Best Wood Bats

There are different types of wood used in making wood bats like bamboo, aah, bitch, and maple. And every one of them has their satisfying qualities and the problem. 

There are a lot of wood bat brands in the market and so you may face some difficulty in choosing the best wood bats for your games. 

Of course, every brand will claim to be the best and this makes your decision making even harder for you. But you can still choose a good product that will satisfy your desires if you have a description of what leading bats are supposed to achieve for you.

Wooden bats are becoming the rave of the moment in baseball, and the majority of the popular players have attested to the fact that a wooden bat is perfect, more than other types of bats.

This article has been put together to help you if you desire to choose from the best wood bats in the market. Our list is pulled from several categories including the best wood bats for youth. The wooden bats in this list are all made from durable wooden materials. 

Apart from giving you a list of bats to choose from, this article will also present you with different information that you will need to remember whenever you go shopping for a new wood bat. Continue reading to find out the best wood bats for your game.

Top 5 Best Wood Bats

OUR TOP PICK

Louisville Slugger 2020 MLB Prime Maple C271 High Roller Baseball Bat, 33'

The Louisville MLB Prime series bats are famous for their 271 turns and that implies that it is loaded at the end slightly but returns to a steady balance because of its cupped barrel. 

Hitters who intend to build up some more bat speed will find this handy. Apart from them, contact hitters will find it's shorter taper useful as there is no extra weight restricting them.

It is possible to customize the bat either on your own or when ordering the product on Amazon. You can choose the maple, birch, or ash option. Of course, your decision-making skills will need a little flexing here but you can get past it by going for the length of your choice and the color you prefer.

Every bat in the 2020 MLB Prime series comes with an EXOPRO coat and has a nice glossy appearance. The coat is tough and the bone rubbed bat makes it capable of providing great strength.

On the lower part of the knob is a medallion known as anice touch which displays the quality and type of wood including the length of the bat.

On the outer edge of the medallion, the bat's name and manufacture date are imprinted on it. This bat is classy and can set you apart from your teammates with its fashionable appearance. It is made in two colors, either the black/Hornsby or the brown. 

There are also several size ranges for this cupped baseball bat ranging from 29 - 34 inches. 

The handle of this baseball bat is black, between 15-16 inch and is fitted with the C271 turning and a medium barrel. The Louisville Slugger MLB prime maple c271 wood baseball bat is more durable than an ash bat as it does not flake easily.

The construction is so dense and the surface is harder than other ash wooden bats that are found in the markets. The Louisville Slugger MLB Prime C271 baseball bat is fashioned to look like Roger Hornsby's bat and the maple wood is made to turn it into a top-quality bat that you can rely on for your athletic activities. 

The bat allows you a great grip on the ball and provides more force that can send the ball farther than other bats would.

Pros

  • Very durable and saves the stress of broken bats
  • Several colors to choose from, at a little extra cost
  • Made from the best 3% of Louisville Slugger woods

Cons

  • There is no specifying if it is designed for an end-loaded or balanced swing

EDITORS CHOICE

Mizuno 340465 BAMBOO CLASSIC MZB 243 Baseball Bat, 33'/31 oz

The Mizuno Elite MZE243 wood bat has certification for use by college leagues and high school players. It is one of the best wood bats for youth. Even on their own, bamboo bats are highly long-lasting but the presence of the handle wrapped fiberglass takes the bat's strength to a totally different level. The grip is improved with the sanded handle.

It is a known fact that bamboo is among the lightest woods used for bats, now imagine what would happen when you make the end cupped. 

It will become as light as a feather. Although the description may look as though it's exaggerated considering that it possesses big-sized barrels but it is better than an average maple bat.

This bat has a cherry coating that draws attention to it wherever it is used. The red color of the bat shines because of the glossy coat and may even tempt you to just display it on your shelf as a decoration but it draws you in after the first hit. This bat from all indications is one of the best wood bats in 2020.

Pros

  • Bamboo's sturdiness makes it give off a good pop
  • Players have a strong grip due to sanded handle
  • 90-day warranty

Cons

  • Customers say it's not as durable
  • Pop is said to be of lower quality than other wood bats

BEST VALUE

Victus FT23 Pro Reserve Maple Wood Baseball Bat, 32', Flame/Charcoal

The Victus Pro Reserve FT23 wood baseball bat is a maple bat that should be greatly considered by anybody who sees quality as vital. MLB players use Victus bat as their second-best brand and the reason is not far fetched. Victus creates bats for professionals and that's why many prefer it. 

This particular FT23 model is created with the specifications of a player, Fernando Tatis, who is the holder of the single inning RBI record in MLB. 

The fact that he holds the record is even less intriguing than how he achieved it. Tatis was able to hit double grand slams in one inning, setting an unbroken record. The essence of this is to point out that the guy does magic with bats.

The Victus bat comes with a medium handle and large barrel and all its weight is pushed towards its base. It is more balanced due to its cupped end but still, it is suitable for players who hit with mastery. The bat will remain in place because of the flared knob and swinging with might won't affect it.

Pros

  • Flared knob to keep bat stable
  • Suitable for players who hit with mastery
  • Increased balance

Cons

  • Large barrel makes it more prone to breakage

RUNNER UP

EASTON Pro 110 Ash Wood Baseball Bat | 32 inch | 2020 | Pro Grade Ash | Balanced | Medium Barrel / Handle | Longer Taper | Traditional Knob | Handcrafted in USA

Easton is another company with great baseball bats and loyalty from a lot of professional players and their Easton Pro 110 shows that they continue to maintain a standard.

In current technology, the Eastern Pro 110 is regarded as an innovative bat considering the technology that was used in creating the baseball bat and the high speed it added. That means a player can use more velocity and force to hit on a ball.

The bat is created to serve both gap hitters and contact hitters. Most people don't know why it is. But it is more because the handle is thicker and the barrels are medium-sized which makes it feel very balanced. 

However, it is important that the seller emphasizes careful packaging as oftentimes bats are delivered with defects or dents on them.

Pros

  • Ashwood
  • Feels balanced
  • Though wooden, it pisses the high tech of metal bats

Cons

  • Delivery is poor

RUNNER UP

Annex Model 110 Maple Wood Baseball Bat (Natural, 34-Inch/32-Ounce)

This is one wood bat that professionals seem not to get over. With this bat players are assured of a thriving career. The end of this bat is cupped so that it enhances the swing speed. 

Also, the weight distribution on this bat is even and players do not have a hard time using it on the field. The transition from aluminum bats to wooden bats will be made easier for any player who chooses to use this bat. 

One of the reasons for this is the loaded end which translates to proper balancing and also a wide surface for hitting. This means that this bat is great for players who hit both power and average balls.

Pros

  • High-quality wood
  • Balance distributed evenly
  • Swing speed is perfect

Cons

  • Not so great for beginners

Best Wood Bats Buying Guide

Wood Type

The very first consideration you should make is on the kind of wood used in manufacturing it. The available wood types to choose from include ash wood, the composite wood, the bamboo wood, the birch, and the maple.

Ash Wood

This is the go-to wood species when making a wooden baseball bat and has been in use for more than a century. Ashwood is light and is a more flexible wood and results are something known as "trampoline effect". 

This is used to describe a scenario where the ball does not jump off immediately it is hit, rather it will push down the wood and shoot with greater force just like how a springboard works. 

Although this trampoline effect is regarded as the greatest strength of the ash wood it also doubles as its greatest weakness. 

Best Wood Bats

This flexibility that is adored in the ash bat can also be the reason for its wood grains to break over a while and after several usages.

Maple Wood

This wood is heavy and tough. The surface is 20% stiffer than that of the ash wood. Because of its density and hard surface, it does not compress rather the ball runs off with much speed. 

And because of this quality, most professional baseball players often choose maple wood bats. It is heavier and more long-lasting as a result of its tightly packed grains.

One athlete, Barry Bond, recorded 73 home runs in just one season. Many baseball players, upon discovering that he used a maple wood baseball bat, decided to use maple instead of ash bats. The ash bats are cheaper than the maple bats but still, the maple bats are more durable and do not flake.

Birchwood

This wood type can be said to be midway between the ash and the maple. It is stronger than the ash and more flexible than the maple bat. It's simply a blend of their best qualities. Although it is a lighter wood, unlike the ash wood, birch wood doesn't flake.

Bamboo Wood

Bats from bamboo wood are a recent addition to the world of baseball woods. It is achieved by pressing bamboo strips into bars, attaching them together to form bats. 

Bamboo is a much stronger wood than maple, birch, and ash. Also, bats from bamboo wood are reputable for their performance, strength, and being flexible.

Composite Wood

Composite wood bats are also fairly new in the bat world. It involves making bats from a blend of certain woods. Some of the bats are made from bamboo covered with composite woods or maple. It could also be a composite wood handle attached to a maple or ash barrel. Composite wood bats are popular because they are very durable.

Bat Specification

The wood type is not the only focus, it is necessary to also consider the size. Important things to account for are the age, height, strength, weight, and hitting style of the player.

Length

Usually, the height of a user determines the length of bat they should use. Shorter players use shorter bats and the longer bats are reserved for taller players. Players with the 3' - 5' height mark often use 26" - 32" while bats of 31" - 34" are for those whose heights are at 5'1 and above.

Weight

You can only decide the weight of the bat when you're fairly familiar with the measurement of bat weight. Drop weight or the minus is used to measure bat weight. This is a term that refers to the difference between the weight and the length of the bat. 

For instance, if the length of the bat is 30" and the recorded drop weight is (-5), then the bat weighs 25 ounces. 

It is necessary to take the hitting style of the player into consideration when choosing the baseball bat weight. Normally, the power from a heavy bat is great but it comes at the cost of a low speed. On the other hand, lighter bats have more speed but little power. The player has to consider which of them gives him a better balance before making his choice.

Bat Regulation

In every baseball league, the governing bodies issue guidelines as to the size, material, and design of bats that league players should use. This is often because they want the competition to be safe and fair. So, every player should choose a bat according to the guidelines and rules of the league he's playing for.

Since the inception of baseball, the playing gear has changed a lot from what it was originally and there are still future changes to be made. For this reason, players should gather information as to the simple and complex details regarding the wood baseball bats they want to purchase.

Best Wood Bats - FAQ's

What wood bats do MLB players use?

The wood bats for MLB players are mostly Maple wood bats. In older times, the Ash bats were the bats of choice. But recently maple wood is the preferred choice for more than 95% of MLB baseball players.

What is better for a wood bat maple or ash?

It depends greatly on the player using them as both are good choices for bats. However, the maple wood is heavy and denser than the ash. Despite its heaviness though, the maple wood is not too heavy for swinging.

What kind of wood are bats made of?

There are different woods for bat making like ash, bamboo, birch, hickory, and maple. The discontinued use of hickory as a bat wood is due to its great weight which reduces the speed of the bat. After the first major league, maple bats became the prominent choice for the league.

Do wood bats lose their pop?

The answer is no. Of course with usage, a bat will break at some point but the "pop" does not change until the bat is damaged or cracked.

Do ash bats break easily?

Ash bats just get tired and wear out, and despite being quite brittle. The ash grain separates after an extended period of use. Birch is sturdier than ash and has more flexibility than maple. Its performance is better than that of maple and it does not chip like ash.

Why do wooden bats have a hole at the top?

The hole at the top is called a cup. It is an indentation shaped like a bowl that permits final adjustment if it is necessary for the weight of the bat to be changed. The cup is there so that some of the bat weight can be reduced without impairing the bat structurally.

Conclusion

Most baseball players especially newbies find it difficult to settle for a baseball bat, but with this guide, the job of choosing has been made easy. 

The many bats advertised in the market have been narrowed down for players to make their choice from these ones with amazing qualities. To get more insights, you can follow any of the product links above to ask more questions on each product sales page. 

Don’t forget to check the return and replacement policy in case of any defects.