What’s the best barrel size for a wood bat?

The MaxBat R10 is an example of a Medium barrel wood bat. Medium barrel wood bats are made from High Density wood billets.

Wood baseball bats offer a variety of barrel sizes, from Medium to XL. So what wood bat barrel size is the best for you?

The first thing you might want to consider is the type of feel you want with your wood bat.  Are you looking for a baseball bat with balance, or maybe one that’s more end-loaded?  Wood bats with Medium barrels will have more balance, while those with XL barrels will be more end-loaded.  That’s simply due to the fact that each wood bat barrel has different mass.  The less mass, the lighter the feel.  The more mass, the heavier the feel.

Looking at it from a wood baseball bat production standpoint, wood bats with Medium barrels are made from higher density wood than wood bats with a Large or XL barrel.  And that’s because the increased mass of Large and XL barrels require the bat maker to use a lower density wood billet in order to compensate for the increased weight.

Density equals strength.  If a wood baseball bat is made from high density wood, it’s going to be stronger, have more pop, and ultimately last longer.

• Medium barrel wood bat = High Density (strongest)
• Large barrel wood bat = Medium Density
• XL barrel wood bat = Low Density

So, what’s the best barrel size for a wood bat? It’s ultimately up to the individual player, BUT the smaller the barrel, the stronger the wood bat.