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The specifications of a given baseball bat should be what determines a player’s preferences, but for better or for worse, the top baseball bat brands often guide purchasing decisions. That doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, though.
This is because there are many instances in the sport in which the top baseball bat brands will subsequently influence the specifications of the bat. If you’re looking for consistent quality, illustrious histories of success, and variability in performance, you’ll find them evenly distributed across the following brands.
- Louisville Slugger
Louisville Slugger has one of the most colorful, long-standing histories in the sport of baseball. It traces its roots back to 1884, well over 130 years ago, when the first Louisville Slugger was created by a 17-year old woodworker named John Hillerich.
The bats were a near-instant hit with baseball players, and soon Hillerich was producing wood bats for influential professional baseball players such as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Jackie Robinson. By 1916, Hillerich & Bradsby, the company that produced Louisville Sluggers, was officially created.
Throughout the years, over 80% of National Hall of Fame Hitters have been under contract with Louisville Slugger, and today the baseball bat brand is the official brand of Major League Baseball, with 20% of current players making it their bat of choice.
- Easton
Easton bats have a history that is just as interesting as Louisville Slugger, and decidedly more unusual. These bats, many of which are made of aluminum alloys and composite materials, can actually trace their roots back to a bowyer’s shop.
In 1922, James Easton began crafting bows and arrows from wood, a material that remains a traditional staple in both archery and baseball. However, over the years he began experimenting with the use of aluminum in ferrules and shafts. Noting its light weight and strength, Easton turned his interest towards developing aluminum bats, which at the time were heavy and poorly balanced. He fine-tuned his processes, solving many of the issues that plagued aluminum bats at the time, and paved the way for modern aluminum and composite bats that are lighter, stronger, balanced and performance-driven.
- Marucci
Marucci’s history is much more contemporary than Easton’s and Louisville Sluggers, but this baseball bat brand is still one of the most deeply respected in the sport. Marucci traces its roots to a garage in Baton Rouge, where two players began to create handcrafted bats from choice maple, producing the Marucci No. 1 bat which has deeply influenced the company’s subsequent history.
Today, Marucci continues to create high-quality bats, taking into account the input and considerations from several top professional players that constitute its advisory board. Players such as Albert Pujols. Chase Utley, Francisco Lindor and many others play a key role in the development of Marucci bats.
- DeMarini
DeMarini’s history is slightly divergent from the other baseball bat brands in this list. It is the product of player Ray DeMarini’s commitment to innovation - to find a way to win. He himself was a softball player of small stature and had to train aggressively to remain competitive against other, larger players.
He realized that there was immense room for innovation in the industry for bats, and he set out to create performance bats for players. Using the finest quality materials and developing newer, better, bats with improved technology, like superior end caps, handles, and barrel designs, he created bats that were engineered to deliver - a practice that continues to this day.
- Rawlings
Perhaps known better for their fielding gloves than for their bats, Rawlings is still a giant in the industry. Founded in 1887, Rawlings produced a variety of sporting goods including fishing tackle and football equipment and was not limited to baseball gear.
However, Rawlings has made a pronounced mark for itself, as well as an impact on the sport of baseball, through the development of baseball bats and gloves. Over the years, many legendary players have served on Rawlings’ advisory board, such as Roberto Clemente, Giancarlo Stantoc, Yadier Molina and countless others.
- Victus
Victus specializes in the production of high-quality, handmade wood baseball bats, although their line now also includes metal bats. The newest contender on this list, Victus was born in Blackwood, New Jersey in 2012, founded by passionate individuals committed to producing design-driven wood bats. Despite being the youngest entry here, several professional players have embraced Victus and prefer to play with their bats, including Carlos Correa, Bryce Harper, and Andrew Benintendi - in fact, more than 10% of professional baseball players play with a Victus bat.
If you’re looking for some personal recommendations before you take your pick from among the highlights of these listed top baseball bat brands, feel free to get in touch with us. We carry many different brands and types of bats that will delight both contact and power hitters at every level of the game from youth baseball players to high school and even college players. With BBCOR baseball bats, USSSA baseball bats, USA bats and more, we have something for every player. You just need to find it.
Get in touch with our customer service team at 1-888-540-BATS and let us know how we can help - we’ll connect you with your next favorite bat in short order.
