Why are aluminum bats banned from MLB?

Answer 1

Aluminum bats would not be a good idea for MLB. The players these days are strong enough as it is and letting them use aluminum bats would be disasterous for pitchers, both to their ERA and their safety. There have been numerous occasions in NCAA baseball where pitchers have been hurt because they have not been able to react quick enough to balls hit straight back to them because of aluminum bats.

Answer 2

They're not banned; they're just not allowed because they don't conform to the rule governing bats. When the rule defining the shape and size of the bat was written, aluminum and composite bats simply didn't exist. Aluminum bats aren't any more "banned" from pro baseball than a tennis ball for the ball or rocks for bases.

As for arguments that aluminum and composite bats are inherently dangerous, that isn't true. There is nothing stopping the manufacturers from making heavier bats, smaller sweet spots, or using materials that are less lively. But there's no reason for manufacturers to make such changes because the bats aren't allowed by rule to begin with. At the amateur levels, players aren't strong or quick enough to cause much damage. In fact, high school and Little League rules have changed in recent years to increase the weight of bats to slow down bat speeds. It used to be that in Senior League (14-16-year-olds) a player could use a 33-inch bat that weighed a mere 24 ounces. Now that 33-inch bat can't weigh less than 30 ounces.

Answer 3

Ok let me put this myth to rest. A wood bat has just as good, if not a better sweet spot the aluminum. With aluminum the sweet spot is bigger, hence why it is easier to hit. If a ball hits the handle or end of a wood bat, the bat will crack, and the ball goes nowhere. With a metal bat you can still drive the ball far. Regardless, wood OR metal, if the ball is hit dead on the screws the ball is going to fly. I've played two years of JUCO were we used metal bat, and this season I transfered to a D2 school that uses wood bat. I have seen just as many hard hit balls from wood, as metal. As of right now, I think every level of college baseball should switch to wood, simply to make the game more competitive. High School can stay the same because kids arn't strong enough yet, and can't get away with hitting a ball on the handle or end of the bat.

Answer 4

They are not allowed for safety and cost reasons.

The costs and safety go hand in hand with each other. Metal bats BESR (ball exit speed ratio) (in other words the speed of the ball coming off the bat) can be lowered to make them more safe. Colleges did this about 8 years ago. The problem is with them exploding. Wood is more durable, granted when jammed it makes really nice and sometimes dangerous splinters, but metal bats simple can't take the abuse that a wooden bat can when hit on the sweet spot several times....it tends to flatten out and crack. The cost of metal bats: when they are cracked they have to be replaced due to baseball rules. With as many major league pitchers that throw in the mid to upper 90's metal bats simply won't hold up.


The Answer23

Answer 5

The ball comes off an aluminum bat up to 25 mph faster than it comes off a wood bat. The players at the professional level are strong enough where this could be a huge safety concern for infielders and especially pitchers. Pitchers are struck fairly regularly by balls hit off the bat. If these balls are moving faster, it increases the chance of injury to these players. Safety is the primary reason.

Answer 6

the velocity of the ball coming off the bat with a pro baseball player hitting it would be nothing short of lethal they even changed the bats in men and women's college and high school use for that very reason now no bat can be less then 3 ounces in weight lighter then its length like this a 33 in bat can not weigh less then 30 ounces its for the players safety I would hate to see pros playing with metal . I think the college kids should use wood too.

Answer 7

Aluminium Bats

Answer 8

They are not banned they are just not usable because the pitchers are not fast enough to get put of the watly and because from how strong the baseball plsyers are today once they hit the bsll it will dent it snd it wont be useable anymore and wooden bats would most likely not be able to dent as easy

Answer 9

aluminium bats arent allowed in the mlb because they have much more of a pop on them... if they did allow them all players would be hitting homeruns all the time.. its more of a challange with a wooden bat also another reason is its like putting a cork in the wooden bat ..just how they found sammy sosa had a cork in his bat... it gave it a pop ...

Answer 10

College would actually like to go to wood bats but it would be to expensive for alot of the smaller schools.