What To Look For
While Major League Baseball still uses wood baseball bats, many youth leagues as well as the NCAA use aluminum metal bats. A study released by the American College of Sports Medicine proved that metal bats do hit balls at higher speeds. Metal baseball bats must meet standards for their bat exit speed ratios, minimum weight and moments of inertia. The best metal baseball bats meet all of these minimums while still providing superior hitting ability.
Common Pitfalls
The NCAA has set a series of standards for baseball bats, and most youth leagues and high schools follow suit. As of 2009, the NCAA prohibited composite bats, allowing only aluminum ones. In 2011, the NCAA planned to put in place even stricter standards on ball-bat coefficient of restitution, or BBCOR. This is being done to reduce the safety risks for other players. If a bat you purchase doesn't meet those standards, it's likely you won't be able to use it in game play.
Where To Buy
You can find metal baseball bats at most sporting goods stores such as Dick's Sporting Goods. Most local sporting goods stores carry a wide variety of metal bats, and you shouldn't have much difficulty finding the bat of your choice in person.
Cost
The cost of metal baseball bats varies widely with their size, weight and composition. At Dick's Sporting Goods, you can purchase a youth metal bat for $20 to $260. For adult metal baseball bats, you're going to pay in the range of $70 to $400.
Insider Tips
Metal baseball bats have come under fire from several advocacy and parent groups after a series of injuries to players hit by balls coming off the bats. Around the United States, Consumer Reports finds that several municipalities are banning metal bats in youth games. Ensure that your area does not have a ban in place before purchasing a metal bat; the swing between metal and wooden bats does feel different, so practicing on a metal bat and having to use a wooden one in a game situation could be detrimental.
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