We all love the “Pop!” sound of a well-designed wood Baseball Bat when it strikes the ball with its sweet spot. But that requires a good hit and a good baseball bat. 

If you are a baseball enthusiast active on the field and looking forward to buying a baseball bat, this article will help make things easy for you. Choosing a bat may be stressful and confusing for both beginners and people who have bought them before. 

You need to check several things before you purchase, such as turn models, swing weights, and wood types. I have listed everything you require to know about wood baseball bats along with a list of the 10 best-selling wood baseball bats of 2022.

Types of baseball bats

Depending on the construction material of the bats, baseball bats can be of different types, such as wooden bats, aluminum or alloy bats, composite bats, and hybrid bats. Beginners usually use aluminum bats, which are great for somebody just starting out. However, if you want to consider building yourself up to become a professional seriously, I say wood baseball bats are your best friends. 

Why should you choose a wooden baseball bat over a metal one?

Frankly, if you are planning to play on a professional level, you better start getting used to playing with a wooden baseball bat because a lot of the major leagues don’t allow players to use a metal bat. I’ll explain why in a bit after I have given a detailed breakdown of the differences between metal bats and wood bats. 

Wood bats

• Firstly, a well-made wood baseball bat is much more balanced than any metal baseball bat. So, they are usually more steady and provide more quality swings than metal bats. 
• Wood bats are quite dense. So, when a ball hits a wood bat, it creates a larger impact than it would with other types of bats and can send a ball farther than a metal bat would with the same type of hit.
• Wood bats have smaller and more defined sweet spots than metal bats. If the ball misses the sweet spot, it is easily felt by the batter. So you, as a batter, will get more feedback by contact. And the difference between the feedback a wooden bat gives upon striking with the sweet spot and the feedback it gives from a mishit is phenomenal. As a result, you will be able to accustom yourself to hitting the sweet hit spot more accurately, creating pitch discipline in you as a hitter.
• If you swing at a bad pitch, you will likely be left with a broken bat or a stinging hand. Those with experience in batting can confirm that these are unpleasant consequences that we all want to avoid. However, you will likely avoid miss-hitting with wood bats since bad hits are felt easily on wood. 
• As wood bats are quite dense, it takes a while to master a strike on them. But, with practice, wood bats can help the player build more muscles and hit with more power and accuracy over time.
• The barrels of wood bats aren’t hollow like that of metal bats. So, the ball swings off a wooden bat at a more controlled speed. 
• Only wood bats are allowed in major league games because it does justice to the experiences and hard work of the players. 

Metal bats

• Metal bats are hollow on the inside. Therefore, they are lighter and can have larger barrels without being too heavy. And since they’re lightweight, they’re naturally easier to swing and generate potent hits upon contact. This makes metal bats great for beginners. 
• It is no secret that metal bats provide a larger sweet spot. A larger sweet spot means metal bats often give you bigger hits at different pitches. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean more quality hits.
• Metal bats withstand miss-hits down the barrel without breaking as a wood bat would. 
• Because of the ‘trampoline effect, the ball bounces off a metal bat at great speed. If an experienced power hitter hits a ball with a metal bat, the ball could fly off at extreme speeds, which could result in unwanted injuries upon hitting somebody by any chance. This is also part of the reason why professional leagues don’t allow metal bats.
• Since metal bats are very forgiving and have the largest sweet spots, there isn’t much room for error with a metal bat, unlike wood ones with which you have to be very accurate. 
• Anyone can send a ball off flying with a metal bat. Still, only experienced hitters who have perfected their skills and accuracies over years of practice can actually play well with wooden bats. 
• Metal bats are not allowed in major league games.

Things to consider before buying a wood baseball bat

Turn Models

Wood bats don’t only come in different materials but also come as different turn models. The turn models define the shapes of baseball bast. Let’s look at the features and benefits of different turn models.

110 Turn Model

This is the most basic turn model of the ones I will mention. It is pretty comfortable for any type of hitter, be it a contact hitter or a power hitter. 

110 turn models have a 2 ½ “ barrel diameter, a long slow taper, and a 1” diameter handle. So these bats are a little bit thicker in the handle through the taper; this gives them some durability. With these models, you will get a nice long barrel and a large contact surface. 

One of the biggest benefits of this turn model is that the bats are pretty balanced because it has that long, slower tape. These bats don’t have more weight through the middle of the bat, which makes it a little bit easier to get through the zone. 

110 turn models are quite popular among contact hitters. If you are getting your first wood baseball bat, this is a great option for you.

271 Turn Model

This is probably the most popular turn model because it has a 15/16” handle and a 2 ½” barrel. And there is a slightly quicker transition at the taper. So, you will get a more end-loaded feel of a defined barrel. 

271 turn models can be used both by contact hitters and power hitters alike. 

I-13 Turn Model

It is quite similar to the 271-turn model in terms of dimensions. It too has a 2 ½” diameter barrel and a 15/16” handle. The main difference is that it has a much sharper taper. 

So, the bat transitions from the handle to the barrel much quicker, meaning the barrel will be a little more end-loaded than the 271 turn models. 

It is more popular among power hitters because it has that top-heavy feel. 

243 Turn Model

This one has the most extreme dimensions among the ones mentioned with a 2 ⅝“ diameter barrel, down to the smallest handle at 29/32”, and a rapid taper between the two. 

With such a big barrel and a nice, long handle, it provides more power and is only recommended for experienced power hitters. 

Best wood types to choose from

Wood types make huge differences in the compositions of bats. It is one of the key factors that need to be considered while purchasing a wood baseball bat. 

Not all types of wood are made into bats. The popular ones used to make baseball bats are maple, birch, and ash. There are other popular types, such as bamboo and composite wood. However, unfortunately, they are not allowed in every professional league. 

I am giving a detailed breakdown of the wood types used to make baseball bats so that you can consider every factor involved before choosing a bat to buy for yourself.

Ash wood

Ash is probably the most popular type of wood to make baseball bats. First of all, they are the least expensive variety of wood. So, bats made out of ash wood tend to be quite affordable. 

Ash bats are also softer than maple and birch bats and hence, are more flexible as well. More flexibility means it can generate quite a bit of speedy swing. 

It is great for young players starting off. They are on the lighter side, making ash wood bats quite manageable for younger players. 

Now, wait for the best part! Ashwood bats have the largest sweet spots that allow a wide range of pitches to hit. And they are quite forgiving of miss-hits as well. 

However, ash is an open-grain wood. So it loses moisture easily and becomes quite dry over time. Unfortunately, this can make the bats flaky after prolonged use. Hence, they aren’t the most durable of the bunch. 

Ash bats are allowed in all major leagues. 

Maple Wood

Maple wood is pretty dense. So bats made of maple wood are usually dense and quite durable. Maple wood bats feel pretty solid on the hands of a pro and give the best ‘pop’ when they make contact with a ball. 

Maple, being a closed-grain wood, can reliably withstand forceful impacts. Therefore, it doesn’t flake off easily and gradually gets harder on the impact region over time.

On the contrary, maple wood bats are much less forgiving than other types of bats as they are very stiff. With maple wood bats, a miss-hit isn’t at all pleasant, and to make a good hit with a maple wood bat, hitting with the sweet spot is a must. 

Another downside of using a maple bat is that they gain moisture over time and become heavier than they already are. So they get a little hard to manage for young batters or prefer contact hitting over power hitting. 

Maple bats are BBCOR-approved and are allowed in major leagues. They are usually used mostly by experienced power hitters.  

Birch Wood

Birchwood holds properties of both maple wood and ash wood. Birchwood bats provide a middle ground for players still looking to perfect their techniques.

Baseball bats made of birch wood are more flexible and softer than maple bats. Therefore, they generate great speed and are forgiving of miss-hits at the same time. They are also more durable and flake off a lot less than ash-wood bats.

However, birchwood bats, when they are new, tend to dent slightly. They require a break-in period over a series of repetitive impacts to reach optimal hardness. 

Birchwood bats are allowed in all the professional and youth leagues.

Bamboo

Bamboo bats are lightweight and durable. Moreover, they have amazing weight distribution. The swinging experiences with bamboo bats are amazing as bamboo bats have quite large sweet spots and great pop. In addition, they absorb shocks very well. 

However, they do have a break-in period. So, to get the desired result out of a bamboo bat, you have to practice with it for a while. 

Unfortunately, bamboo bats aren’t allowed in every major league, but some leagues do allow them as they are still considered wood bats. Nevertheless, they make pretty great practice bats. 

Composite wood

Composite wood is a mixture of different wood materials that produce an optimum quality wood. Bats made out of composite wood are becoming increasingly popular because of their durability and their exceptional performance. These bats have the best-desired features since they are made from the most desired parts of different wood. 

They are both strong and enduring, and at the same time are quite flexible too. In addition, they can generate very powerful hits through contact. On top of that, they are more forgiving than regular wood bats as well. 

Sadly, since they are not made out of a single type of wood, they are not allowed in MLB and some other professional leagues. They break the bank a bit, but they last a lifetime. So a one-time purchase will serve you for a long time. 

Bamboo bats have great functionality as practice bats since they have some amazing features. 

Top 10 Wood Baseball Bats

There are plenty of wood baseball bats available in the market. I have researched the most reputed ones to compile this list of the top 10 wood baseball bats that are available in the market. 

This list is a bit diverse. Some bats may be preferred by power hitters while some by contact hitters. Another important thing to note is that most of these bats are allowed to be used in MLB, except the bamboo and composite bat. Major League Baseball only allows bats that are essentially one piece of solid wood.

Louisville Slugger MLB Prime Wood Bat

Specifications