Disclaimer: This site uses affiliate links. Learn More.
Disclaimer: This site uses affiliate links. Learn More.
By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
We’ve hit with the Baum bat for several years. Our first experience was in 2016 when we got one from JustBats and took it for a spin. Our hitters didn’t like it, thinking hurt their hands too much and had too small a sweet spot. In 2020 Baum has had a sort of resurgence. Thinking something might have changed, we went out a bought our own. With rather high expectations, we took it for a spin. But, unfortunately, our hitters weren’t nearly as impressed as some of the reviews we read online. They did like the idea of an indestructible wood bat. But, none of our hitters would choose the Baum Bat (white label 32/29) they tried over their aluminum or composite bat.
We were entirely surprised by the idea that the Baum Bat swings balanced. It isn’t light, but it is by no means an end-loaded bat. Our hitters liked how easy it was to swing. Additionally, they liked how it is all but indestructible—so those required to swing wood bats could find a home in here.
Baum Bats may be the most popular bat in the lower levels of Minor League baseball. Their durability, MiLB approval, and wood bat-like performance make them a perfect fit for organizations uninterested in cutting down an entire forest and spending an entire bank account, on wood bats. As such, if you are a MiLB player where this composite-wood bat is approved, then the Baum Bat is a near-perfect fit.
Junior College ball teams and summer ball teams that require a wood bat also like this BBCOR certified bat, for many of the same reasons Minor League teams use it. The Baum performs like wood, feels like wood, but doesn’t break like wood.
At the high school level, there are a few states (New Mexico & New York) that require wood or composite wood bat usage at the high school level. We struggle to see why this is a good idea, but that is beside the point. Players in those leagues should consider the Baum bat for the exact reasons Juco and MiLB players do.
Several other groups may prefer a wood bat’s efficacy without its short life span. Baum bats solve this problem.
There are a few other bats on the market which claim they are composite-wood. However, not all of these bats are created equal—not necessarily in terms of performance, but in terms of pure construction. Any bat using a combination of composite materials and wood are lumped in a broad category of composite-wood bats.
For example, although designed entirely differently, Axe’s Composite Maple Wood is also a composite-wood bat. DeMarini also makes one called the Corn-Dog. Both are intended to create a super durable wood-like experience. Both, as has been our experience, work to some extent. However, we’d be hard pressed to provide any proof they have anywhere near the uptake or maker acceptance as the Baum Composite-Wood Bat. The Baum Bat simply dominates the space.
We will save you a lesson in physics here. In short, the Baum bat consists of an Ash outer shell, a fiber-resin (think fiberglass plastic) second layer, and a super-secret foamy plastic inner layer. There is no hollow core in the bat which, if we understand it correctly, is part of the reason it is allowed in a number of other leagues that other so-called wood composite bats are not.
The overall rating uses seven different weighted metrics to determine our overall score. Half of total rating comes from the player and our exit speed tests (Player Rating: 25%, Performance: 25%).The other categories are Relevance (20%), Demand (10%), Durability (10%), Resell Score (5%), and Tech Specs (5%).
*: When a bat is denoted by a star (*) it is a preliminary rating. Expect it to be updated as we learn more about the bat and gather more data.
(PlaRa) Player Rating: We measure player rating from user reviews. Those users include our own hitters that we test at the lab as well as reviews we find online.
(ExVe) Performance: Performance measures the exit speeds and distances we capture in our hitting lab with HitTrax using these bats.
(Relv) Relevance: We measure the number of sizes and the MOI of the bat. Bats with a wider range of options get a better score.
(Dmnd) Demand: Demand is measured by consumer sentiment and the buzz around the bat.
(Drb) Durability: A bat’s durability is measured by user reviews as well as feedback from manufacturers.
(ReSl) Resell Score: Based on the price the bats go for used. Higher prices mean greater user demand which means, generally, a better bat. A resell value closer to its original price means a higher score.
(Tech) Tech Specs: We rate the bat on its technological advancements from previous years and compared to the industry at large. This is our chance to reward companies who are trying to innovate.
MOI
MOI or Mass Moment of Inertia is a measurement of bat swing weight. This quantifies how difficult it is to swing a bat. The industry often refers to this as things like End Load or Balanced but those words have been overused to the point of meaninglessness. We measure the actual swing weights of each bat we test using the industry-standard pendulum period, balance point, and scale weight. You can read more about that here.
Price
The price is the original MSRP price of the bat.
Type
The types of bats are single-piece alloy (SPA), two-piece composite (TPC), single-piece composite (SPC), hybrid (Hyb.), and wood (Wood). Hybrid bats are made of composite handles and alloy barrles.
Date
The estimated date the bat began distribution.
Just Bat Reviews, LLC DBA Bat Digest participate in affiliate marketing programs including but not limited to Amazon and eBay. We most likely earn a comission from companies we link to on this site.
© 2023. Just Bat Reviews, LLC DBA Bat Digest Company.