The Comprensive History of Baseball Bats

by Richard Janvrin, April 17, 2025

While we may think of baseball bats today as a piece of wood used to launch home runs in Major League Baseball games, they have a long history.

This tool has evolved over decades, and below, we’ll examine just that.

Our history of baseball bats includes bats from the 1800s, ash bats, maple bats, aluminum bats, and more.

Check it out below.

• Early Years: 1800s
• The Babe Ruth Era
• Ash Wood Bats
• Aluminum Bats
• Maple Bats
• Modern Era
• MLB vs. Amateur Bats

Early Years: 1800s

The evolution of baseball bats started from the days of simple sticks in early ball games across Europe, eventually influencing games like Rounders.

Players eventually discovered wagon tongue wood and round bats were superior for hitting.

By the mid-1800s, bats had become mostly round.

In 1859, the Professional National Association imposed the first size restriction, limiting bat diameter to 2½ inches but leaving length unrestricted until 1869, when a 42-inch maximum length rule materialized.

That is a rule still in place today.

Players sought ways to enhance grip and control, notably wrapping handles with cords during the Civil War era.

In 1884, John “Bud” Hillerich created a custom bat for baseball star Pete Browning. After Browning’s immediate success, Hillerich’s bats rapidly gained popularity among Major League players, eventually becoming the iconic “Louisville Slugger.”

In 1893, new rules banned flat-ended bats and relocated the pitching mound to its current distance.

Then, in 1895, the bat diameter was increased to 2¾ inches.

The Babe Ruth Era

You can’t discuss the history of baseball bats without including Babe Ruth.

Ruth used a Louisville Slugger, too, but his bats were heavy and thick. They would often exceed 40 ounces so he could have maximum power.

After his success, which led to more than 700 home runs, other players turned to this type of bat in pursuit of their own home runs.

Ruth’s influence on the game and his desire for power at the plate helped shape the design and manufacturing of bats in the future.

Ash Wood Bats

An ash wood bat was one of the most popular types of bats.

Not only did Ruth use them, but other stars like Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays did, too.

In fact, DiMaggio used them during his iconic 56-game hitting streak.

Eventually, Louisville Slugger identified Northern white ash from Northeastern states as the best material due to favorable terrain, soil, and climate conditions.

These eventually came out of favor and aren’t used as much in the modern day.

Aluminum Bats

Later in the history of baseball bats, aluminum bats were introduced to college baseball in 1974. These were viewed as a cost-saving measure due to the number of wooden bats being broken.

Aluminum bats found their way into youth leagues a few years before in 1970.

Before they were popularized, these bats weren’t without problems. The early models couldn’t withstand the impact of a baseball.

It changed when Easton entered the team sports market in 1970, and their metalworking technology helped revolutionize these bats.

As for Louisville Slugger, they came a bit later, in 1974, producing them in California because high-strength alloys were produced there.

These alloys were important because they provided the necessary strength and durability against a baseball and were made for good production despite being light in weight.

Today, Louisville produces over one million aluminum bats per year.

Beyond aluminum bats, there are also composite bats that combine graphite, carbon fiber, and fiberglass. These first came out in the 1980s but were used even more at the turn of the century. These bats are used plenty in slow-pitch softball and offer a reduced vibration.

Maple Bats

Some of the greatest bats in the history of baseball were maple, including those used by Barry Bonds.

In fact, the longest at bat in MLB history, a 12-minute and 45-second showdown between San Francisco Giants hitter Brandon Belt and Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jaime Barria in 2018, featured a maple bat.

Not only did this emerge as a popular bat, but eventually, ash bats were hard to come by as the emerald ash borer killed hundreds of millions of ash trees.

But maple isn’t necessarily safe, though. There’s a bug, the Asian longhorned beetle, that tends to target maple trees, but they work slower than the emerald ash borer.

Modern Era

The evolution of baseball bats has undergone several looks, from the days of sticks in the backyard to ash, to other types of wood, and now, maple is the preferred choice.

Another one of the longest at-bats in MLB history came during Spring Training in 2021 when a New York Mets player drew a 22-pitch walk. He appears to have been using a maple bat, too.

Baseball bats have strict regulations in Major League Baseball.

Rule 1.10 (a) says, “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.”

The Average MLB bat weight rules are that they must be between 30 and 33 ounces.

As for the average MLB bat length and weight, they typically measure between 33 to 34 inches and weigh between, as mentioned, 30 and 33 ounces.

MLB vs. Amateur Bats

Throughout the evolution of baseball bats, one thing has never happened—and likely never will happen— is aluminum bats coming to the Major Leagues.

Imagine if you were able to wager at baseball betting sites on MLB games with aluminum bats? There would be so many runs scored in each game.

Wooden bats are still used as they offer consistency and some level of predictability regarding the velocity of a ball off the bat.

In amateur leagues and college, there’s more of a skill gap, so having these types of bats doesn’t have the same consequences as it could in Major League Baseball.

Thus, in these amateur and college leagues, aluminum bats allow for faster swings, more run production, and a difference in strategy.