10 Best Wood Bats 2020 [Buying Guide]

Your Authors and Guides

Heather
Patton

Jennifer
Trimbee

Samantha
Dewitt

How to Choose the Best Wood Bat

There is nothing quite like that unmistakable sound the best wood bats make when hitting the sweet spot on a fast-moving baseball. The hollow crack of a wood bat can’t be beat! If you’re looking to improve your hitting game, getting the right bat is a great place to start. We found 10 great options for baseball players of all ages, ability levels, and budgets! Before buying a new wood bat, here are some important features to look at first.

Age: Youth baseball bats are typically short and lightweight, making them perfect for little arms to swing away! Adult bats come in a variety of lengths and weights, so you can choose the right size for your strength and ability level.

Size: The size of a bat is the length, from top to bottom. If you or your child is playing in a regulated baseball league, check with your coach or rulebook to make sure the bat you’re buying fits league regulations.

Color: We found beautiful wood bats in a variety of colors! You can get a natural finish, or go for a darker stain for a weathered, vintage look. We also found some fun colorful options like black, green, blue, and red!

Wood Type: Wood bats typically come in maple, ash, birch, or wood composites. Maple and ash bats are dense and durable, making them a popular choice for all ages. Birch and composite bats are lightweight and fun to use during batting practice!

Knob: Standard knobs look like a flattened ball on the end of the bat. They’re good for keeping hands firmly on the bat while swinging – a must for inexperienced batters! We also found bats with flared knobs for more experienced batters!

Weight: In addition to size, leagues have rules about the weight limits on bats. Check with your coach or rulebook to ensure your bat is legal! Lighter bats are great for infield hitting, while heavier bats are great for home-run hitters!

Top 10 Products

Now it’s time to find the best type of wood bat to boost your batting game! We did the hard work for you to find 10 bats everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re looking for the best cheap wood bats for practices, or the best wood bats for power hitters, we’ve got your bases covered! Too busy to read all 10 reviews? No problem! Check out the Top Pick and Budget Pick now, and come back later to read the rest!

Louisville Slugger Series 3 C271 Bat

Our Top Pick for the best wood bats comes to us from Louisville Slugger! This wooden bat is just like the ones the pros use! It’s made of maple, which is incredibly durable, making this a great bat if you need one to last a long time. You can take this to practice, batting cages, and game day without worrying about it splintering or cracking on you. They are weighted exactly how you need them to hit fast line drives and home runs! Louisville Slugger keeps the price reasonable by selling bats that don’t quite pass the production line inspection due to minor flaws. This doesn’t mean the bat is poor quality – in fact, they’re just like professional-grade bats, just with minor cosmetic flaws. You can get the same bats you see MLB players use for a fraction of the price! They come in a variety of sizes, so you can choose the length and weight that’s perfect for you!

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Barnett BB-W Baseball Bat

Our Budget Pick is also our favorite if you’re looking for cheap youth wood bats for your child’s next Little League season! These bats are soft and lightweight, which is perfect for young children who are learning how to hit the ball for the first time. They’re made of composite wood, which looks and feels just like a solid wood bat! They come in 24-inch to 32-inch sizes, making them great for young kids to practice their batting skills as they grow. They also weigh 28 ounces, so they won’t tire out your child’s arms after a long day at the batting cages. These youth bats are meant for soft practice balls, so they are better suited for practices than games. However, we think they would be a great option for a young child playing in a tee-ball league! If you want an inexpensive bat to get your child started, this is a great one to introduce them to baseball!

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Axe Bat Youth Composite Wood

Once your child gets older and better at hitting, this composite wood bat from Axe is a great upgrade! We think this is one of the best composite wood bats for youth players because it’s incredibly durable. This composite bat is made of a dense, heavy blend of wood on the barrel that can withstand plenty of slugging practice, long hours in the batting cages, and seasons of games! It has an ergonomic handle that helps to promote good batting form, and the standard knob keeps it from slipping out of their hands as they swing. We also like that this bat’s handle is built to reduce vibration as your child spends more and more time practicing their home run swing. It comes in 3 lengths and weight options, so you can choose the right fit for your child – or grab a couple of sizes to fit them as they grow! Oh, and the black and green color will stand out!

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Mizuno Maple Elite Baseball Bat

When looking for the best wood bats for high school players, we found this maple wood bat from Mizuno that is perfect for teens and young adults. This bat is made of solid maple, which is dense and can withstand long practices and rigorous game play with ease. We like that this bat comes in 30-34 inch lengths, so you can find a bat for a freshman through senior as they grow. They are also incredibly lightweight, at only 27-31 ounces! The tip of the barrel is cupped, which reduces the overall weight without sacrificing length. The handle comes wrapped with a supra-helix tape, which helps to improve grip, prolong the life of the bat, and reduce vibrations. The matte black finish on this is classic and beautiful, too! If you’re looking for a durable wooden bat that can hold up to a teenager’s rigorous practice and game schedule, this bat is a solid investment that is built to last!

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X Bats Pro Model 73 Wood Bat

Are you looking for a professional-grade baseball bat for your star player or yourself? Consider investing in a Pro Model 73 from X Bats, a brand that is popular with several MLB players! This solid maple bat is made for big hits, with a long barrel, ergonomic handle, and large flared knob. The larger hitting area allows you to make contact – even if the pitches are a little outside the strike zone! It’s great for hitting home runs, but it also hits line drives and grounders well too! We like the flared knob because it helps to keep your hands in the right place and reduces bruising when doing long sessions in the batting cages. The balance on this bat is exceptional, and it’s a great option if you’re switching over from aluminum bats. We also like the red mahogany finish on this bat because it’s rich and beautiful to look at while swinging away at your next home run!

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Rawlings Velo Wood Baseball Bat

If you’re more of an infield hitter, this bat from Rawlings is perfect for giving you the power, and control you need to hit the ball exactly where you want it! This solid maple bat is built for contact hitters who need control over their swing, whether it’s hitting a line drive to the outfield or bunting to advance the runner. The shorter barrel size reduces the weight, increases your bat swing, and gives you better control over how and where you make contact. The handle is long and thin, allowing you to choke up or ease back when needed, making this a great bat for bunting or short grounders. The flared knob helps to keep this bat well balanced, which makes it feel more lightweight than it really is! We also like that these cheap adult wood bats are built to last, so they’re great for teens and young adults – no need to keep replacing broken bats as often!

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D-BAT One Hand Trainer

Looking to fine-tune your swing? Then pick up this One Hand Trainer from D-BAT! This short bat is specifically made for soft baseball and tee practice drills, and it comes in 3 sizes so kids and adults alike can benefit from the extra training! It’s made of ash, which is lightweight and perfect for running drills without wearing you out. We like this one-hand model because it helps teach younger players better hand-eye coordination and swinging form. For older players, this bat still comes in handy! You can use this bat to tweak your swinging motion, bat control, and build up your strength in your top hand. This is the kind of training that can take you from an infield hitter to a home run slugger! Since this is only for practice and training sessions, we also like that it’s fairly inexpensive. You don’t have to break your budget to get a great training tool for your little slugger!

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Louisville Slugger K100 Ash Wood Bat

If you’re a coach looking for the best wood bats for Little League practices, consider grabbing a few of these K100 Fungo models from Louisville Slugger! These wood bats are not meant for games or batting cages because they’re made with ash and a foam core in the barrel. However, they’re perfect for hitting ground balls and pop flies to players during practice! We like that these bats are incredibly lightweight, so you can hit dozens of balls during practice without getting tired out. The dense foam core inside the barrel keeps the bat weighted heavier on the end to make running fielding drills even easier – especially longer distance hits. Add your favorite grip tape to reduce vibrations, and this will easily become your favorite bat to practice with! A solid practice bat is an important piece of equipment for any coach who wants to hit hard, fast balls during practice to improve your players’ reaction times and catching skills!

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Easton Pro 243 Wood Bat

While ash bats typically make better practice bats, the 243 bat from Easton is actually built specifically for power hitters! It’s made with the same high-quality wood they use to make their MLB bats, but without the professional player price tag! We like that the ash is lightweight and has a bit of flexibility to it, which gives power hitters a larger “sweet spot” to hit off of. This means your hits will travel faster and farther! The bat is slightly heavier on the end of the barrel, which also improves your power while you swing away. The cupped end also reduces the weight without giving up precious bat length! We also like that the handle is tapered with a standard knob, so you can get plenty of grip on the bat – or add your favorite grip tape for even more control! For a harder, faster swing that knocks balls out of the park, grab this bat from Easton!

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Marucci Albert Pujols Wood Bat

Last up is one of our favorites from Marucci that youth baseball players will love to swing. Marucci created a line of bats inspired by former MLB player Alber Pujols, and this youth-sized model is scaled down to work well for all kinds of batters. It’s made of solid maple, just like their professional bats. We like that this bat has been bone-rubbed, which compresses the wood to make it even stronger and more durable. They made the barrel slightly larger to give young players a bit more surface area to hit off of. The handle is thin, which means even little hands won’t have a problem getting a good grip on it! It’s also lightweight, so your child can take this to practice or on a weekend tournament and not worry about getting tired out. We think that this would make a great gift idea for a young baseball player who wants a bat just like the pros use!

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About the Author

Samantha Dewitt

Expert Researcher and Writer

Samantha Dewitt is a lead researcher and writer for GeekWrapped, writing under a pen name. She gets excited about pet, baby, and science products and has over 12 years of experience.

Learn more about Samantha

Article last updated on:

September 29, 2019

See more reviews:

Best Wood Bats

Top 10 Buying Guide

Our Recommendations

Louisville Slugger Series 3 C271 Bat

Barnett BB-W Baseball Bat

How to Choose the Best Wood Bat

Top 10 Products

Louisville Slugger Series 3 C271 Bat

Barnett BB-W Baseball Bat

Axe Bat Youth Composite Wood

Mizuno Maple Elite Baseball Bat

X Bats Pro Model 73 Wood Bat

Rawlings Velo Wood Baseball Bat

D-BAT One Hand Trainer

Louisville Slugger K100 Ash Wood Bat

Easton Pro 243 Wood Bat

Marucci Albert Pujols Wood Bat

About the Author

TOP PICK

Louisville Slugger Series 3 C271 Bat