An Inside Look at the Cost Benefits of Using Metal Bats in College Baseball
Jun. 27 2023, Published 12:59 p.m. ET
Although they're the same game, college baseball and professional baseball have quite a few differences. For starters, the collegiate season is much shorter than the MLB's — college only plays 56 games a year compared to a whopping 162 games in the pros. That has to be incredibly exhausting, right?!
Anyways, there are many other distinctions between college and pro baseball; but the most obvious difference is the bat style. College players can use a metal bat, whereas only wooden bats are allowed in the MLB. Why is that? Keep reading for all the known details.
Why do they use metal bats in college baseball?
As expected, money is the primary reason college baseball uses metal bats. Aluminum bats effectively cut back on the costs of purchasing new wood bats when they break (it happens a lot, and the bill will sneak up on you).
"You can hit wood one time, and it breaks. Certain alloy aluminums could last a high school career," Larry Cregan, the manager of Orange Sporting Goods, told the Los Angeles Times in April 1996. "Most of the time, the bat should last a couple of years. But with aluminum, the first time you hit with it is the most powerful."
If you didn't already know, aluminum is superior to wood; it's lighter and more durable. Metal bats can also be swung much faster, resulting in more power and better hits.
Larry Carlson, former VP of research and development at Easton, also spoke with the Los Angeles Times and dished about another advantage: "You can standardize the aluminum bat, make it the exact same every time in strength and performance." How cool is that?!
Why are metal bats banned in the MLB?
As for why metal bats aren't allowed in the MLB or minor league, there are a few reasons. First and foremost, the skill level of professional baseball players mixed with a metal bat will overwhelm the game and make it too easy.
In 2018, Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. spoke with The Baltimore Sun and revealed that there were a few aluminum bats around the major league batting cages. He recalled a time in which "Robbie Alomar picked one up in Oakland, and he was going so far into the bleachers to straightaway center that it was almost ridiculous."
All in all, professional baseball just wouldn't be the same.
