What is the best wood type for a baseball bat? This is a question that we hear almost every day. The answer is different from person to person. We make Stinger Bats with the top 3 wood options available (Ash, Maple, and Birch). Depending on the player, each one of these wood bat options can be considered "the best" option. Below we will outline the benefits and shortcomings of each wood option so that you can choose which wood bat is the best fit for you.
Ash:
The tried and true wood. Ash has been used to make quality wood baseball bats for decades. Ash has a flex to it that some players love because they feel it gives the bat a whip action when swinging. Ash trees have a naturally straight grain so they are optimal for bat making. Ash is the most affordable option for wood bats because it is in high supply, but it is less durable than Maple and Birch. The difference in durability has a lot to do with the open grain that Ash has. Maple and Birch have a closed grain so they will not splinter like an Ash baseball bat will. Ash bats also tend to be a bit lighter in weight so they are a prime choice for a young ball player learning to hit with a wood bat.
PROS:
More Affordable
Straight Grain
Light Weight
Trusted wood
CONS:
Less durable (due to flaking/splintering)
Less density
Can splinter
Maple: The bat making industry was revolutionized by the launching of the Maple baseball bat. Before Maple made it's appearance in the big leagues, ash ruled the game. That has changed drastically with Maple now being the wood of choice for major leaguers. Maple is a dense and strong, closed-grain wood. Maple lumber with a straight grain is harder to find than ash so it's important to buy from a company that uses quality wood for their baseball bats. Stinger Bat Co. ONLY uses professional grade Maple for making bats. This is important because a maple bat without a straight grain will be much weaker and will break with much more regularity than Pro Grade Maple Bats. Maple does not flex much and the result is a feeling of a more powerful bat that the ball seems to jump off. Maple bats are ideal for a baseball player that wants the best performance from a bat and is willing to pay a little more for that.
PROS:
More dense wood
Closed Grain
More pop
CONS:
More expensive than Ash
Can be weak if not using Pro Grade Wood
Birch: The best way to think of a birch baseball bat is it has the density and look of a Maple baseball bat with a little more flex like an Ash bat. If you are a baseball player that likes the durability of a Maple bat, but you like the flexing "
PROS:
Strong wood
Closed Grain
More Pop
Some like the flex
CONS:
More expensive than Ash
Can be weak if not using Pro Grade Wood
In the wood baseball bat world the saying of "to each their own" holds true. Whatever your wood of choice is, you can rest assured that if you buy it from Stinger Bat Co. it will be made with the best wood available. Click below to order yours today! STING IT! 
