Composite Wood Bats | What, Why, Youth, Vs Wood & Legality

Updated September 19, 2020

We, baseball parents/players, live in a world of composite vs. alloy, USSSA vs. USA, USA vs. Wood, and the lists go on. There is typically little, if any, the discussion around composite wood bats. We change that here.

What is a composite wood bat?

Composite wood bats categorize a large selection of mostly wood bats that are not made from single piece billets. That is, they aren’t merely shaved down from the tree to form a single piece of maple, ash, or birch. Those types of bats are referred to as wood bats and what you find at most pro levels, including MLB.

Composite wood bats are multi-piece wood bats, or the sawdust from bats pressed, glued, and combined. Often, composite (plastic) pieces help form the inside while some type of wood, wood pieces, or sawdust includes a bat’s exterior. These bats are not legal at the MLB level, but many minor leagues (like Rookie ball and unaffiliated professional leagues) allow.

Video: Inside a Composite Wood Bat

Why Use a Composite Wood Bat?

The answer is durability. Since the composite wood bat is not cut from a single piece of wood, you most likely will not have to deal with the possibility of hidden defects found in typical wood bats.

Are There Youth Composite Wood Bats?

Yes. Youth wood composite bats are typical and make a lot of sense due to their durability and cost compared to actual single piece wood bats. Composite structures also give manufacturers more liberty in making light swinging bats.

What is the Best Composite Wood Bats?

Of course, we have an entire article dedicated to testing and ranking the best composite wood bats today.

Composite Wood Bat Brands

More than a few companies are producing composite wood bats. We mention and highlight a few of them below. You can also find a number with ana Amazon search like this.

Baum Bats | The Leader In Composite Wood Bats

Baum Bats is the originator of the composite wood bat. In 1993, the company designed a composite wood bat that hit like wood, feels like wood, and reacts like wood. The game-changer – the bat was an estimated 400 times more potent than a traditional wooden bat. Baum bats are offered from a 30″ to a 35″ with a -5 or -3 weight. Most of the bats sport a 2 1/2 in the barrel. They are offered for almost immediate shipment if you choose the base color of black, but there are multiple color options that will change the delivery date.

DeMarini Composite Wood Bats

I am sure you know someone who owns a composite wood DeMarini baseball bat. This brand is nationally known for making smokin’ hot bats (sometimes too hot).

The Pro Maple Model of their bats all come with a large barrel and are slightly end loaded. These are a great option if you are looking for a composite wood bat. These are meant for more advanced swingers as they start in a 31″ and are only offered in a -3.

If you would like to read a little more about DeMarini composite wood offerings, you can read about it here.

Axe Composite Wood Bats

The Axe Wood bat of bat has been made popular by many Major League Baseball stars such as Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, and the recent World Series MVP George Springer. A

Axe bats incorporate the Axe Handle, which is designed for the biomechanics of your swing. With a more natural swing and improved range of motion, you’ll achieve better bat speed and control. The L180 series of the Axe bat seems to be one of the top composite bats on the market. Take a look at an in-depth review of this bat here.

Mizuno Composite Wood Bats

From the maker of a vast line of MLB level equipment comes the MZMC 243 and 271 from Mizuno. These bats include a carbon re-enforced handle along with a composite maple hitting surface. This bat looks excellent, and it engineered to hit just like a real maple bat.

Composite Wood Bats | Additional Brands

Here is a shortlist of the other companies that make composite wood bats.

I would assume that as the popularity of the wooden bat increases along with the hatred of the USABat standard, the composite market for wooden baseball bats is going to heat up over the few years.

As always, if you own a bat, take a minute to put down a review on this site if you decide to go with a composite wood bat, even better!