Wooden baseball bats, used primarily by Major League Baseball players and old-school purists (as well as some Little Leaguers), come in a variety of woods and styles. Most are made of ash and maple, but alternative woods, such as bamboo, have emerged and gained some popularity. While aluminum and composite bats still rule the youth leagues, softball and college baseball scenes, wooden bats continue to be refined and developed for everyone else.
Ash
According to Coach John Peter's baseballtips.com, "Most wood bats today are made from Northern White ash, generally harvested in Pennsylvania and upstate New York." Ash has remained popular because it is lighter than some other woods (such as maple) but is tough and durable, and it offers ballplayers the right "feel," according to Baseball-bats.net.
Maple
Maple bats emerged as an alternative to the softer ash bats, especially after Barry Bonds' record-setting home run season of 2001. Baseball-bats.net notes that maple was seen as too heavy a wood for bats, but improved technology in the drying process made maple a viable option. However, maple bats have been known to crack and break more easily than ash, and in 2010, maple bats were banned from some minor leagues out of concerns about flying broken pieces of maple bats injuring fans or players.
Hickory
Coach John Peters' website touts the value of hickory's hardness and new kiln-drying techniques that can make hickory bats lighter and more available to players. Interestingly, hickory bats were popular in the early days of baseball, but fell out of favor when players found they could get more bat speed with bats made of lighter wood. It's said that Babe Ruth used a 47-ounce hickory bat.
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