MaterialsInMotion

On Saturday, COSMOS took us to see the Fresno Grizzlies vs. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Minor League Baseball game. After the first few innings, I noticed that every player was using a wooden bat. But every time I go to Target or a sporting goods store, I swear I only see metal bats on the shelves. And from logic, as well as everything these past three weeks has taught me, metal is most definitely stronger than wood and can make bats that will hit farther than wooden ones can, so why would professional players willingly use worse equipment?

As it turns out, the bats’ material isn’t a matter of choice, but rather one of mandate: both Major and Minor League players are required to use wooden bats, and the two main reasons are rooted in safety and the sport’s history. Since metal can flex and spring back more than wood can without breaking, metal bats can naturally hit much faster and much farther than wooden bats can, which can be dangerous for the defending team because the higher speed reduces reaction time and increases the severity of possible injuries sustained from being hit by the ball. Additionally, at the sport’s invention, the dimensions of a ballpark were determined based on the distance that a wooden bat could hit, so if professional players used metal bats, parks would have to be expanded impractically to prevent players from hitting home run after home run.

So why are youth and collegiate players allowed to use metal bats? Metal bats tend to be much lighter and more durable than wooden ones, so they’re perfect for children still developing their swinging technique without adult muscle mass, especially since wooden bats break and splinter easily under continuous mishits, which are naturally more common among beginners. The durability of metal bats also reduces the cost of equipment over time, which improves the accessibility of the sport for families and collegiate programs that cannot afford to frequently replace wooden bats.

I find it pretty cool that the MLB limits the optimization of equipment because it doesn’t fall victim to the trend that most other sports are following. For example, in table tennis, manufacturers are always looking to make blades and rubbers faster, more powerful, and able to impart more spin than previous models, and with these innovations, equipment costs continue to skyrocket to the point that things are starting to get out of hand, and I don’t foresee an end to this madness.