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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/base-strike-zone-top

In MLB, where is the top of the strike zone?

Halfway between the shoulders and the top of the pants, measured in the batting stance.

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  1. Midway between shoulders and top of the pants ✔
  2. At the top of the batter's shoulders
  3. At the batter's belt buckle

Why: The rulebook puts the top of the zone at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants. It is judged from the batter's stance, ready to swing.

Huh, didn't know that: MLB has used this version of the strike zone since 1996; from 1969 to 1987 it ran from the armpits to the top of the knees.

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References

Answer: Midway between shoulders and top of the pants. The rulebook puts the top of the zone at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants. It is judged from the batter's stance, ready to swing.

  1. Official Baseball Rules, 2026 Edition mktg.mlbstatic.com/mlb/official-information/2026-official-baseball-rules.pdf
    the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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