How to Buy a Baseball Bat

When once choosing a baseball bat was a simple decision of preference and budget, today, due to increased regulations from Little League to the NCAA, finding the right bat has become more complex than ever! New, and evolving rules have put the onus on bat companies to produce new regulation-compliant bats to meet all league standards, making your job of finding the right bat all the more difficult. Today, not only is it important to find the baseball bat that fits your preferences, works into your budget, and compliments your game, but it is also necessary to ensure that your bat is approved for your league. So to sort through all of the clutter and help you find exactly what you're looking for, let's quickly run down and describe what makes a baseball bat, what sets each one apart, and how to know you're getting a bat that's approved for your league:

• Bat Materials
• Bat Sizes
• Bat Technology
• Bat Regulations

A bat's material is the greatest indicator of its power, durability, and performance. It is also what determines if the bat is approved for a certain league or not. So when purchasing a new bat, it is a great idea to shop by bat material:

• Wood Baseball Bats - Used primarily by professional ball players, wood baseball bats are heavier and have less hitting power than metal bats. These are the only bats permitted in Major League Baseball, so if you have professional aspirations you should start to practice with a wooden bat. Maple and ash woods are the most popular choices because of their high strength, hardness and density.

• Aluminum Baseball Bats / Softball Bats - Aluminum bats are lighter and more durable than traditional bats, with increased hitting power. Although sometimes made of an aluminum alloy, these bats are fairly standard in little league, high school, college, and inter-mural play. The lighter weight of aluminum gives batters faster swings, generating more power that transfers from the wall of the bat to the ball, resulting in harder and farther hits. Lighter aluminum baseball and softball bats also increase the "sweet spot" of the bat, i.e., the hitting zone on the bat's barrel that provides the maximum area for bat-to-ball contact.

  • There a variety of aluminum alloys, mostly combinations of Zinc, Copper, Magnesium and Aluminum. Typically varying by strength and durability, the following is a list of some standard aluminum alloys found in baseball bats today:

    • 7046: Standard aluminum alloy used in most baseball and softball bats.

    • CU31 / 7050: More durable than 7046, with traces of zirconium, magnesium and copper

    • C405 / 7055: Increased zirconium content gives these bats more strength than 7050.

    • C555: Contains traces of scandium, making it the strongest of the alloys listed here.

• Graphite/Titanium Lined Baseball Bats / Softball Bats - Graphite and titanium can be added to thinner-wall aluminum bats to decrease weight and therefore increase the batter's hitting speed. These materials also reduce vibration and the sting you feel upon contact with the ball.

Bat Sizes

• Barrel Size: The bat's barrel size is the diameter of the larger part of the bat. The larger and longer the barrel, generally, the larger the sweet spot of hitting the ball. Smaller barrel sizes are lighter and allow for more bat speed. A standard barrel size is 2 1/2 inches.
• Bat Taper: The bat's taper is the diameter of the bat's handle. A bigger bat taper can reduce the sting that occurs when the ball isn't hit on the sweet spot but it also increases the overall weight of the bat. Standard bats are tapered 31/32 of a inch.

Baseball bat and softball bat technology has advanced significantly over the years, enabling manufacturers to build lighter and more durable bats. Each manufacturer has their own terminology for their designs but we have highlighted a few of the newest technologies currently on the market.

Louisville Slugger -

• Exogrid Stiff-Handle Technology - By trimming the handle's metal in a grid pattern, and replacing it with lighter, stiffer carbon inserts, and a carbon sleeve with unidirectional fibers, ExoGrid technology increases handle strength and stiffness without increasing overall bat weight. Using heat and pressure, the sleeve, inserts and metal wall are bonded together, creating a single, solid unit.

Louisville Slugger Exogrid 2 (-3)

DeMarini -

• Half & Half Technology - The original "Bat That Bends", Half & Half technology combines a Flex-Tuned Evolution Composite handle with an SC-3 Alloy barrel for optimal balance and a monstrous sweet spot. Virtually indestructible, the Half & Half™ system redistributes weight for optimal balance, allowing players to swing faster with less effort.

• Positack Grip - Moisture-absorbing composite material provides a secure grip while also reducing vibration and hand fatigue for better feel and control, with or without a glove.

DeMarini 2012 CF5 DXCFC BBCOR (-3)

Little League Bat Regulations:

As of December 30, 2010, Little League International (LLI) expanded a moratorium on composite bats, with the intention of weeding out of competitive play, all bats that exceed advertised standards are they are "broken in." To become approved for play in official Little League games, all new bats must now face and pass laboratory testing to ensure standards are met. This list of approved bats is constantly expanding, so make sure you are aware of and shopping only for Little League Approved Baseball Bats for your Little Leaguer.

High School / College (NCAA) Bat Regulations:

As of 2012, all non-wood baseball bats used in NCAA and High School must meet the Batted Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard to be considered legal for play. BBCOR standards work to bring the performance of composite and non-wood bats into line with those of wooden bats. Generally, composite bats are banned from play in these leagues, as they tend to fall out of compliance with standards over time and after break-in. Composite handles, on the other hand, remain legal. When shopping for a bat for a high school or college player, make sure to look for the BBCOR approval either in the name of the bat or its description.