Alright, so the other day I was watching a baseball game with a buddy, and he asked, “Hey, how long does an inning actually last?” I realized I didn’t have a super precise answer, so I decided to do some digging. Here’s what I found out:
My Little Research Project
First, I grabbed my phone and did a quick search.
It says stuff like, “Oh, it’s about 20 minutes on average in Major League Baseball.”
But averages, you know, they don’t tell the whole story.
Then, I thought, “Okay, let’s get more hands-on!”
Timing Some Innings Myself
So, the next few games I watched, I started paying closer attention. I used the stopwatch on my phone – nothing fancy – and timed a bunch of innings. Here’s what I noticed:
- Some innings flew by! Like, maybe 15 minutes or so. Quick outs, not many pitching changes, boom, done.
- Others dragged on. We’re talking close to 25 minutes, sometimes even longer. Lots of foul balls, a couple of mound visits, maybe a pitching change or two… it all adds up.
The “It Depends” Factor
What I realized is that there’s no single, perfect answer. It really depends on what’s happening in the game.
Pitchers work slower, and some are gonna work faster. Also, depends the hitters. All of that.
My (Not-So-Scientific) Conclusion
So, based on my little experiment, I’d say this: yeah, 20 minutes is a decent ballpark (pun intended!), but don’t be surprised if it’s shorter or longer.
A “quick” inning might be 16-18 minutes. A “long” one could easily stretch to 25 minutes, I think.
Just enjoy the game!
