Every baseball player wants to hear "it's out of the park" instead of "a swing a miss," so choosing a bat is of utmost importance. Aluminum and wood bats have different characteristics and are used at different levels of play. There are also different sounds associated them. Aluminum bats ping while wood bats crack. No matter the composition of the bat, sluggers are looking to hit at that "sweet spot," the part of the barrel that creates the fastest hits.
Wood
In the beginning, hickory bats were common. Hickory is very heavy and strong. Most wood bats today come from white ash from upstate New York or Pennsylvania. This type of wood is hard and durable with straight grain. Maple bats made of rock or sugar maple gained popularity after Barry Bonds 73-home-run season in 2001. Maple bats are more expensive but can last longer than ash bats. Wood bats are solid throughout. The center of gravity of the bat is further from the hands, while the majority of the weight is in the barrel.
Aluminum
Aluminum bats came to the baseball scene in the early 1970s, but the groundwork for a metal bat was laid in 1924 with a patent to William Shroyer. The aluminum alloy level in the bat can be of different strengths and may be reflected in the price. The barrel of an aluminum bat is hollow and the weight is more evenly distributed through the bat when compared to one made of wood. Aluminum bats are lighter than wood bats. Aluminum bats can dent due to the impact of the ball.
Levels
The majority of Little Leagues and adult recreation leagues use aluminum bats. For Little Leagues, it is easier for those learning to play the game to swing with a bat that is lighter. Aluminum bats are generally less expensive and more accessible to these leagues. High school and college level utilize aluminum bats as well. The professional and minor leagues use wood bats.
Performance
As a study in the Sports Technology Journal shows, aluminum and wood bat performance has a lot to do with how the ball is designed and how the ball impacts the bat. Due to the hollow barrel of an aluminum bat, mass is distributed along the length of the bat in a different fashion than wood, allowing for a faster swing. The faster the swing, the faster the speed of the ball. The concentrated weight in the barrel of a wood bat means there is a better collision with the ball, meaning it leaves the bat faster.
Safety
Safety concerns over using aluminum or wood bats mainly revolve around the bat-exit speed. While there is no conclusive study on whether aluminum bats have a higher and therefore more dangerous bat-exit speed than wood bats, proponents of banning aluminum bats cite higher exit speeds as a danger to using them. The theory is that a higher bat-exit speed endangers more players. Wood bats are more prone to breaking. The splintered pieces of the bat may fly at other players on the field.
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