As someone who has played baseball for most of his life, I have been a part of both wood-bat leagues and aluminum-bat leagues. I have also tested out many cheaper bats with lower quality and higher-priced bats with higher quality. Below are the bats I think will get you the best value for your dollar.
Best Wooden Baseball Bat
In my experience, being a part of wood-bat leagues has been a better experience than aluminum bat leagues. There’s just nothing quite like the sound of a baseball making contact with the sweet spot of a wood bat.
I’ve used cheap wood bats and higher-priced wood bats and my favorite bat by far is the Marucci USA Professional Cut wood bat. I have found that this bat does not break quite as easily as cheaper wood bats and it has saved me a great deal of heartache from having to constantly replace those cheaper $30 bats.
If you’re wondering just how long these bats can last, I purchased two of these USA Professional Cut bats at the beginning of my season where I was playing two games a week for 17 weeks.
One of those bats broke towards the back-half of the season and the second bat made it through the rest of the season. And, I was able to use these bats during my practices each week during that season. For just two bats that sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
What to Look for in a Wood Bat
Bat Weight And Length
One of the first things you’ll notice about a bat is the length and width of the bat. Before you go and select the bat that feels the most comfortable, you’ll want to make sure the bat you’re selecting is within the rules of your league.
Always consult the rule book of the league you’re in, but almost all baseball leagues I’ve been a part of have required a minus 3 drop, which means the weight of the bat can not be more than 3 ounces below the length of the bat in inches. So a 33 inch bat can not weigh less than 30 ounces.
Once you understand the bat rules in your league you can now select the length and the weight of the bat that feels most comfortable for you. For a recommendation chart on what bat to select, check out this bat sizing chart, courtesy of Dick’s Pro Tips.
Material
There are mainly five types of materials players use for a wood bat: maple, ash, birch, bamboo, and composite. Each will have it’s own feel to it so make sure you get the one that feels the best to you.
For a quick look at how each of these five types of wood bat materials compares to each other, check out this wood bat materials comparison chart, courtesy of Dick’s Pro Tips.