The Complete Guide to Baseball & Softball Home Plates and Bases
The bases and home plate on a baseball or softball field are foundational equipment — used on every single play, by every player, in every game. Choosing the right base system for your field means considering surface type (dirt, grass, turf, or indoor), player safety priorities (breakaway release and cushioned tops both reduce injury risk), league regulations (14" vs. 15", single vs. double first base), and budget. BaseballPitchingMachine.com carries 31 in-stock base and home plate products from two of the most trusted names in field equipment — Rogers Sports and Soft Touch Bases — covering every surface, every size, and every mounting configuration from $400 to $1,524. All are in stock with our lowest price guarantee.
Rogers Sports Breakaway Base Systems
Rogers Sports is the leading manufacturer of breakaway safety bases for baseball and softball. Their base systems are designed around a single core safety principle: when a player slides into the base, it releases from its anchor rather than staying fixed — dramatically reducing the ankle, knee, and leg injuries that result from the body hitting an immovable object at full speed. Sliding injuries into stationary bases are one of the most common causes of significant baseball and softball injuries at every level of play. Rogers breakaway bases eliminate the leading cause of those injuries without changing any aspect of game play.
Rogers Original Break Away Base Set — $644.99 (Reg. $750.00) | In Stock
The Rogers Original Break Away Base Set is the classic Rogers breakaway system — proven in youth, recreational, high school, and adult leagues across baseball and softball. The set includes three bases (first, second, third) in Rogers' breakaway configuration: each base clips into its anchor post and releases cleanly on sliding impact, then snaps back into place immediately for the next play. No tools required, no adjustment after each release. Available in youth through adult sizing for both baseball and softball.
The Rogers Original with Double First Base ($728.99) adds the safety-specific first base configuration — a two-part base that puts the fielder on the fair side and the runner on the foul side, eliminating the most common collision point in the game. If your league plays a significant volume of games or recommends the Double First Base, this version is the complete safe-base setup for the entire diamond.
Rogers Change-Up™ Base Set — $564.99 (Reg. $675.00) | In Stock
The Rogers Change-Up™ Base Set delivers the same breakaway safety performance as the Original at a lower price point, with a refined release mechanism. The Change-Up™ system is Rogers' updated design — achieving the proven impact-release safety standard with improved action and a more accessible price. It's the right starting point for programs transitioning from stationary bases to breakaway safety systems for the first time. The Change-Up™ with Double First Base ($658.99) adds the dual first base for complete collision safety at first. Both are designed for youth through adult play in baseball and softball.
Soft Touch Bases: Premium Cushioned Base Systems for Every Surface
Soft Touch Bases manufactures the most comprehensive line of premium foam-cushioned base systems available for baseball and softball fields. Where Rogers bases are designed around breakaway release for sliding safety, Soft Touch focuses on surface-level cushioning — foam-topped base covers that compress on contact, reducing the impact force when players slide into or step on the base. This is particularly important for turf and indoor surfaces where the hardness of the playing surface compounds the impact of contact with a rigid base. Soft Touch bases are the preferred choice for indoor training facilities, turf-surface fields, and programs that prioritize player protection at every level.
Understanding Soft Touch Base Sizes: 14" vs. 15"
Soft Touch offers their full product line in both 14" and 15" base sizes. 15" is the MLB-regulation size and the most common size at the competitive high school, college, and professional level. 14" bases are used in some youth leagues and recreational programs. Check your league's specific rulebook before selecting a size. Both sizes are available across every mounting configuration and set type in the Soft Touch lineup.
Soft Touch Mounting Systems: Choosing the Right Option for Your Surface
Soft Touch bases are available in four mounting configurations designed for different surface types. The convertible system is the most versatile — each base can function as either a spike-down (outdoor dirt/grass) or tee-mount (turf) unit by swapping the mounting hardware. The spike-down system uses metal spikes that drive into outdoor grass or dirt surfaces for a fixed, secure anchor. The premium ground mount system uses a more robust anchor for permanent or semi-permanent outdoor installation. The friction-pad indoor mount uses a rubber friction plate to hold the base on hardwood or gym flooring without any surface penetration — the right choice for indoor training facilities and gymnasiums.
Soft Touch Sets of 3, Singles, and Double First Base Options
The majority of the Soft Touch lineup is structured around sets of 3 (covering first, second, and third base) and single units for replacement or individual station use. Sets of 3 in 15" sizing range from the Pro-Style Set at $451.00 and the Value Bases stationary set at $400.00 at the entry level, up to premium turf and indoor configurations at $867–$1,524. Double First Base sets — which include all three standard bases plus the split first base for collision safety at first — are available in both 14" and 15" across spike-down, premium, and convertible mounting configurations, ranging from $1,133–$1,143.
Soft Touch Turf and Indoor Specialty Products
Soft Touch's turf-specific lineup includes lightweight bases, pro-weight bases, and orange safety bases designed for visibility on turf surfaces, alongside a Soft Touch Home Plate Base for Turf ($530.00) and a Soft Touch Pitching Rubber Base for Turf ($530.00) — making Soft Touch the only brand in our collection that covers every base position on the diamond with turf-specific products. The indoor friction-pad systems (sets of 3 in 14" or 15") at $1,399 each are designed specifically for indoor facilities that run games or practices on hardwood or synthetic flooring where spike-down systems aren't an option.
How to Choose Between Rogers and Soft Touch
The choice between Rogers and Soft Touch comes down to your primary safety priority and field surface. Rogers breakaway bases are for programs where sliding injury prevention is the primary goal — the base releases on impact, which is the single most effective way to reduce sliding injuries at the base. Soft Touch bases are for programs where surface-level cushioning and turf/indoor compatibility are the priority — the foam top reduces impact force on contact without requiring breakaway release mechanics.
Many facilities use both systems in complementary ways: Rogers breakaway bases for game fields, and Soft Touch foam bases for indoor training stations and turf practice areas. If your program plays games on outdoor dirt fields and practices indoors, Rogers on the game field and Soft Touch indoor bases for the facility is a common combination. Budget-conscious programs equipping a single field for youth play often start with the Rogers Change-Up™ ($564.99) — the most affordable complete breakaway safety system in the collection.
Building a Complete Field and Training Setup
Bases and home plates are one component of a complete baseball or softball facility. A portable pitching mound gives pitchers the regulation-height slope they need for proper mechanics on flat practice surfaces. A baseball pitching machine or softball pitching machine from JUGS, Sports Attack, Spinball, or Heater Sports runs high-volume batting practice at game-speed velocity. Batting tees round out the hitting station with mechanics-focused rep work. Batting cages and nets contain the machine and tee work, keeping practice efficient and the surrounding area safe. Hitting training aids and pitching screens complete the setup for a full-capability training environment.
Every product at BaseballPitchingMachine.com is backed by our lowest price guarantee — find a lower price anywhere online and we'll beat it. Contact our team anytime for help selecting the right base system for your field and program.
