Compare
FastballAPI vs the MLB Stats API
The MLB Stats API is undocumented JSON, and MLB's use policy allows only individual, non-commercial, non-bulk use. FastballAPI is a keyed, documented API.
Comparison facts checked October 9, 2026. FastballAPI data last refreshed 2026-10-09 10:00 UTC, newest data through 2026-10-08. Changelog
The MLB Stats API is the JSON that powers MLB's own sites and apps. Wrappers such as MLB-StatsAPI for Python exist, but they describe themselves as unaffiliated with MLB, and the notice they point to (MLBAM's materials use policy) says that only individual, non-commercial, non-bulk use is permitted. That makes it a poor base for a product or a bulk backtest, whatever the endpoints return.
FastballAPI serves pitch-by-pitch and plate-appearance data, box scores, per-sportsbook lines and our run values over a documented REST API and an MCP server, with a key and published credit costs. It is built from public ESPN data, not from MLB's feeds, and it does not carry Statcast measurements.
Side by side
| FastballAPI | the MLB Stats API (statsapi.mlb.com) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 500 free credits, no card, then paid plans | Free to call |
| Documentation | Every tool documented with real responses | No official documentation; community wikis |
| Terms | Keyed API intended for products and models | MLBAM policy: individual, non-commercial, non-bulk use only |
| Pitch data | Pitches since 2015 (every pitch from 2018): type, velocity, location, count | Live game feeds with pitch data; check the feed for what each game carries |
| Sportsbook lines | 4 to 13 books per game from 2015 to 2023, usually one since | Not offered |
| Run values | RE24 on every plate appearance | None |
| AI assistants | MCP server | None |
Use the MLB Stats API (statsapi.mlb.com) instead if
- You are building a personal, non-commercial project and want the same fields MLB's own apps show.
- You need live in-game state during a game: FastballAPI updates daily.
- You need Statcast-style measured fields that we do not carry.
Questions
Is there an official MLB API?
MLB does not publish a documented public API for stats. The Stats API that wrappers use is the one behind its own sites, and the use policy they point to permits only individual, non-commercial, non-bulk use.
Can I use the MLB Stats API in a commercial product?
MLBAM's policy says any use other than individual, non-commercial, non-bulk use needs prior written authorization. Read it, and ask MLB, before you build on it.
Sources
Checked October 9, 2026.
See the data
Try it with 500 free credits
No card. REST or MCP.