Do Metal Bats Hit Harder Than Wooden Ones?

The debate about whether wooden bats are superior to metal bats has continued since metal bats were introduced in the 1970s. Major league baseball has avoided adopting metal bats because of the perception that they might allow players to hit the ball farther, which could change the game drastically.

  1. History

    • When metal bats were initially invented, contradictory studies came forth regarding their performance. Eventually, better studies, such as one conducted at Brown University in 2002, showed a clear advantage for metal bats over their wooden counterparts.

    Reasons

    • The weight distribution on metal bats allows players to swing them faster than a wooden bat of the same weight, which leads to a greater impact on the ball. Metal bats also compress when struck with a ball, leading to a trampoline effect, propelling the ball with more speed.

    Consequences

    • Some people have called for college teams to give up metal bats for several reasons. They are concerned that pitchers may be injured by line-drives from metal bats. Major league baseball teams are also often hesitant to draft college players because it's hard to gauge how well they will perform when using traditional wood.