will hit the home plate first before a baseball. Although, this depends solely on the pitcher and the kind of pitch. A 90mph moving fastball is compared to a 70mph moving baseball because a baseball attains speed faster.
Can A 90mph fastball be hit?
Yes, actually, at the professional level, the ball is pitched at a much higher speed, that’s for a professional pitcher though. Of course, a professional pitcher requires a professional hitter to make the hit.
Final Words
Baseball and softball players have been on this argument for ages, nobody wants to agree that their sport is easier than the other. Well, softball is, and also the argument isn’t needed. We’ve reached the end of this informative article. We hope that this article helped you find resources in your quest to know if baseball is harder than a softball. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments. Thanks!
