Baseball Home Plate
Home plate is the final base in the circuit that a base runner must advance to in order to score a run. It is located on the opposite end of second base, forming the baseball diamond. The umpire, catcher, and batter are all present there.
Dimensions
The standard MLB dimensions for a home plate are:
- Longest edge is 17 inches long.
- Two adjacent edges are 8.5 inches long.
- Two final edges are 12 inches long, set at an angle to make a point.
- 17-inch side faces home plate.
- Both 12-inch sides coincide with first and third base lines.
- Back tip of home plate must be 127 feet, 3.375 inches from second base.
Distances
Home plate is the following distances from each base and the pitcher’s mound:
FAQ
What is home plate in baseball?
Home plate is the final base that needs to be touched to score, which is located in front of the catcher in between the batter’s boxes. It also serves as a visual representation of where the strike zone is located, directly over home plate.
Why is home plate shaped differently in baseball?
Home plate in baseball is an irregular pentagon that helps pitchers and umpires visualize the strike zone better. For this reason, it is the only base that is not a regular square shape. However, this was not an original rule in baseball, and the irregular pentagon shape was not adopted until 1901. Prior to 1901, a square-shaped home plate was used, and before that, a round-shaped home plate was the norm.