What the Pros Wear: What kind of bats and batting gloves do pro baseball players use? Here’s Your 2022 MLB Hitting Report

If you’ve been following our 2022 Glove & Cleat Report, there’s a chance you’ve been waiting for us to break down the lumber. Here, What the Pros Wear 2022 Bat Report. The way MLB players treat their bats is very different from the way they treat cleats or gloves. While many of these guys are loyal to specific brands and models of cleats and gloves throughout their careers, we often see players not being loyal to the bat for nine innings as well.

To create this report and others like it, WPW spends years listing MLB starters (not including pitchers) based on Baseball-Reference.com’s team pages, as well as a few others. . When it comes to what the pros are swinging, let’s focus on which bat or bats each starter uses the most. It’s also important to note that some of these people will use multiple brands throughout the season, but WPW focuses on the two brands they are most loyal to.

Bats Used by 2021 MLB Starters

Victus and Marucci dominated the market in 2021, used by nearly half of MLB starters.

Which wooden bat do you swing?

What Bats Do MLB Starters Use?

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Bats Swing by 2022 MLB Starters

In 2022, league-wide bat usage didn’t change much. Both Victus and Marucci took their lead in the top two spots respectively.

About 75% of bats used by MLB starting hitters come from five companies: Victus, Marucci, Louisville Slugger, Chandler, and Old Hickory. The big difference between 2021 and 2022 comes with Chandler entering fourth place behind Old Hickory and being used by 10.5% of MLB starters.

Here’s a look at the seven major brands revolving around MLB:

Victus | 24.5% of at bats used by MLB starters (+0.5%) from 2021

Victus has been making bats since 2012 and may have the most impressive growth among bat companies as it only took them 10 years to beat out powerhouse bat makers like Louisville Slugger, which has made bats since the 1800s. After taking over the league in 2021 and becoming the most widely used bat among MLB starters, the Victus has continued to grow in popularity.

Breakout rookies Julio Rodríguez and Jeremy Peña, as well as veteran power hitters like Salvador Pérez and Bryce Harper, dominate the Victus. Although Victus was acquired by Marucci in 2017, they have continued to operate independently. The Victus brand is focused on constantly innovating the way bats are made to create the highest levels of performance. This commitment to the development of baseball has helped Victus fuel its meteoric rise.

Victus has an impressive list of believers. Here is a list of some of the best bowlers who use Victus bats, including former MVPs Mookie Betts and Jose Altuve:

View all of our selected Victus bats here.

Maruchi | 23% of at bats used by MLB starters (+1% from 2021)

Maruchi is second with almost the same share of starters since 2019. Following Wise’s acquisition of Victus in 2017, the two brands are used by a combined 44.5% of MLB starters.

Marucci’s crowning glory of the 2022 season came on a Friday night in September, when Albert Pujols stepped up to the plate with his signature AP5 model and launched career home runs 699 and 700 at Dodger Stadium, living legend status with his favorite stick. strengthened.

Jose Abreu, Austin Riley and Trey Turner all used Marucci’s bats in 2022. Here are some other notable players who join the list of players who consistently took Marucci to bat:

View all of our selected Marucci bats here.

Louisville Slugger | 14.5% of at bats used by MLB starters (-0.5% from 2021)

The Louisville slugger also saw no change in his usage from 2021-2022, sitting pretty in third place and used by 15% of MLB starters. Louisville Slugger has been making bats since 1883 and is a staple in the baseball world. This is my personal wooden bat of choice, and I join Silver Sluggers Jordan Alvarez and Kyle Schwarber in that decision. Here are some more of the league’s best who have shaken up one of the oldest brands in baseball:

View all of our selected Louisville Slugger bats here.

Chandler | 10.5% of at bats used by MLB starters (+2.5% from 2021)

Chandler Bats had the most growth of the four biggest brands for the 2022 season. After being saved from bankruptcy when Yoenis Cespedes bought the Chandler Bat Company in 2019, Chandler quickly re-established himself among Big League power hitters, including Aaron Judge after switching to Victus during the 2021 season. returned to the brand for. Here are some other sluggers that add to the list of players who have swing Chandler bats:

View all of our selected Chandler Bats here.

Old Hickory | 8.5% of at bats used by MLB starters (-1.5% from 2021)

Old Hickory is the first brand we see a decrease in usage for the 2022 season. After seeing a fairly steep decline, after sitting in fourth place for several years, Old Hickory is now the fifth most used bat by MLB starters.

Although the quality is undeniable. Old Hickory is used by perennial MVP candidate Mike Trout, and plenty of powerhouse hitters including:

View all of our selected Old Hickory Bats here.

B45 | 3.5% of at bats used by MLB starters (-0.5% from 2021)

Canada-based bat company, B45, saw a slight drop in use in MLB last year, but their roster is impressive nonetheless. Used by a total of 12 MLB starters, the B45 boasts Eduardo Escobar and Kettle Mart, among others. B45 specializes in making birch wood bats, which are a hybrid between maple and ash. Birch wood bats are growing in popularity, and here are some people swinging iterations of the B45:

View all of our featured B45 Bats here.

Tuki Wood | 2.5% of at bats used by MLB starters (-0.5% from 2021)

With Victus and Marucci taking up a big chunk of the league, Tucci Lumber is another of the smaller brands we’ve seen go a little smaller. Luckily for Tucci, he has some of the biggest names in the league including 2022 All-Star and Silver Slugger Xander Bogarts (KFP48 Maple) and Bo Bichette (BO11 Maple Bat).

View all of our selected Tucci lumberjack bats here.

These are the remaining brands swung by MLB starters:

dove tail bats	7
sam bat	5
homewood	4
ssk	4
tater	4
lover	2
cooperstown bat	2
dinger	2
Maximum	2
overfly	2
rollings	2
SR	2
trinity	2
anchor	1
birdman	1
powerbulb	1
zinger	1

More MLB Hitter Insights

Prohitter hitting aid used by 53% of MLB starters (+9% from 2021)

A ProHitter is a small hitting aid worn around the thumb that provides padding between the thumb and forefinger. According to their website, the ProHitter helps the batsman improve the position of the bat in their hands which in turn increases bat speed and increases power. The rubber also absorbs some of the vibration from the bat, resulting in less sting. The little piece has found tremendous success in MLB, and similar pieces, like the ThumbPro, are worn by 145 MLB starters (a 9% year-over-year increase!), including Aaron Judge and Austin Riley.

The ProHitter is worn on the upper arm and is designed to maximize range and bat speed. More than half of MLB starters can’t be wrong. It might be worth $10-$12 at Dick’s.

Lizard skin bat wraps used by 51% of MLB starting hitters (+15% from 2021)

Another hitting accessory that surged from “popular” to “dominant” in 2022: lizard skins. While lizard skins have been a popular catch over the years, we saw 139 starters use them in 2022. No shock. Lizard skins have been a popular alternative to standard tape in MLB for a decade, and start at $11.95 at Baseball Express.

batting gloves

Franklin Batting Gloves | Worn by 44.5% of MLB starting hitters (+2.5% from 2021)

In 2022, Franklin continues his slow and steady march toward being used by half of MLB’s starting hitters. With several different options for high-quality batting gloves – including the CFX Pro, Pro Classic and Powerstrap – Franklin is worn by 44.5% of MLB starters. Franklin now has a 34-player lead on Nike, which includes the 2022 AL and NL MVPs. Here are some of the hitters using the league’s most popular batting gloves:

View all of our selected Franklin Batting Gloves here.

nike batting gloves | Worn by 32% of MLB starting hitters (no change from 2021)

Nike sees no movement in usage for 2022, staying at 32% MLB starting hitters. Nike, the official uniform of MLB, has been #2 behind Franklin for the past few years. Nevertheless, the magnetic allure of the brand has attracted a talented group of players. This also includes:

View all of our selected Nike Batting Gloves here.

adidas batting gloves | Worn by 8% of MLB starting hitters (-1% from 2021)

Following Franklin and Nike, there is a much sharper decline with Adidas coming in third. There’s a lot of talent on adidas’ roster, all of whom rock the long-lasting adidas AdiZero 4.0 Batting Gloves (available at baseballexpress.com for $20-$35). Here are some of the heavy hitters from adidas:

View all of our selected adidas Batting Gloves picks here.

Here are the rest of the brands of batting gloves worn by MLB starting hitters:

Under Armour	14
mizuno	6
bruce bolt	5
maruchi	4
lizard skin	3
Jordan	3
Easton	3
lover	2
new Balance	1
Jax	1

And a drumroll for the last category to consider in the WPW 2022 Bat Report: Men who go to the plate bare-handed. There are two MLB starters in this category, and they are:

For our loyal readers who made it to the end of this report, check out this custom Vulo Bat Company Maple Fungo bat made for the Texas Rangers:

What do you think of our 2022 MLB bat and batting gloves report? Tell us in the comments.