Every year, there are millions of Little League games played and hundreds of millions of Little League pitches thrown. That means a lot of swings. If your children are playing Little League baseball this year, make sure they are swinging with the right equipment. Little League Baseball has created a list of approved bats for today's Little Leaguers.
The Basics
Parents should expect to pay between $40 and $200 for a Little League-approved baseball bat. All Little League-approved bats must be 33 inches or shorter with a barrel of no more than 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Bat weight is also important to consider. Basic guidelines are as follows:
Player height (in inches)/Bat weight (in ounces)
48 to 50/16 to 17
51 to 54/17 to 18
55 to 59/18 to 19
60+/19 to 20
Approved bats should say "Little League Approved" on the barrel of the bat.
Wood Bats
Some leagues use only wood bats. Check with your local Little League organization to be sure. If you do end up purchasing a wood bat, here are the approved manufacturers, with the number of available models in parentheses:
Brett Bros. Bat Company (1)
Bamboo Bat Company (8)
Mizuno (1)
Nocona (1)
Rawlings (9)
The Original Maple Bat Company (1)
Worth (1)
Wilson (1)
Non-Wood Bats
Non-wood bats are the most popular, with an extensive list of approved bats that are either aluminum or composite. Here are the approved manufacturers, with the number of available models in parentheses:
Akadema (2)
Albin Athletics (1)
Anderson (3)
Combat Sports (7)
DeMarini (27)
Dick's Sporting Goods (2)
Easton (45)
Limbsaver (1)
Louisville Slugger (74)
Kelley (1)
Mattingly (10)
Miken Sports (6)
Mizuno (1)
Nike (14)
Rawlings (53)
Reebok (13)
SSK (2)
Vikram (1)
Worth (68)
For a complete listing of bat manufacturers and models, visit the official Little League website and click the "Equipment and Merchandise" link on the left side of the home page.
Safety
Whether to use wood or non-wood bats has been a hot safety debate for many years. But according to a consensus of bat manufacturers, a baseball leaves wood bats and non-wood bats at the same speed. Furthermore, a 2002 study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reviewed the issue and determined that the data were not conclusive to support a ban of non-wood bats, as some leagues have been doing.
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