Wooden baseball bats are the oldest form of baseball bat. They are the only type of bat material allowed in Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball and are the most expensive type of bat produced for the game. Like bats made from other materials, wooden bats are manufactured in a variety of dimensions according to the potential strength, size and desires of a wide range of players. While some measurements take the physical size of the batter into consideration, there is some weight to the preferences of the individual ballplayer.
Bat Length
Bat length often corresponds to the height of the ballplayer, but a player's strength may also be taken into consideration --- if a shorter baseball player is able to handle a longer bat effectively and aim it well when batting, then longer bats may be preferable because they increase the reach of the batter. Most bats are manufactured between 24 and 34 inches, with the larger bats being built for players that are 6-foot-1 or taller.
Barrel Size
Barrel size has an influence on the overall weight of a bat, and it also influences both the space covered by a bat when swung and the force behind the bat when it makes contact with a baseball. Wider bat barrels make for increase batting averages because it is easier to make contact with the ball. For this reason, many leagues have rules regarding the maximum diameter of a bat, which is usually 2 3/4 inches. You can also get bats measuring 2 5/8 or 2 1/2 inches or even smaller, particularly if you plan to use it for batting practice.
Handle Diameter
A typical wooden bat handle measures about 31/32 inch in diameter. This can be made smaller or larger, depending on how you want the weight of the bat to be affected, but the 31/32 size allows players to modify the diameter of the handle by wrapping tape around it, if desired.
Weight
Weight is influenced by several other dimensions, including the length, barrel diameter and handle diameter. Weight is also dependent on the type of wood chosen. This measurement is very important to players because a baseball bat should be as heavy as possible while still allowing full control of the bat. Using bats heavier than you can manage will lead to slower, less accurate swings.While many players in history used very heavy bats in excess of 45 or even 50 oz., most bats used by professional players range in ounces from the high 20s to the mid-30s.
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