Metal bats vs wood?

[danzig6767]

I'll admit to being a real novice with the MLB draft,but one thing i really dont get is the questions of which guy will hit better with wood.

 

I'll read reports of college hitters and scous or people here say so and so might really struggle switch to wood bats.Then another college hitter is said to be better prepared for the switch.What is this based on?

 

Since very few college hitters use wood bats,what makes a scout or evaluator think one player will make the switch fine and another player won't even if both used aluminum all the time?

[DHonks]

Isn't part of it based on how often guys hit it in the sweet spot? I mean, if a guy gets a lot of singles or fouls off lots of balls off the handle, it might make sense that with a wood bat, those become broken bat groundouts to the pitcher or ss

[brew4you]

It is a guessing game for the most part. I think this is one of the reason you are seeing more and more of the college player wooden bat leagues. A lot of scouts attend these games to see first hand how players handle the switch to wood.

[batman]

Here's an interesting article about scouting hitters:

 

www.webball.com/scout/hitting.html

 

I'd love to hear Patrick and Blazer discuss the wood vs. metal bat issue. If you guys have time, please share!

 

~Bill

[colbyjack]

Metal bats can mask so many problems for any hitter. As DHonks noted, you don't have to hit a ball squarely with a metal bat to hit it hard. Watching more and more college games in the past couple of years, and even going back to watching the CWS in the 90s, I've seen so many players seemingly make a weak swing only to have the ball land over the fence.

 

It also helps players who lack bat speed, quick hands and proper hitting mechanics.

 

That's why when I watch college players, I try to look for those hitters that hit line drives more often than not when they make contact. That's why Ryan Zimmerman stuck out so much in my mind when I saw him, and in my mind that's why he had no problem making the conversion to wood last summer for Team USA on his way to hitting .468. While he has critics that question his power, I don't think he'll have much of a problem hitting with wood. I also don't think Jeff Clement will have much of a problem hitting with wood, who actually uses a wood bat during BP. One thing that bugs me about someone like Jed Lowrie of Stanford for instance is that he doesn't strike you as a pure hitter, and I personally think he's going to have a tough time adjusting to hitting as a pro.

[Blazer25]

Just for the record I hate metal bats...

 

For me a kid's swing path and length is something to consider when going from metal to wood. Longer swingers or kids with a big uppercut often have a harder time adjusting to wood.

 

Kids who have a lot of extra (wasted) movement with an aluminum bat usually have a harder time with wood also. A compact, simple approach is usually a good start (for me at least).

 

Some players get by with pure ability no matter what they are swinging or how they are swinging it. (those guys are usually pretty easy to spot)

 

Colby also touched on batspeed (which can be very deceiving with metal) Players that swing with good batspeed...you can hear it when they swing with wood.

 

A guy I learned some things about scouting hitters from used to turn his back away from the cage and scout the sound for guys with good bat speed. (he was right on guys 99% of the time).

 

Also a real subtle thing to watch is how well a player tracks the ball visually (very hard to do watching a game on TV and even some video) but it tells you a lot about good hitters. Kids that track the ball well usually hit the ball square no matter what type of bat they're holding (Gordan is a great example)

[batman]

Great stuff, guys.

 

Just for the record I hate metal bats...

 

Yeah, the composite bats that were discussed here a few months ago are really cool... I would be 100% in favor of adopting hybrid wood/metal bats or metal bats with the characteristics of wood for youth, high school, and college baseball. I don't think the cost issue is a very compelling justification for the status quo anymore... the composite bats are very durable and relatively inexpensive, and the health/safety issue is of paramount concern IMO. Add in the scouting/player development benefits and I think the case in favor of change is very clear.

 

Thanks again for sharing your insights, Patrick and Blazer!

 

~Bill