USA Baseball, the national governing body for the sport of baseball in the U.S., in conjunction with participating national member organizations has adopted a new method for measuring bat performance in the testing of youth bats. Informed by the research of leading scientists on the USA Baseball Bat Study Committee, and supported by its National Member Organizations, — including the American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC), Babe Ruth Baseball/Cal Ripken Baseball, Dixie Youth Baseball & Dixie Boys Baseball, Little League Baseball and PONY Baseball — USA Baseball has concluded that recent advancements in science, engineering, technology, and the materials available to fabricate non-wood bats, now allow the manufacturers to construct youth bats that can perform at a wood-like level through the entire range of lengths and weights of youth bats.
What does this mean for you?
Your child’s current bat may no longer be acceptable. For players in our Tee Ball and Coach Pitch divisions, their previous COMPOSITE bats (1.15 BPF) without the USA Baseball Label will no longer be permissible. This means we will allow most bats players in those divisions are already using such as an aluminum bat. Players in our Kid pitch divisions are required to use a bat meeting the 2018 bat standard with the USA Baseball Label.
Can my child use a big barrel bat now?
Yes, as long as the bat has the new USA Baseball label.
What if my child plays metro or tournaments?
Metro players participating in the Westmoreland Travel League will be required to use the new bat standard as the league is chartered under Babe Ruth Baseball/Cal Ripken Baseball which has also fully adopted the bat standard. We are still working closely with other area associations to see how this will impact tournaments.
What does the USA Baseball label look like?
Where can I learn more about the new bat standard?
USA Baseball Bat Standard: Frequently Asked Questions
Little League USA Baseball Bat Standard
USA Baseball Approved Bat List