Wooden bats are typically only used at the professional levels of baseball. They can be found in Major League Baseball (MLB), all levels of the minor leagues and at collegiate-level summer leagues, where prospects get a chance to show scouts how well they can hit with wood. The material, shape and design of the bat are all factors in how light or heavy it will be.
Material
Most wood baseball bats are typically constructed of either maple or ash, as these two types of wood have the best durability, cost effectiveness and ability to be dried and hardened for optimal use. Maple is much denser than ash, making it much heavier as well. Ash bats are typically worked with at about 10 to 12 percent moisture content, which is the most conducive for allowing the bat to be shaped and hardened without breaking. To make maple bats lighter, the moisture content is reduced to between 6 and 8 percent, but this process also makes the bats have a higher tendency to shatter when broken.
Design
Bat design also has an effect on weight. Bats can be broken up into three parts: the handle, the barrel and the transition in between the two. A wooden bat typically has a -3 drop, meaning the weight in ounces is three units less than the length in inches, such as a 33-inch, 30-oz. bat. The design and taper between the barrel and handle helps to determine how much the bat must weigh, as a bat with too big of a barrel and too narrow of a handle will break far too easily when making contact with a pitched ball. The lightest bats will have a big barrel, but will not necessarily be strong.
Density
While maple is denser than ash, two different pieces of the same type of wood may have different densities as well. For example, a 33-inch, 30-oz. bat will use a denser piece of wood than a 33-inch, 29-oz. bat, even if both are made from ash. The more mass that a piece of wood has, the stronger it will be, but that piece of wood will also be heavier than other bats of the same type of wood. The lightest bats will use a low density piece of wood, but will sacrifice durability in the process.
Cup
If two bats are the same length and volume but have different weights, the weight can be adjusted by drilling a cup into the end of the barrel of the bat. This will compromise the structural integrity of the bat, however, especially when the cup is drilled too deep. The lightest wood bats will have up to 0.7 oz. removed by drilling a cup into the end, which is beneficial if you are very particular about the weight of your bat.
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