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The 5 Best Wood Baseball Bats

Wood BatsBaseball is a sport which is highly popular in the United States. As the national game of the country, its popularity has grown leaps and bounds over the years. It is slowly starting to get recognized in the international scenario too. There are so many iconic players who have come up through the years to bring out the best of the sport. More and more countries have started showing their interest in playing the game, and it is developing to be one of the most notable sports in the world.

Our Top Picks:

  1. Best for the Money: Mizuno Bamboo Elite Wood Baseball Bat
  2. Best for Budget: Louisville Slugger Genuine Series 3 Maple I13 Baseball Bat
  3. Best for Youth: Easton S2 Birch Wood Baseball Bat

This has led to the increase in sales of the equipment used to play the sport. With the increase in demand, the number of brands of baseball equipment has also seen an increase. Especially the wood baseball bats manufacturing industry have seen a constant rise through the years.

It gives you many options to choose from. But it also possesses certain problems as you have many brands to choose from. The more choices you have, the more confused you can get. So, there is a need for you to put some time when you are thinking of purchase the perfect wooden bat which suits your requirement and the style you play.

But it is a time when every minute of your life is valuable, and most of you do not have enough time spare on researching on things you want to buy. So this article is designed to help you get a better understanding on how to choose the right baseball bat.

The article is the result of a well-researched report on the wooden baseball bats available in the market, and we have chosen the best five which can bring about a great change in the way you play the game. So, read ahead to get the information on what we think are the best wooden bats you can purchase.

Best Rated Wood Bats Reviews

1. Mizuno Bamboo Elite Wood Baseball Bat – With Sand Handle Grip

Mizuno 2014 is a blend of bamboo and glass fiber. It is combined together with a bamboo barrel which gives great durability to the bat.Mizuno 2014 Bamboo Elite Wood Baseball Bat Mizuno, being a pioneer in the field of wooden bat making, has delivered again with this product.

The brand has over thirty years of experience when it comes to manufacturing bamboo bats. This is the testament to their prowess in the production of wooden baseball bat making. It is a solid bat which has a great finish and gives a solid grip. The grip is improved by incorporating sanded handle. This is a great addition to the wooden bat.

It is a baseball which really holds up. With great durability, it offers longer life and has been one of the best baseball bats used by people from across the states. It has a drop weight of about -2 to -3 approximately. The bat has been tested to find connect ration and has shown it connects 9 out of 10 times. This is a high ratio compared to any wooden baseball bats. So, if you are looking for a bat which holds up and has a great grip, Mizuno 2014 is your best choice. It is BBCOR certified and comes with a 120 days warranty.

Pros

  • Sand handle grip
  • Less drop weight
  • Great durability
  • BBCOR certified
  • Comes with a 120 days warranty

Cons

  • The seams of the ball can dent it easily
  • It gives an average pop and not the best

2. Louisville Slugger Genuine Series 3 Maple I13 Baseball Bat – Series 3 Maple

The Louisville Slugger is one of the most opted baseball bats by some of the biggest and best hitters of the game. The main reason is the durability and hard-hitting surface provided by the wooden bat.Louisville Slugger Genuine Series 3 Maple I13 Baseball Bat One of the greatest advantages of this bat is the use of maple to manufacture it. This is because maple is the most sought-after wood when it comes to the making of baseball bats. The medium sized bat has a drop weight of approximately -3, which makes it ideal and well balanced.

The maple used to manufacture the bat is handpicked to get great durability. It is professional grade material which makes it a good pick for any kind of competition. The end of the wooden baseball bat is cupped so that it has an improved balance. It also ensures that the density of the wood is higher than the other bats. It provides additional power with the introduction of slight end load.

The C271 turning model ensures it has one of the most balanced swing weights. It gives you two options when it comes to the finishes. It has a natural finish and split black finish. You can choose depending on your preference.

Pros

  • The series 3 maple
  • C271 turning model
  • Great durability
  • Professional grade quality
  • Natural and split black finish

Cons

  • The weight might be a little bit off
  • Prone to cracks on the handle

3. Easton S2 Birch Wood Baseball Bat – Pro-Balanced Speed Design

Easton S2 Birch Wood Baseball bat is one of the most professional grade wooden bats you can ever get your hands on. It uses high-quality hand-split wood for the straighter grain.Easton S2 Birch Wood Baseball Bat This helps in delivering equipment which is extremely durable, harder than the rest, and wood bat which gives better performance. The baseball bat is fully handcrafted to give it the premium touch and high quality. As it is handcrafted, each one of the wooden baseball bats is unique in its own way. The straighter grain is tested using Pro ink dot test to give it superior quality over the other baseball bats available in similar models.

The main feature of the bat is the use of pro-balanced speed design. This helps the bat to play like the Easton S2 BBCOR bats, which is one of the most popular models of the brand. The people who have used it has commended on its lightness, which helps them to swing it at the fastest. This feature makes it the ideal baseball bat for line and power drives.

The finish of the wooden baseball bat is a satin black barrel and handle. This provides the ideal grip for you to play the sport with comfort.

Pros

  • Pro-balanced speed design
  • Satin Black barrel and handle finish
  • Extremely light
  • Professional grade make
  • Uniquely handcrafted

Cons

  • The grip could be better
  • The ball can create marks on the bat easily

4. Marucci Chase Utley Pro Model Maple Baseball Bat – Handcrafted and Hand Finished

Marucci Chase is a brand which is highly sought after by the fans and professionals alike. It has the ideal design which suits any player from any levels of the sport.Marucci Chase Utley Pro Model Maple Baseball Bat The brand goes to its traditional root with Utley Pro when it comes to its knob and barrel. It has a handle which is thin which provides an overall combination of balanced feel to the baseball bat. The premium equipment is manufactured with maple, one of the favored types of wood.

Though it works well with beginners, the quality of the wooden bat is great for seasoned players and hard hitters of the ball. It has a cupped and to deliver a balanced swing weight. The quality of the wooden bat is exceptional as it is handcrafted and hand finished. The uniqueness is preserved due to this. With a drop weight of approximately -3, it is the perfect bat for both contact and power hitters. It has a black finish and comes with a 30-day manufacturer’s warranty.

Pros

  • Handcrafted and hand finished
  • Traditional design to deliver great balance
  • Ideal for contact and power hitters
  • Approximately -3 drop weight
  • 30 days manufacturer’s warranty

Cons

  • Wood quality is not premium
  • It is expensive

5. Louisville Slugger Genuine Series Wood Bat – Larger Sweet Spot

Louisville is one of the best when it comes to basketball bat manufacturers. They have come up with a gem of a product with the Series 3.Louisville Slugger Genuine Series 3X Ash Mixed Baseball Bat One of the best features of the wooden baseball bat is that it provides great bat speed and a large sweet spot. This is ideal if you are trying to get through the zones quickly. It has more porous structure than any other wood types and has a higher moisture content. It has mixed turning models which are taken from the Rawlings professionals. The swing weight of the wooden bat is light, and it has increased flexibility.

It has two finishes namely natural and regular finish. But one other feature which stands tall when it comes to this product is their customer service. They are known to help you 24/7 with their amazing customer service. It is one of those great bats which come at the intermediate level with regard to the price.

Pros

  • Larger sweet spot
  • Great bat speed
  • Amazing customer care
  • Light swing weight
  • Great flexibility

Cons

  • It can develop cracks easily

Buying Guide – Thing to Know About Wood Baseball Bats

Buying a baseball bat can be a great investment. If you are someone who is into playing baseball for leisure or semi-professionally, you need a wood bat which will fair you through the games. The first thing to do would be to choose a bat which provides value for money. But it would take a lot of research to figure out which wood bat would suit your needs perfectly. And it can become a time-consuming process. Not wanting to put in the effort might lead to the purchase of a wooden baseball bat which is not of the quality you need.

Another issue which any potential buyer faces is the availability of so many options. There are numerous options from which you can choose. This leads to confusion while thinking about the purchase of a baseball bat.

Though you might like a particular brand of a baseball bat, you might end up choosing another one due to these aspects. It might become a good purchase, but most of the time you end up with a product which does not suit your style. So there is a need to properly study the market before the purchase of a wood bat.

So, we have come up with a buying guide which is carefully designed after putting in a lot of research to give you a good idea of choosing the right wooden baseball bat. By the time you finish reading, you will be having an understanding of the factors which need to be taken into account before making the purchase. Here are the factors affecting the purchase of a baseball bat.

Measurement

It is ideally the best option to choose the bat while feels right for you. When you are trying out, you should be feeling comfortable while taking the swing. That is the main aspect you should look for while checking the measurement of a bat. But there are some general rules you can follow to make the process of choosing the bat easy. If you are planning to re-size your bat, it is better not to increase it more than one inch at a time. If you are new or are planning to change the size of your bat, here are few steps you can follow to measure the size of the bat properly.

Place your arm straight out to the side of your body. Now, measure from the center of the chest to the tip of the index finger. This length and your weight correspond to a particular length of the bat.

Once you have bought the bat, you can check whether it is the right size by placing the knob of the bat at the center of your chest and let the bat face outward. If you can reach your arm out and grab the bat by the barrel, the size you have selected is perfect.

Also, put the bat to your side and reach it with your hand. If your palm reaches the handle, the size of the bat is right.

The way it is measured for children is different. You will have to let the child stand to wear the cleats. Let the bat stand next to the child. If the bat reaches the hip and does not exceed it, the bat is of the right size. Also, choosing the size does depend on the weight of the child. For a child under 60 pounds, the length of the bat should be between 26 and 29 inches. If the child is over 70, the length of the bat should be from 28 to 32 inches.

Bat weight

The measure of bat weight when it comes to baseball bat is the minus of drop weight. Drop weight is defined as the difference between the length and the weight of the bat, For example, a baseball bat of length 29 inches and weighs 20 ounces will have a drop weight of -9. With the increase in drop weight of the bat, the weight of the bat becomes less. The bats used in high school and college baseball competitions are designed specifically. It is not supposed to have a drop weight of more than -3.

The notion is that a stronger player would prefer a bat which is heavier compared to a player who is not as strong. But that is not true. It is the swing of the bat which matters. You should choose a bat which allows you to take a swing which generates more speed. This will allow you to hit the ball farther than you have ever imagined.

Once you have decided on the length of the bat, the next thing is to incorporate this length to define the weight you want for the bat. In case of children, the taller the child is, the longer the bat should be. This will lead to the drop weight of the bat to be more as the weight does not increase the size of the bat. This is because they might not be able to swing a heavier bat.

Choosing the right bat will lead you to have a better swing because, with an increase in aspects of length and weight, there are certain changes happening to your swing. When the bat is longer and lighter, you get to swing it faster. But the inertia behind the swing will be less. In the case of the bat being short but heavy, you get a swing which is slower but with more inertia behind it.

The length and weight of the wooden baseball bat is actually a personal choice. It should be a balance between playing style and comfort of the player. If you are looking to be a power hitter, you need more inertia. So, it will be better to choose a bat which is shorter and heavy. But if you are a player who believes in contact, the best option is to go for a bat which is long and light.

Rules and regulations

There are certain changes which have come over the use of baseball bats over the years. The rules and regulation change will make you choose the bats which are under the legal spectrum. The change in rules is to improve the safety measures and improve the competitiveness of the game. The Little League has a list which has mentioned the bats which can be used for the league. But it is just a guide which shows you the bats which are legal to be used in the tournament. There are other bats which are legal to be used in the tournament but are not shown on the approved list.

The rules and regulations of the league state that a baseball bat cannot be more than a diameter of two and one-quarter of an inch and thirty-three inches in length. So make sure you adhere to these rules and regulations if you are someone playing in these leagues. This will help you not buy a wooden bat which is not legal as per the rules and regulations of the league.

One piece and two piece bats

Another option you have while choosing a wooden baseball bat is the choice of one piece or two piece bats. Both of it has its own advantages and disadvantages. So you have to try out both to get to know which suits your style. Mentioned below are the advantage and disadvantage of both kinds of bats.

One piece wooden bats are stiffer. It is also well balanced. It gives you a better-balanced swing when compared to two-piece wooden baseball bats. On the other hand, two-piece wooden baseball bats are more flexible. This feature of the wooden bat reduces the vibrations while you hit the ball. This makes it easy to control the vibrations during miss hits.

A one-piece bat is not great when it comes to vibration. The design is not ideal to control vibration. This tends to increase the amount of vibration during a miss hit. If you are not a fan of vibrating bats, you should opt for two-piece baseball bats. The two-piece bats are not so balanced in comparison to one piece bats. It is not as stiff either. This can cause problems as more balance means more controlled shot.

So make sure you know both the factors so that you can decide the type of bat which suits you the best. It is an aspect which you should give special care while choosing a wooden baseball bat.

Conclusion

If you make use of the buying guide and reviews properly, you will be able to find out the right wooden baseball bat for you with ease. As the guide suggests, the points you have to keep in mind is the size, measurement such as weight and length, the kind of bat, and also your needs and budget to make the purchase. So make use of the information to your advantage and select the best baseball bat for you.

Last update on 2024-03-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API