Baseball Field Dimensions

To know the size of a baseball field, you must know its shape. The game takes place in a square called the diamond. Each side of the square is 90 ft. The following are the dimensions as used in professional baseball in the Untied States.

General Characteristics

The distance from home plate to second base is 127 ft, 3 3/8 in. This is the same distance as from first base to third base. The home plate is five sided. It is 17 inches sq. One side is 17 in long; the other sides are 8 ½ in while the remaining two sides measure 12 in. Next to the 8 ½ in sides is the batter’s box.

There are canvas bags on each of the bases. The size of a baseball field’s canvas bags are 38 cm or 15 in sq. Although the base points are 90 ft distant, the phsycal distance between the bases is about 88 ft. This is due to the fact that 1st, 3rd base and home plate are in the 90 ft square.

The Fence

The fence size will vary among baseball stadiums. Most though are set between 200 ft to 400 ft (about 90 to 125 m). This measurement is from the home plate.

The Pitcher’s Mound

The pitcher’s plate measures 6 in (15 cm) from the front to back. Across it measures 2 ft (61 cm). The front is always 60 ft 6 in (18 m) away from the home plate’s back end.

The regulation mound in Major League Baseball is 5.5 m. The size of a baseball field’s mound means the center is 59 ft distant from the home plate rear. This is at the line from 2nd base to home plate.

The pitcher’s plate edge is 18 in (45.7 cm) behind the mound’s middle. The midpoint is thus 60 ft 6 in (18.4 m). The slope is at 6 in (15.2 cm). The rubber top cannot go beyond 10 in (25.4 cm). Prior to 1903, this varied from 13 in to 20 in (50.8 cm).

The mound and home plate distance in Little League Baseball is 46’’. Others use a distance of 44’. At the Bronco division it is 48’.

Pitching Distance

The size of a baseball field in Major League games have remained the same since the 1840s. However, the pitching mound has been altered and modified at times. This has been done to balance hitting and pitching. The distance today is 60’ 6 in but this has not always been the case.

There was a time when the distance was 45. During the 1880s, this was moved back to 50 ft. The box was made 4 ft wide 5 ft ½ in deep in 1887. This was again modified and eventually became the distance used in the game today. Contrary to popular belief, the addition in 1893 was 5 ft and not 10 ft.

The size of a baseball field is an integral part of the game. The slightest alteration could affect play drastically so a thorough review is done prior to making changes.