Spalding, and Reach baseballs were used in the Major Leagues until 1977, when Rawlings replaced them as the official baseball. The following year in 1978, Rawlings would produce the first baseballs with commemorative logos for use in the World Series. Until this time regular season baseballs were used. When the National League was the home team Spalding Baseballs were used.

After retiring from professional baseball in 1876, Albert G. Spalding and his brother, J. Walter, obtained the right to produce the official National League baseball. The National League Spalding trademark baseballs had Black & Red stitching up until 1934 when both leagues started using red stitching only.

The National and American League baseballs would feature the League President's signature stamping.

When the American League was the home team in the World Series, Reach baseballs were used. The former American League of Professional Baseball Clubs combined with the National league in 1901 to form Major League baseball. Alfred James Reach, owner of The Reach sporting Goods company, sold his company to Spalding in 1889. Spalding continued to use the Reach label to produce American League baseballs beginning in 1901.
 
The first World Series baseballs that featured the commemorative World Series logo were produced by Rawlings in 1978. Like the regular season baseballs the sweet spot reads "OFFICIAL BALL" at the top, with a star on each side, but the next line below reads "1978 WORLD SERIES" all in uppercase lettering. The third line features the facsimile signature of the Commissioner of Baseball "Bowie Kuhn COMM."

The top panel is stamped with the Rawlings® script logo. The bottom panel features the commemorative "75th World Series" logo. Each year from 1978 to 1983 the sweet spot stamping remains the same but the color of the ink used alternates from red to blue.  The blue ink 1979 baseball features the commemorative "76th World Series" logo. In 1980 the MLB logo is added to the red ink "World Series 1980" logo, and this basic design is continued to 1983.

The official World Series baseballs produced from 1984 through to 1988 featured the facsimile stamped signature of the Commissioner of Baseball "Peter Ueberroth COMMISSIONER." Each year from 1984 to 1988 the sweet spot manufacturer stamping remains the same, but by 1987 the commemorative World Series logo is redesigned. This basic design would continue to be used until 1991.

Elected to a five-year term as baseball's seventh Commissioner of Major League Baseball on September 8, 1988, A. Bartlett Giamatti served as Commissioner for only five months before dying suddenly of a heart attack. Giamatti served as the National League President from 1986 to 1989. The official World Series baseballs produced in 1989 were stamped with blue ink, and features the commemorative "1989 World Series" logo with a baseball diamond behind it.

  The official World Series baseballs produced in 1990 and 1991 were stamped with the facsimile signature of the Commissioner of Baseball "Fay Vincent Jr. COMMISSIONER." The 1992 ball features a redesign of the World Series logo that will be used until 1997, and a major change to the sweet spot manufacturer stamp. In 1992 Fay Vincent resigned as the commissioner of baseball due to a vote of no confidence by eighteen of the 27 team owners.

After Vincent stepped down, Major League baseball requested that Rawlings not stamp any World Series balls with his signature. However, Rawlings began shipping commemorative 1992 World Series balls with Vincent’s signature to sporting goods stores in August. The commissioners Stamped signature would not be applied to Official World Series baseballs again until 1997, five years after Bud Selig took office.

Twenty-two years of commemorative World Series baseballs were made during Bud Selig's tenure. From 1993 until 1996 the commissioners stamp was left off of the Official World Series baseballs.

The basic design used for the World Series logo remains the same, with the red and blue ink stamping alternating each year until 1999.

For the first time since 1904 the World Series wasn't played. The 1994 player-strike caused its cancellation. The official World Series baseballs were authorized before the strike happened, causing a surplus of baseballs made for the game and souvenir stands. The 1994 Commemorative World Series baseballs were made available through Newspaper offers, and memorabilia dealers, ranging in price from $15.-$30.

The "Bud H. Selig Office of the Commissioner" stamp was added to the World Series baseballs in 1997. Starting in 1998 the wording after the commissioners facsimile signature is shortened to "Commissioner," and remains that way to the present day. There is a slight change made to the World Series logo on the 1998, and 1999 baseballs. The year that appeared at the top is swapped with the MLB logo at the bottom.

In 2000 an "R" inside an oval is added below the Rawlings trademark signature logo. The color of the ink used on the stampings alternates from red to blue each year, until 2000 when metallic gold is used.

 The metallic gold ink is used on World Series baseballs every year until 2017. Starting in 2000, the commemorative World Series logo is redesigned each year.

The official World Series baseballs produced in 2015 were stamped with metallic gold ink. The gold ink that had been used for the stamping since 2000, was changed to dark blue in 2018. The baseballs produced from 2015 to the present day features the facsimile stamped signature of the Commissioner of Baseball "Rob D. Manfred Jr. COMMISSIONER." The top panel is stamped with the Rawlings® script logo that was revised in 2000, and the bottom panel features the commemorative World Series logo.