Aluminum bats are a hot topic and one of the most controversial parts of college baseball. Professional leagues use wood bats but aluminum bats are standard in college baseball. Aluminum bats are much cheaper and more economical for colleges, but there is no doubt that the aluminum bat has changed college baseball in many negative ways.
Offensive Outbursts
According to Dr. Daniel Russell of Kettering University, batting averages, home runs, runs scored and pitcher's earned run averages dramatically increased in college baseball after the introduction of aluminum bats. Dr. Russell adds that restrictions on aluminum bat performances have dropped offensive numbers a bit in the past 10 years, but they still remain significantly higher than they were during the the wood bat era before 1970. These enhanced offensive numbers occur because the ball travels farther when hit with aluminum, and because the bat is lighter and easier to swing, players make more contact. In addition, if players get jammed or hit the ball off the end of the bat with aluminum, they still can have success; in the same scenario, a wood bat would shatter.
Regulations
The extreme offensive numbers and performance of aluminum bats has led the National Collegiate Athletic Association and high school governing bodies to institute rules that govern bat weight and performance. Bradenton.com notes that the main rule, a minus three rule, means that bats cannot weigh any less than 3 oz. less than their length in inches, meaning that a 33-inch bat must weigh at least 30 oz. In addition, Baseball Tips.com notes that regulations passed in 2001 also limit bat barrel width to 2 5/8 inches and bats must be marked with a BESR stamp, which means that the bat meets baseball exit speed ratio standards for the speed of the ball coming off the bat. These regulations are designed to improve safety and control offensive numbers with aluminum bats.
Safety
The No. 1 argument against aluminum bats is that improvements in technology have increased the risk of players being injured from batted balls. According to the Sport Journal, the balls travel much faster off an aluminum bat, which is dangerous to pitchers and infielders. Injuries to players led to the NCAA establishing standards that were designed to limit aluminum bat performance so that exit speeds mimicked wood bats, according to the Sport Journal. The Sport Journal adds that research has shown that pitchers had a rising rate of injury from batted balls prior to the performance rules being instituted.
Player Development
Aluminum bats also are blamed for hitters developing bad habits and not improving as much as they should. According to The Sport Journal, aluminum bats have hampered the development of not only hitters but pitchers, too, who must use dramatically different strategies to have success when pitching against aluminum bats. The main area developmental deficiency is with hitters, since aluminum allows them to get away with bad habits but still hit the ball hard. According to The Sport Journal, studies have shown that hitting the ball anywhere on an aluminum bat can give you the same result as hitting a ball on the sweet spot of a wood bat.
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