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Softball v Baseball

For this sports head-to-head battle, we have compared the very similar international sports of softball and baseball. Are baseball players better athletes than softball players? This comparison will determine which sport requires a greater level of all round athleticism. The winner is based on head-to-head comparisons on a number of important factors of success in these sports, as rated by you (see how the winners are calculated). To add your own rating, see the factors of success for baseball and softball.



For each of the factors below, people have rated them between 1 for not important up to 5 for very important. As you can see, softball and baseball have rated differently for many of these factors. What is the most important factor for one sport may not be the most important for the other.

Overall, softball has an average rating of 3.88 compared to baseball 3.84. For individual factors, softball is ahead on strength, speed, agility and reaction time. The only factor that baseball is clearly ahead is coping with pressure situations. As the rating is ongoing, the comparison may change over time.

Factors of Success softball baseball
Body Size and Composition Body size includes height, lengths and girths. Composition refers to the distribution of muscle and fat in the body.
Aerobic Endurance also known as cardiovascular fitness and stamina, is the ability to exercise continuously for extended periods without tiring
Strength & Power Strength is the ability to exert a maximal force, and Power is to do this in as short a time as possible, as in accelerating, jumping and throwing implements.
Speed / Quickness the ability to move quickly across the ground or move limbs rapidly to grab or throw
Flexibility the capacity of a joint to move through its full range of motion, which is important for execution of the techniques of sports
Agility the ability to quickly change body position or direction of the body
Balance & Coordination the ability to stay upright or stay in control of body movement is an important component of many sports skills
Reaction Time the ability to respond quickly to a stimulus
Analytic & Tactical Ability the ability of the mental system to evaluate and react to strategic situations (tactical ability)
Motivation & Self Confidence a motivated and focused athlete, with a level of belief in themselves, often seen as arrogance in athletes
Coping with Pressure Situations the ability to stay focused and perform up to expectations while under increasing pressure, and under changing conditions
Skill and Technique the specific skill set and technique required to be successful in a particular sport.


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More Softball

Softball is more than just a female version of baseball (see the differences). There is slow pitch and fast pitch (which is at the Olympics). There is lots of softball equipment you can buy, too.

Head-2-Head Extra

Check out our online head to head battles of the tape between sports and between athletes.

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