Putting the bat to the ball is the most fundamental aspect of baseball and softball. However, attempting to get a base knock in each sport is vastly different. When you break everything down, you will find out if it is easier to hit a baseball or softball.
Great Balls of Fire
After glancing at each ball, one could assume that hitting a softball would be easier than a baseball based on its size. While that may be true for contacting the ball, it doesn’t necessarily translate to better results. A vast majority of Major League hitters can hit a baseball 400 feet with a heavy and effective baseball bat. Still, only a handful of softball players could even dream of flirting with that distance.
The Distance Between Hitter and Pitcher
Another discernable difference is the distance between the hitter and the pitcher’s mound. The regulated distance on a softball field is 43 feet, which is drastically shorter than the 60 feet of a Major League Baseball mound. Also, baseball pitchers throw from an elevated pitcher’s mound, whereas softball pitchers throw off flat ground.
The hardest hurlers in softball will light up the radar gun at around 70 mph, and baseball’s best can top out near 100 mph. Yet, the reaction time to hitting a softball is shorter because of the distance. Softball hitters must react 1/5th quicker than someone stepping into the batter’s box on a baseball diamond.
The Difference in Delivery & Ball Movement
Each sport’s pitcher can make the ball do some funky things, making it challenging to put the bat on the ball. Elite baseball pitchers can weaponize a pitch in a multitude of ways. You can spin it with a curveball or slider; sink it with a splitter, sinker, or screwball; slow things down with a change-up or knuckleball; or add a cut to the fastball. All these movements can give a hitter fits regardless of the reaction time.
A softball pitcher can incorporate many pitches that baseball players can perform—but they have an ace up their sleeve. Softball pitchers can toss a rise ball to fool hitters. A rise ball is unique because the ball appears to elevate while reaching the plate due to the underhand delivery. For someone that has only experienced pitches with a downward trajectory, a rise ball can make the best baseball player in the world look overpowered.
Everyone may have a different opinion on whether it is easier to hit a baseball or softball—particularly if you ask the athletes in each sport. It’s incredibly difficult to hit both well at the highest level. But it appears that the larger softball is harder to hit than a baseball based on the ball, distance, delivery, and movement.
