Baseball involves a lot of different pieces of equipment. You need gloves, helmets, balls and much more. But the most iconic piece of equipment is of course the baseball bat. Baseball bats are so famous, that they play a role in every zombie movie there is. Pretty cool huh? This post will show you the best baseball bats 2020.
Best baseball bats 2020 is supposed to help you find the best baseball bat 2020 for you. I will be showing you my favorite baseball bats for 2020. I will take a closer look at BBCOR bats and wood bats. If you are unfamiliar with the terminology, do not worry. You can check my ultimate baseball bats guide or you just keep on reading, as I will explain it later on.
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But for now let me tell you some basic knowledge about baseball bats in case you are a beginner and you don’t know much about baseball bats at all. In case you are a baseball bat expert, feel free to keep scrolling in order to read the actual best baseball bat 2020 test.
Baseball Bat Basics:
Baseball bats come in various forms. But in general you can differentiate between wood baseball bats (hell yeah, nostalgia!!) and non-wood bats which are most often made out of alloy. Professional players are forced to use wood bats, while amateur players most often are seen using non-wood bats, as they are much more durable.
Baseball bats also differ in length and weight. While the length is a deciding factor, the static weight is not really important. Much more important is the swing weight, which basically tells you how heavy the baseball bat feels while you swing it. Given that you always swing the bat in order to hit the ball, the swing weight is much more important than the static weight.
This video offers a lot of insight regarding swing weight, if it is hard for you to wrap your head around this metric.
If you want to learn more about baseball bats, check out my ultimate baseball bat guide. You will learn about weight drop, swing weight, balance point and much more and how it influences your bat and your swing. Make sure to check it out!
Best BBCOR Bats 2020
What is BBCOR?
If you have no clue, what BBCOR means, do not worry. I got you covered.
BBCOR is a certification that was developed to make the performance of wood bats and non-wood bats comparable. Given our technological advances, modern non-wood bats are basically home run machines. New materials have enormous power while being extremely easy on the player’s body. This means that performances of wood bats and modern non-wood bats are not comparable, as even a beginner could hit further balls than any 1970’s professional player, because of the technological advances.
In order to prevent this, BBCOR was developed. Nowadays only bats with a BBCOR certification are allowed to be used in official games. Professional players still use wood bats nowadays, in order to not give them an unfair advantage over ex-professional players.
This video explains all the rules around the BBCOR certification.
In my opinion the only important thing for you to know is that any new baseball bat 2020 you buy should have this certification. Otherwise you might get into trouble, if you use a non-certified bat in an official game.
Best BBCOR bats under 100$
The budget category. These bats are a great choice, if you are on a limited budget. But you should not expect too much from them. In my opinion it is better to spend a bit more money than 100$ on a baseball bat 2020. Nevertheless I did my best to find great deals for everyone who is not willing to spend a small fortune on his bat.
Easton Project 3
Manufactured by one of the most well known brands for baseball bats, this baseball bat 2020 is a great choice for people with a limited budget that nevertheless want to have a high quality bat. It also comes in different sizes, ranging from 31 inches to 34 inches. This means that every player will find his size of choice with this baseball bat 2020.
The Easton Project 3 is a one-piece baseball bat made from military grade alloy and has a cushioned flex grip, that provides additional comfort.
Most importantly, this bat of course has a BBCOR certification, so you are allowed to use it in official league games.
Louisville Slugger 2020 Vapor
Louisville Slugger is probably the best known brand for baseball bats. And this one-piece alloy baseball bat 2020 is the newest beginner baseball bat from this amazing brand.
This baseball bat 2020 comes in five different sizes and different weights, ranging from 30 inches to 34 inches and 27 ounces to 31 ounces respectively.
The Louisville Slugger 2020 Vapor also features a one-piece construction to increase stiffness on contact, which results in more power. The synthetic leather grip makes sure that you do not lose grip while swinging this great baseball bat. Moreover it delivers great feel, which is a must for every bat.
The Louisville Slugger 2020 Vapor baseball bat also comes with a one-year warranty from Louisville Slugger, so you do not have to worry about any small dents, that might occur during that time period.
Easton 110 Maple Composite Bat
Last but definitely not least comes the Easton 110 Maple Composite Bat. As the name already suggests, this baseball bat 2020 is not an alloy bat, but a wood composite bat. The barrel is made out of very durable pro grade maple wood, while the handle is made out of a composite material. This means that you get the best of both worlds with this baseball bat 2020.
The composite handle comes with a 90 day warranty, while the barrel does not have any warranty sadly.
The Easton 110 Maple Composite Bat is known for its great power and balanced feel. Moreover the maple wood delivers a great pop with very good durability. It is a great bat for people on a limited budget that nevertheless want a great quality bat.
Best BBCOR bats under 200$
The sweet spot for baseball bats 2020. The baseball bats in this category are not crazy expensive, but they deliver awesome quality combined with a lot of power and durability. You do not have to spend a fortune to get your hands on a great bat if you check the bats in this category.
Easton Alpha 360
This baseball bat 2020 comes in six different sizes to make sure that every player finds his perfect baseball bat for the upcoming season. The sizes range from 29 inches to 34 inches, while the weight ranges from 26 ounces for the shortest version to 31 ounces for the longest version.
The Easton Alpha 360 is made from one-piece ATAC alloy. ATAC stands for Advanced Thermal Alloy Construction and means that this one-piece alloy bat has been reinforced with carbon fibres, which add even more stiffness and power to the bat.
The Lizard Skins grip provides you with unseen comfort, great hold and perfect comfort.
This baseball bat 2020 also features 360 Engineering which gives the barrel enormous power and precision, no matter where you make contact with the ball.
Lousville Slugger 2020 Omaha
This high end Louisville Slugger baseball bat 2020 not only looks futuristic, it also swings like a weapon from the future.
The super stiff one-piece construction of this bat improves the energy transfer to the ball and makes this bat a home run machine. The special VIBEX vibration handle reduces the vibrations on a mishits to avoid arm injuries. This baseball bat 2020 also comes with a Premium LS Pro Comfort Grip for the perfect grip combined with unseen comfort.
The Louisville Slugger 2020 Omaha comes in a variety of sizes and weights. You can choose between everything from 29 inches to 34 inches in one inch steps. The corresponding weight ranges from 26 ounces to 31 ounces respectively. The smaller sizes (up to the 32 inch model) have a more balanced feel to them, while the bigger sizes offer more power through a higher swing weight. These models are more suitable for bigger and stronger players, because of this fact.
The Louisville Slugger 2020 is one of the best baseball bats 2020 and is BBCOR certified and suitable for official league play. It moreover comes with a one year warranty from Louisville Slugger.
Mizuno B20 Hot Metal
I think by now everybody has heard about Mizuno and what kind of baseball equipment they manufacture. From my experience their baseball bats are one of the best on the market.
The Mizuno B20 Hot Metal is one of the new and best baseball bats 2020 from this great brand and it comes with a variety of great features.
The revolutionary CorTech gives this baseball bat a bigger sweet spot than usual and a lower MOI. MOI stands for Moment of Inertia and measures the resistance of the swing. The lower this number, the faster the swing speed.
With the Mizuno B20 Hot Metal this leads to more power and a much faster swing speed for better hits.
The Hot MetalAlloy is another reason, why this bat is one of the best baseball bats 2020. This stronger alloy gives more pop and power and at the same time gives this bat thinner walls without sacrificing durability.
This one-piece alloy bat comes in every size from 30 inches to 34 inches with a -3 drop weight. This of course also means that the Mizuno B20 Hot Metal is perfectly legal to use in official games as it is BBCOR certified.
Furthermore this bat comes with a one year warranty.
Best BBCOR bats under 300$
Slightly more expensive than the previously shown bats the best baseball bats 2020 in this category have a price tag of more than 200$. In my opinion this is quite a lot of money especially if you consider that you probably just pay for the brand name. In my opinion these bats are not better than the ones of the sub 200$ category. Nevertheless they are a great choice of course. The price-quality-ratio is still incredibly good and you cannot go wrong with a bat from this category.
DeMarini 2020 The Goods One Piece
This flagship model from DeMarini comes with a one-piece construction for the maximum stiffness possible. Nevertheless this bat feels really similar to the good old wood bats. The special one-piece construction increases the bat speed in order to maximize power.
The DeMarini 2020 The Goods One Piece also comes with the special x14 barrel. This special alloy barrel is built for extra durability and increased pop to give you those few extra yards you need for your home runs. Combined with the Seismic End Cap, this bat transfers energy to the ball effortlessly and incredibly efficiently.
This baseball bat 2020 feels a lot like a wood bat, because of the stiff one-piece alloy design and the higher swing weight. This combination delivers a lot of power but at the same time makes this bat only suitable for strong and big players. This is definitely not a bat for youngsters.
The DeMarini 2020 The Goods One Piece only comes in three different sizes, ranging from 32 inches to 34 inches. Of course all of them are BBCOR certified, so you can use them in every match.
Rawlings 2020 5150
Manufactured by one of the best known brands in baseball, this baseball bat has been engineered from aerospace-grade alloy, called 5150. This gives it some extra power and massively increased durability for long-time fun and performance. The 5150 alloy bat has been manufactured for nearly a decade now by Rawlings and it is one of the best known bats in the game.
In addition to the aerospace-grade alloy the Rawlings 2020 5150 was manufactured with pOp 2.0, which gives the bat a noticeably larger sweet spot. Moreover the Hyper-Lite Speed Cap allows for an even faster swing as it reduces air friction.
There is much more to this bat, so check out this video by Rawlings University!
This bat has a one-year warranty from Rawlings and is suitable for any official league games, given the BBCOR certification.
Best BBCOR bats over 300$
The crème de la crème of the best baseball bats 2020 is in this category. These bats have everything you can wish for and much more. The only downside to these bats is the high price point. With prices well above 300$ these bats are not an option for the average player. Moreover you will most likely not feel a difference to slightly cheaper baseball bats, but you will have to spend much more money. Nevertheless these bats are incredible which is why I want to tell you about them.
Rawlings 2020 VELO ACP
This video probably says it all: The Rawlings 2020 VELO ACP bat is one of the best baseball bats 2020 and also one of the fastest. Made from Ai909 Alloy this bat has incredibly thin walls to maximize swing speed. It has moreover been equipped with the new ACP Technology, that distributes two inches of ultra rigid carbon composite throughout the barrel. This increases the stiffness of the bat without increasing the weight. It actually decreases the weight compared to a full alloy bat, so it feels even lighter to swing without sacrificing power and feel.
The newly designed barrel form helps players hit the baseball with the sweet spot consistently. It now is longer and flatter, so the contact area has been increased. Combined with the Precision Laser pOp 2.0 technology, which is a lasered grove in the barrel to increase flexibility, the Rawlings 2020 VELO ACP baseball bat gives you an unseen feeling and incredible power.
One of the downsides of this baseball bat is that it only comes in 32 or 33 inches, which makes it only suitable for big and strong players.
Of course this weapon is BBCOR certified, so do not worry about using it in league games.
DeMarini 2020 Voodoo Balanced
One of the best baseball bats 2020, the DeMarini 2020 Voodoo Balanced baseball bat comes as a Half+Half construction. The handle is made out of a composite material while the barrel is made from alloy. This makes the DeMarini 2020 Voodoo Balanced one of the few two-piece bats in this post.
The x14 alloy barrel with the Reaction End Cap is built for extreme power and durability. At the same time the bat feels super easy to swing, which is a great plus as you will not get tired by swinging this bat.
The famous 3Fusion Connection reduces vibrations and redirects energy back into the barrel to help you hit more home runs without sacrificing your health.
This BBCOR certified bat comes with a one-year warrant from DeMarini and can be used in official games.
This bat comes in four different sizes, ranging from 30 inches to 33 inches with a -3 drop weight.
Louisville Slugger 2020 Meta
The Rolls-Royce of the best baseball bats 2020. The Louisville Slugger 2020 Meta not only looks super cool, it also has a lot of super cool features.
First of all this bat features a three-piece design with a patented connection system, called 3FX. This means that this bat is made out of three different pieces, namely the grip, the barrel and a connection piece. This was developed to decrease vibrations while still keeping a nice, firm and stiff feeling.
The Louisville Slugger 2020 Meta is one of the best baseball bats 2020 because of its EKO composite material. This means that you do something good for the environment, while getting as light-swinging and super stiff baseball bat with an enormous sweet spot. This sounds like a great deal, doesn’t it?
If you want to know more about this monster, check out this video by bat digest to see the Louisville Slugger 2020 Meta in action.
Best wood bats 2020
Wood bats… name one person you know that plays baseball and does not love wood bats. I am waiting.
It is not that easy right? That is, because wood bats represent the most beautiful sport in the whole world the best. By far. It is just about all the history and nostalgia that a beautiful and handcrafted wood bat represents.
Nevertheless, I would not recommend buying a wood bat for actual play. Surely they play a bit different than alloy bats and they give you the true feeling of baseball. The problem is that wood bats lack durability compared to their metal companions. If you can spend a lot of money each season for baseball bats, then go ahead and enjoy the true feeling a wood bat gives you.
If you are on a budget I would recommend to check out alloy bats with a BBCOR certification and spend your money on them.
Nevertheless, I want to show you some of the newest wood bats for 2020, because why not. They are beautiful and it is fun to write about them.
Kinds of wood used for bats
There are lots of different kinds of wood used to manufacture wood bats. They all have different characteristics that influence the way they feel during play.
You can differentiate between soft and hard kinds of wood.
Ash and Birch are soft kinds of woods that are not extremely durable but deliver a lot of feel.
Bamboo and Maple on the other hand are extremely hard kinds of wood that are super durable but have a dull feel to them.
To get the best of both worlds there are composite wood bats, that fuse different kinds of wood together. Those bats are usually a lot more expensive, as the amount of work needed to fuse the different types of wood together is high. On the upside though, these bats sometimes come with a breakage warranty.
Of course there is much more to learn about wood bats. If you want to learn more, you should make sure to check out my ultimate baseball bat guide here.
Wood baseball bats under 60$
The budget category. These wood bats are a solid choice if you want to try out a wood bat for once and not spend a lot of money on it. If you plan to play league games with a wood bat though, I would recommend to spend a bit more money on a bat in order to get a more durable and better wood bat for your money.
If you plan to give your precious metal bat a break, you can go for one of these cheaper wood bats and use them during practice.
Louisville Slugger Pro Stock Ash
Made from Ash, this baseball bat 2020 is on the softer side of wood bats. This means that it is not incredibly durable but has a great feel to it. Ash is moreover the lightest wood available on the market, so you will not get tired fast when you swing this beauty.
Interesting fact: Ash wood bats have been used by the game greats like Babe Ruth and many more. If this kind of wood is good enough for them, it will most likely also be sufficient for you.
The Louisville Slugger Pro Stock Ash comes in various sizes and colors so you will find your perfect bat for sure.
Easton 271 2020 Maple Wood
Sporting a 271 pattern the Easton 271 2020 Maple Wood is a great choice for a practice bat.
It is made from North American Maple, which is the most used kind of wood in the MLB nowadays.
Maple wood is super stiff, rigid and durable, so it will give you a lot of power and durability. Be ready to enjoy this bat for a long time.
The Easton 271 2020 Maple Wood comes in three different sizes starting at 32 inches. All of the versions have a balanced feel to them, which makes this bat controllable and maneuverable.
Wood baseball bats under 100$
These bats are made from higher quality wood which will give you more feel and durability than the cheaper options. These bats make great practice bats.
Easton Pro Maple Wood
This Maple wood bat comes in 31,32 or 33 inches with a -3 drop weight. Made from Pro Grade Maple and sporting a 110 pattern, the Easton Pro Maple is a great choice for contact hitters. The balanced feel combined with the hard maple wood give this bat a lot of power and durability.
This Easton bat is manufactured in California, so you will not have some cheap Asian wood bat with a premium brand printed on it, if you choose to buy this beauty.
Easton Pro 271 Maple Wood
Another beautiful Easton maple wood baseball bat. The Easton Pro 271 maple wood comes in a 271 pattern, which means that it has a medium sized handle and barrel, but a long taper. This might make the bat seem a bit slim, but don’t worry, you can nevertheless hit some home runs with it.
Maple wood is extremely hard, which gives this bat a lot of power and durability. Nevertheless, the bat swing super easily and feels really light.
As all Easton wood bats, the Easton Pro 271 Maple Wood has been handcrafted in California.
Wood baseball bats under 230$
The high society of wood bats. Those bats are some of the best baseball bats 2020 for a reason. They have everything from good looks, awesome feel to great durability. All of this comes with a hefty price tag which puts them in the league of some medium priced alloy bats.
If you plan to use a wood bat during league play, these ones are a great option. Just make sure to buy two bats, as there is nothing worse than having a bat break during a game and not having a second bat with you.
If you are only looking for a wood bat to practice with, I would recommend cheaper alternatives. It always hurts to crack such a beautifully crafted piece of equipment during practice.
Marucci Pro Exclusive MS400
Okay first things first: This baseball bat is called “Pro Exclusive”, but this is definitely not the case. You can absolutely buy it if you are a regular player.
If you take a look at the specs, you will definitely understand why this is one of the best baseball bats 2020 and designed for semi-professional players. First of all this bat only comes in 32 and 33 inches. That means, that you need quite some power to swing this beauty.
Secondly, this bat is made to last you a long time. It is made out of the hardest maple wood available to Marucci. This gives this baseball bat unseen durability and power. Marucci also used their famous Bone-Rubbed technique which removes any pores from the outside of the wood. This increases the longevity of this bat even more.
The Marucci Pro Exclusive MS400 comes with a medium handle, a tapered knob and a large barrel with a large sweet spot.
As always, this Marucci bat has been handcrafted. This means that everything from cutting the wood, carving the bat to buffing the finished baseball bat has been done by hand to ensure the highest quality possible.
Chandler CB271A Maple Wood
Don’t worry. It is not a shame if you have not heard about Chandler. To be honest, I have not heard about Chandler either, before I wrote this post. But now I am a big fan of their line and I think it is definitely a brand you should consider when you want to buy a new wood bat.
The Chandler CB271A Maple Wood is made from Pro Quality Maple and comes in 32 inches with a -3 drop weight. This means that you need to have some power on your own in order to swing this beast.
As the name implies, this bat has a 271 turn model, which means that this bat has a slightly end-loaded feel and is suitable for all kinds of hitters.
Apart from this, the Chandler CB271A just looks super cool in my opinion. Black and gold is always a solid combination. If you are not planning to use this bat, you can always display it in your living room.
Marucci Cutch22 Pro Maple Wood
You might spot a pattern here. The more expensive the wood bat, the more likely it is made from pro quality maple wood. And as you might have guessed from the name, this bat was developed in cooperation with Andrew McCutchen to be a pitcher’s worst nightmare.
This of course also goes for the Marucci Cutch22 Pro Maple Wood. It is one of the best baseball bats 2020, not only because of this great wood but because of much more.
This beauty comes in four different sizes from 31 inches to 34 inches with a -3 drop weight. The thick and tapered knob helps you to get a firm grip on the bat, while the tapered handle makes this bat maneuverable. The large barrel has a large sweet spot to make great use of this powerful bat while giving you a lot of control at the same time.
Of course this high end baseball bat is one of the best baseball bats 2020 and has been handcrafted by Marruci’s bat experts. They also used the famous Bone Rub technique to seal the outside of the bat so there are no open pores anymore. This again increases the durability of this bat.
Congratulations. You read this monster post to the very end. Thanks for your time! 🙂
I hope this post was helpful for you and you found a new and great bat for yourself here.
If you like this post, make sure to leave a comment. I am always happy to talk to my readers.
Moreover, stay tuned for my new posts on gloves and much more.
Get home safe,
Jan