An inning in baseball is divided into two halves: the top half, where the visiting team bats, and the bottom half, where the home team bats. Each half- inning continues until the defensive team records three outs, so a full inning consists of six outs total-three per team
. The length of an inning is not fixed by time but depends on how quickly those outs occur. Typically, an inning lasts between 15 and 30 minutes, with an average closer to 20 minutes. However, this can vary widely due to factors like the number of batters faced, hits, walks, pitching changes, and game pace
. For example, quick innings with fast outs might take only a few minutes, while innings with many runs, pitching changes, and long at-bats can extend much longer. The longest inning in MLB history lasted over an hour (74 minutes) during a game between the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers in 2004
. In summary:
- A standard inning has two halves, each ending after three outs.
- Innings usually last about 15–30 minutes, averaging around 20 minutes.
- The length varies greatly depending on game circumstances and pace
A full professional game typically consists of nine innings, so the total game length is around three hours, though this can fluctuate based on inning length and other factors
