Best BBCOR Baseball Bats Reviews – Guides

Are you a hitter eying or looking forward to upgrading your swing for the 2020 baseball season by buying the best BBCOR baseball bats you can find? Are you a baseball fanatic prowling on a good baseball bat to start on practical gaming?Are you operating on a fixed budget for which you want a quality and durable baseball bat but don’t seem to settle on the best in the market? Well, The Best BBCOR Baseball Bats Reviews got you covered.

It’s utterly wise to undertake on a market research to gather as much information as you can get to get an insight on the available baseball bats, their quality and pocket friendliness before engaging your hard earned cash on illicit, substandard products.

Baseball bats and baseball uniforms vary in quality and price, depending on the quality of material used in designing them, albeit other dynamics and factors involved.  Currently, there are over 60 different models of BBCOR bats available in the market, making it rather confusing for average person to make an informed choice.

The Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution, otherwise known as the BBCOR standard is the latest mandate required for NCAA baseball players. So, what do you need to understand before buying these bats?

Things To Consider Before Buying Bbcor Baseball Bats

There are a couple of factors that need adequate consideration before buying a BBCOR standard baseball bat. Its imperative to note that no two swings are ever identical and hence its not an easy decision to make. However, if you consider the following, you are bound to make an informed decision.

• What material is used to construct the bat?

The buildup material for all baseball bats goes a long way in determining the longevity and durability of the said bat. There are bats that tend to crack easily whereas there are others that have made a name for being tough.

Most youth players often prefer metal bats because they don’t break easily, are lighter and easier to swing. Metal bats also provide more power at play. Ash is considerably popular with players who use wooden bats.

It’s also important to consider the barrel, which is the hitting area. A large barrel makes it easier to make contact with the ball. Many players prefer the trampoline effect that two-piece baseball bats have to offer over the one-piece bats.

• What price advantage does the said bat offer?

When you conduct a comparative analysis of the Marucci 2014 BBCOR and the Easton 2015 BB15MKT Mako Torq BBCOR, which of the two do you think is the best option.

The Marucci brand costs an estimate $60, while the Easton Mako Torq costs about $169. why such a big margin? What is so special about the Easton brand that its got to have a higher price tag?

Making purchases based on a value perspective is a critical way of ensuring you consider other multiple factors and dimensions before purchasing. Consequently, questioning a particular product is bound to motivate you into making a more informed decision when buying.

• The special benefits will the bat offer

The benefits enjoyed from a play bat are enjoyed by the individual player by way of comfort, increased durability and even improved weight distribution.

As stated earlier, metal bats are designed to give players more power. Heavy bats also provide mass, sending the ball further. So what’s that specific benefit that you are looking for? The answer to this question is sure to help you make a good choice during purchase.

1. DeMarini 2015 Voodoo Overlord Ft Baseball Bat

Price:$$$
Editor Rating: 4.6

If you have been searching for a baseball bat unmatched in terms of value and performance; Well, look no further. The DeMarini 2015 Vodoo Overlord FT 3 BBCOR is an adult baseball bat for players who fancy the extra power overly sought during play.

This bat is the ultimate clean-up hitter in the entire DeMarini franchise. To start with, the DeMarini Vodoo Overlord FT handle is specially designed through flame tampering to enable a stiffer feel and to eliminate vibrations all together by redirecting energy back into the barrel.

The knob of the bat is anatomically designed to fit perfectly in the hands of the player. The Overlord handle is also flame tampered to give the player a stiffer feel and to eliminate vibrations. Simply put, the handle and barrel to this amazing bat are performance matched to create optimal weight distribution to enhance better play.

If that’s not all, the barrel to the baseball bat is alloy packed with slight end loads for overall added power and to create maximum pop. Although this wonderful bat is sure to set you a few dollars back, you are sure to get value for your cash while enjoying the efficiency of playing ball with an enhanced baseball bat.

2. Easton 2015 BB15MKT MAKO TORQ

Price:$$$
Editor Rating: 4.7

If you are looking for a BBCOR certified baseball bat with unmatched bat speed and excessively massive sweet spot, you got it here. The Easton BB15MKT MAKO TORQ boosts of a patented two-piece conation technology that helps in maximizing energy transfer for optimized feel during play.

Remember the trampoline effect we talked about earlier? well, the Easton BB15MKT is sure to enhance your child’s hitting confidence which may further be carried over to their pitching. Now which parent wouldn’t like that.

The TORQ 360 degree rotating handle technology coupled with its two-piece, fully composite bat construction can be credited to the achievement of these feats. The bat simply combines power with some new twist to increase the player’s edge to stay on top of their game.

In an effort to provide players with some world-class feel, the manufacturers of the MAKO baseball bat have included a gauze grip to eliminate vibrations and to offer a host of other advantages every player wishes for.

If you are the kind of player who treasures the ‘special’ feeling while playing ball, this MAKO TORQ baseball bat is definitely the product for you. Not only is it easy to use, it combines power and optimized performance to accommodate all types of players.

3. Easton 2015 BB15MK MAKO COMP BBCOR Baseball Bat

Price:$$$

Editor Rating: 4.6

As an elite player seeking for the perfect edge to take you to the top of your league, we have you catered for here; With the new Easton MAKO BBCOR baseball bat, you can never go wrong. Its all about power plays.

With its big barrel and fast swings, the MAKO brand is unarguably one of the best baseball bats in the market today, producing more power than you have ever experienced before. Having created a niche for itself for use by top-notch players, the secret behind MAKO’S success lies in the TCT thermal composite technology.

which is engineered to provide baseball players with bat speed and an incredibly massive sweet spot, coupled with a crisp and smooth feel. Enhancing performance is one of the added advantages you are sure to enjoy through purchase of this amazing baseball bat.

If that is not all, the bat manufacturers have included their connexion technology to improve on the player’s grip and to give a world-class feel. Every hit sails as smooth as butter, thanks to the reduced energy waste. The bat is totally worth its price, and would go a long way in enabling you to enjoy your time at the field.

4. Marucci 2014 One Black BBCOR Baseball Bats

Price:$$$
Editor Rating: 4.8

If you need a baseball bat that will improve your capacity to make those power hits with great balance; then this pocket friendly baseball bat is sure to serve you just fine. By design, the Marucci BBCOR baseball bat is a balanced model built for great agility and performance.

The 2014 Marucci boosts of an extended barrel and amazingly sweet spot. With its even balance point, players are given total control over their game in that they can hit the sweet spot on any given pitch. The best words to describe this is that this baseball bat takes your game even further that you’ve ever reached before.

The barrel to the bat is made from aerospace alloy to provide maximum responsiveness and durability without the use of rings or governors inside. The handle is made from carbon composite and fortified with patented aramid-reinforced grip which silences the sting from off-center hits.

The transfer of energy from barrel to ball is ensured through the black BBCOR two-piece construction. What’s more, its bullet pro anti-vibration technology is sure to give players unarguably the smoothest hitting experience. For people who are keen to consider value over performance, this is the ultimate baseball bat to consider.

5. Louisville Slugger BBO5153 BBCOR Omaha Baseball Bat

Price:$$$

Editor Rating: 4.6

The Louisville Slugger BBO5153 BBCOR Omaha 515 Baseball Bat can only be described to be ‘special’, thanks to its great looks and amazing features. Over the years, people have trusted the Louisville Slugger brand with power and championship performance without ever being disappointed.

Carved out of premiere ST+20 alloy and the flex band technology from Slagger, the baseball bat delivers the right amount of power, sweet spot, superior balance, light swing weight and barrel flex.

without so much a struggle, making it the ideal choice for people looking for consistency, durability and top of the class performance in the field.In the US alone, most of the college teams use opt to swing the Louisville Slugger bats due to their unparalleled performance in the nations’, top cream in the game.

Clearly power, price and performance shuffle the ideal bet in baseball bats. Why get left out? Make your order today and if you are not more confident in your swings within 30 days, well most outlets are willing to take it back.

Final Verdict

Baseball play has never been made this easy. Whether in high school or NCAA, BBCOR standards have proved to be effective in revolutionizing baseball play everywhere.

With an assorted collection of BBCOR standard bats specially enhanced to improve performance in the field, buyers are sure to be spoiled in their choices. Nice and even weight distribution, graphic enhanced killer looks, muted sound on solid hits, and great grip with flawless vibration cancellation, all and more in just one bat.

The future of baseball play as a super sport is surely changing at a rapid rate. Make your order today, and join the revolution of modernized baseball play.

What the heck is BBCOR?

This is a hot-button question in the game of amateur baseball today. Even though BBCOR has been around since 2010, there hasn’t been much information provided to the public about what it stands for and the reasoning behind it. Most believe that it is just another marketing scam by major bat companies to get more money out of the pocket of everyday Americans.

The truth about BBCOR is that it stands for Batted-Ball Coefficient of Restitution. One, that is a mouth full and two, what does that mean? Below is a passage taken out of the NCAA protocol on bat certification, put into effect in January of 2011.

Bat performance is specified by using the BBCOR (Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution), which is calculated using the inbound and rebound speeds of the ball:

All the scientific babble aside, basically the NCAA wanted metal bats to be safer and to act more like wooden bats. BBCOR measures how much energy is lost when the ball makes contact with the bat. The higher the number, the greater the “trampoline” effect will be. Prior to 2011, metal bats were measured by BESR. The “trampoline” effect being produced by BESR bats was allowing 5’7” 160lbs second basemen, to hit the ball out of the park. Scoring and injuries were at all time high. The NCAA decided they needed to do something about it, so they came up with BBCOR. For a bat to be BBCOR certified, the bat must meet the .50 ratio for “trampoline” effect, which is only slightly higher than that of a wooden bat.

Types of BBCOR Bats

BBCOR bats come in all different makes, models, and sizes. To cipher through all of the information it comes down to three questions:

1. Composite vs. Alloy
2. 1-Piece vs. 2-Piece
3. Price

Composite vs. Aluminum/Alloy

The barrels of BBCOR bats are made out of two different types of metal; composite and aluminum alloy. Ultimately there is no right or wrong answer to whether you should buy a composite or aluminum bat. It all comes down to personal preference. However, we have provided you with a comparison of composite and aluminum bats below. So that you can make a decision based upon which one you think will be a better fit for your abilities and price range.

Composite Benefits:

1. Lighter
2. Balanced Feel
3. Absorb the Sting

Composite bats are made out of woven fibers of carbon kevlar, graphite, fiber glass, or carbon fiber. Composite tends to be lighter and stronger allowing the bat maker to create a bat with a longer barrel(larger sweetspot) and lighter swing speed. However, if you go with a composite bbcor bat, you will need to “break it in”. Lucky for you, we have a complete guide on how to break in a composite bat. This will allow you to get the maximum performance from any composite bat.

Aluminum Alloy Benefits:

1. Stiff/Responsive
2. Durable
3. More Affordable
4. No Break In Time

Aluminum bats are made out of different alloys or types of metal. These vary depending upon the different bat companies. Aluminum bats tend to be more stiff and responsive. Meaning that when you make contact the bat is going to flex minimally and you will be able to feel whether you made hard contact or “just missed” it. Aluminum bats are also very durable and allow you to get great bang for your buck. It is also important to mention that aluminum bats do not require a break-in period. They can be taken right out of the box onto the playing field, unlike composite bats.

1-Piece vs. 2-Piece Bat

Now that you have determined what type of material you want your barrel to made out of, it is time to decided if you want a 1-piece or 2-piece bat. Each one offers unique performance improvements. Just like deciding between composite and aluminum alloy, there is no right or wrong answer here. Ultimately it is the players preference.

1-Piece Benefits

1. Stiff/Responsive
2. More for Power Hitters

1-Piece bat is made out of either composite or aluminum alloy. 1-Piece bats tend to be stiffer and stronger. This means that when the bat makes contact with the ball, little to no energy is lost in the process. It also means that you have to be fairly strong to swing these bats through the zone, they have a little higher swing weight, but also drive the ball further. If you are strong and are a power hitter, I would recommend a 1-piece.

2-Piece Benefits

1. Lighter Swing Weight
2. Flexes
3. Increased Bat Speed and Power

2-Piece bat is composed of a handle and a barrel that are bonded together. They can be made out of different materials. For instance the Easton Mako has a composite handle and a composite barrel, but the Easton S2 has a composite handle and an aluminum barrel. The materials of the barrels differ by bat companies. The 2-Piece design allows for the bat to flex during the swing, which will result in increased speed and power. The 2-Piece is more tailored to contact hitters that want a quicker bat speed and lighter swing weight.

Price

We all know that price is a determining factor when picking out a BBCOR bat. It would be nice to have the money to buy whatever bat you like and if you don’t like it, buy another one. However, this is not a reality for most. That is why the BBCOR Bats HQ staff has created this website to provide all of the information to make an informed decision and to hopefully save money.

If you go to the Ultimate BBCOR Bat Guide you will see a chart that can be organized by brand, make, barrel material, lengths, features, rating, and even the lowest prices listed through Amazon. Our goal is to provide you with the information needed to get the perfect bat for the perfect price.

More resources:

1. What the heck is a BBCOR bat?
2. Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) – NCAA
3. BBCOR Bats Explained – YouTube

Researching the best youth baseball bats and baseball uniforms can be a real minefield – there are just so many different sites out there and so many different opinions. Good news: we’ve done a load of research for you. Even better news: we’ve put our findings in this article, and to make it even easier, we’ve picked our top three youth baseball bats.

By the end of the article, you’ll understand why they are so popular and what the main features are that your child might benefit from. Then you can make an informed decision. Remember, the habits of a batter are forged from a young age, so it’s vital to get the bat right from the beginning.

Our best all-rounder: Cold Steel Brooklyn Crusher review

We like this one because it’s basically unbreakable. Bats breaking in competitive play is a disappointingly regular occurrence, but if more people used bats like this, then it wouldn’t be. As well as being expensive to replace, broken bats can also be a dangerous thing on a baseball field, so the benefits of having this almost-indestructible bat are not to be underestimated.

This really is the bat for all seasons. It would be ideal for practicing or competition. The Cold Steel Brooklyn Crusher is 29” long, and weighs in at 2lbs 1 ounce. It has a sleek look as well to match those custom designed baseball jerseys. 

Easton YB14S500 Review

The best thing about the Easton YB14s500 is the weight. Made from aircraft alloy, this feels nice and light, but it packs enough of a punch for some mega hits.

The luminous green contrasts brilliantly with the gray and black – it really oozes class in every department. And you can customize the length… anything from 27” to 32”.

Louisville Slugger MLB225YB Youth Wood Baseball Bat Review

Wood bats can be a bit of a risk because the quality of the wood can change so much, but Louisville Slugger have been well-known for the quality of their wood for many years.

They always use Maple, which is a closed grain wood, similar in structure to laminated bats. It’s also more firm on the surface than Ash, which is commonly used for bats. This is important because it reduces the risk of splintering. The Louisville Slugger MLB225YB also comes in multiple lengths, ranging from 26” to 31”.

Youth Baseball Bats Explained

It’s easy to be over-awed by the amount of choice that is out there in the youth baseball bat market. We’ve put together an easily digestible guide which will give you all you need to know about youth baseball bats.

The evolution of baseball bats

First, a little history lesson. The first baseball bats can be traced back to the 1850s, long before a time where there was mass production of anything, so they tended to be homemade, fashioned from any material available.

It was 1859 when they brought in the rule which stipulated that bats couldn’t have a diameter any larger than 2.5”, and by 1869 it was insisted that bats could be no longer than 42”. The length rule still stands today.

It’s generally acknowledged that the first commercial bat was the Louisville Slugger, in 1884. The story goes that the Louisville player Pete Browning broke his bat during the game, and a 17-year-old in the crowd named John Hillerich offered to make him a replacement.

Hillerich took Browning to his father’s woodworking shop, and Browning proceeded to select a piece of white ash and supervised the whole process of the making of the bat. With new bat in hand, Browning then ended up going three for three the next day! This was enough to create a lot of demand for Hillerich and his father to make other bats for people, and so the Louisville Slugger was born.

The metal bat was first invented and patented in 1924, but it was 1970 before it was ever actually used on the open market. Metal bats have become more and more popular in junior and amateur baseball, but wood bats are still the choice for professional players.

We’re currently in the age of the Maple bat, thanks in no small part to Barry Bonds championing the Maple bat during his record-breaking 2001 season.

The aspects of a bat

Barrel:

This is where the ‘sweet spot’ for hitting can be found. The longer the barrel, the bigger the sweet spot, but also, the heavier the bat is. There’s always a trade off between having a big enough sweet spot to get the batter out of jail if they mishit the ball, or having a smaller barrel/sweet spot that makes for a lighter bat and a faster swing.

Grip:

Grips can be leather, synthetic leather or rubber. This is the area that covers the handle.

Taper:

Taper basically means the diameter of the bat’s handle. The wider it is, the less shock for the player when the bat hits the ball. Again, there is a trade off with weight. A smaller taper would allow for better bat speed and wrist rotation.

Bat types

There are several different materials that a bat can be made out of, each with their own pros and cons. To make the right choice, it’s important to first understand what level you are playing at. As we will discuss, some bats suit junior play better than competitive play.

Aluminum:

Aluminum bats are lighter than wooden bats, so this makes them ideal for junior ball. Many leagues have them as standard, because they allow the kids to swing hard and really go for it.

Another advantage of aluminum bats is that they don’t require breaking in like wooden bats do.

Composite:

These are the lightest bats out there, because they are made up of fiberglass, graphite and resin. These tend to have the largest sweet spots of all bats, and they’re well balanced too. They can take a bit of getting used to, so be prepared for a long break-in.

Wood:

These are rarely used in little leagues, but they do still have some benefits. Wooden bats can be customized more than any of the others, i.e. the taper can be adjusted to a player’s swing and they are good for teaching young players proper swing form from an early age. The disadvantages of wood bats are that they have a long break-in period, they have smaller sweet spots, and they can often break.

Bat standards

Across all materials, youth baseball bats are measured in terms of length, weight and drop. Length and weight is self explanatory, but drop is defined by subtracting the weight of the bat from the length. Smaller drops are for power swingers, while longer drops offer greater swing speed.

Find the right length and weight

It figures that bats will need to be longer for taller batters, and that as youth players get older, they will need longer bats.  Below is a rough age/length guide:

5-7: 24”-26”

8-9: 26”-28”

10-11: 28”-30”

11-12: 30”-32”

13-14: 31”-32”

15-16: 32”-33”

17+: 34”

To find the right weight, there is a good test you can do. Ask the batter to hold the bat to the side at shoulder height for 10 seconds, and if they can’t keep their arm straight, then the bat is too heavy.

Bat cost

Bats can range from $25 all the way up to $200 and more, but be careful: just because a bat is expensive doesn’t mean it’s the right bat. Make sure you take in all the factors that have been mentioned in this article before making a decision. Only then should you consider the price.

Other equipment

Although not all of the following items are mandatory, they are an important part of the mix.

Bags:

This can preserve the life of any bat because bags protect bats from marks and potentially breaks.

Helmets:

Quite rightly, helmets are compulsory in city and school leagues. Protecting players’ heads is clearly important, but even more so at junior level when the standard of pitching can vary so much.

Gloves:

Any help that players can get in gripping the bat is generally worth it, because even a small slip can turn a home run into a mishit. They are also useful in protecting the batter’s hands and fingers.

And finally…

Remember, a bat can shape the way a child plays for life, so you should really take seriously the many different issues discussed in this article. Good luck!

You can always rely on Twitter to provide entertainment when your team isn’t playing. In our top 10 list we have everything from the random political crusades of MLB pros to the parody account of a dead pitcher from the 1880s.

1). Brandon McCarthy (@bmccarthy), Dodgers pitcher, 168K followers

This man is one hell of a character. Only Brandon McCarthy would be able to blatantly call out an umpire’s performance while comparing to the ultra trendy play of NBA star, Steph Curry. 

higher percentage- correct calls from the home plate ump in Royals/Mets or Curry’s 3-pointers tonight?

— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) April 4, 2016

Of course Brandon’s wife is similarly just as amusing.

Somehow I feel like this dog is better off on her own. pic.twitter.com/A5Lnoimns6

— Amanda McCarthy (@Mrs_McCarthy32) July 11, 2015

2). MLB Cathedrals (@MLBcathedrals), 61.2 K followers

This is great for all the nostalgia hunters among us. There are some great photos of baseball uniform and old ballparks you may have forgotten, as well as some photos of today’s arenas.

Great American Ballpark, site of this year’s ASG, with a freshly imploded Riverfront (Cinergy) Stadium next to it. pic.twitter.com/o7r4GrvT4P

— MLBcathedrals (@MLBcathedrals) July 14, 2015

3). Old Hoss Radbourn (@OldHossRadbourn), 70.9K followers

This is absolute genius – one of the funniest baseball accounts you’ll ever see. Old Hoss Radbourn was a pitcher and rightfielder who played in the 1880s and died in 1897, and yet miraculously, here he is on Twitter! This really is a great parody account – you can imagine the kind of fun you can have with an alter ego from the turn of the century.

103 — A. Chapman’ fast ball speed and the temperature of the fever that killed me in the great typhus outbreak of ’88.

— Old Hoss Radbourn (@OldHossRadbourn) July 15, 2015

4). Joe Posnanski (@jposnanski), NBC Sports writer, 111K 

This guy is poetic – his way with words is unbelievable. One of the best sports reporters out there.

5). John Thorn (@thorn_john), official MLB historian, 11.5K followers

This is great for baseball history. John Thorn has access to all-things historic, like photos and newspaper cuttings, which he shares regularly.

6). MLB Jersey Numbers (@NumbersMLB), 5.6K followers

This account is quite simple – it’s about jersey numbers. It tracks who’s wearing what number and who may have worn that number in the past. 

As we specialize in custom baseball uniforms, we appreciate this!

7). Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS), CBS Sports insider, 360K followers

Jon Heyman realy is on point. He’s great for breaking news and he’s insightful about the sport. Well worth checking out.

8). SABR (@sabr), Society for American Baseball Research, 24.9K followers

The SABR are some serious operators. In recent years they’ve mostly been associated with Sabermetrics that determine the baseball statistics that truly matter, but they are about a lot more than just that.

9). Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10), former Braves infielder, 476K followers

Just look at how many followers he’s got – the most on this list by a mile. You just don’t know what he’s going to say next, but it’s likely to be a conspiracy theory!

What a crock of crap! Oswald killed Kennedy? Seriously? Sorry, but I’m watching JFK. It’s almost laughable what they want us to believe.

— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) November 15, 2012

10). Dan Haren (@ithrow88), Marlins pitcher, 12.8K followers

Haren’s a funny guy. He only pops up every so often but it’s normally worthwhile.

Little league baseball can be a ton of fun. You get to lead a team, work with kids, develop players and have a nice back and forth with fellow coaches and parents. You even get to put your own imprint on the team’s custom baseball uniforms, sometimes get you help work out the schedule, and you get a front row seat to one of the world’s greatest sports. It’s even better when you can actually, you know, win.

To do that, you need to lay out a proper foundation and build a winning tradition. That starts in practice with a lot of the groundwork you set out for your players and coaches. A good little league baseball strategy or two doesn’t hurt, either. There are many different angles you can take, but if you’re just getting started, you more than likely will take all the help you can get. Let’s take a second to consider some of the best strategies and then you can decide what works best for you and your team:

Elite Defense

Playing great defense is easier said than done. You need top notch pitching, you need more than one reliable arm, you probably need a consistent and reliable closer, you need strong fielding and you need players in the dirt that aren’t afraid of the ball. Talent will really help a good defense become a great one, but you can also dictate how well your defense performs with your decisions as a coach. Knowing when to bring your fielders in or drop them back, what specific locations they should be placed in, what types of pitches should be thrown for certain batters – the list goes on.

It’s true that it’s “only little league baseball”, but a good defense can combat a good offense in baseball any day of the week. Normally good pitchers don’t grow on trees, but even if you don’t luck into the kid with a cannon arm, you can at least do some scouting work to know how to work around the opposition’s strengths and you can also position your defense to best react against certain players and plays. This won’t come easy right away, but how you pull the strings is going to end up being very key for how effective your team’s defense ends up being.

If you can make it happen, though, a good defense can take pressure off of your hitters. The less pressure the players feel to perform at the plate, the more relaxed they’ll be and naturally they’re bound to perform better.

Batting Order

The best way to properly utilize batting order is to set it up so your top hitters are smack dab in the middle of the order. A big piece of this is going to be assessing your hitting talent and figuring out who your strong and weak hitters are. The average hitters can be placed at the beginning as well, but are probably best used to close the order or can be placed closer to the middle.

Leading off should be one of your weaker hitters and you can start sliding in your stronger hitters as early as the second spot. It might be more ideal to put your best hitter in the third slot, though. This way, if your weak hitters can somehow get on base (or even just one of them do), you can spark your offense with your first top hitter, who will then be followed by the best hitters after him. You can switch it up and see what works best, but how you piece together your batting order can be very key, both for offensive chemistry and for natural flow. From the other side, putting your best hitter first can really backfire, as he can always get on base, but if the next 2-3 hitters aren’t good at connecting, he’ll often be left stranded.

Depending on how deep you want to get into it, you can track player statistics in various situations and near the middle of the year and definitely be tournament time, you’ll know exactly where everyone fits the best.

Communication

Our last little league baseball strategy isn’t a strategy in itself, but it’s absolutely crucial. Communication at a high level starts from the first day of practice all the way through the final game of the year. It involves top shelf communication with each individual player, the team as a whole, coaches and parents. Letting everyone know directly what is expected of them, using positive reinforcement and also pointing out flaws that can be corrected will go a long way in improving your team over the course of the season.

That’s the starting point and a base idea, but it gets much more focused when you consider how much communication can help you in the actual game. From hand signals to pitcher/catcher communication, from fielding controls to third base coach decisions, there are constantly moving pieces that you, your players and your coaches need to try to be on the same page on. Where does your pitcher go on a bunt, what happens if someone is rounding third, where do your players need to be lined up on a deep ball, and on and on. Set out a plan for communication from day one and win or lose, you’ll always be on the same page with the entire team. You won’t always win because of elite communication skills, but not losing because a breakdown in communication is a reward by itself.

There are always more practices and strategies to consider when discussing little league baseball, but these three areas are a good spot to start. Hopefully they help you as you head into practice or at least confirm things you already thought. With that, good luck to you and your team this spring!

Whether you’re a veteran little league baseball coach or a young parent taking over a team for the first time ever, it’s always good to read up on helpful tips to get you headed in the right direction. Winning each game and the end of season tournament is the long game you always want to consider, but the development of each child comes first and foremost. We’ll touch on the key things you’ll want to consider when you start out on your first practice and prepare for your first game this spring. Before you even order your team’s custom baseball uniforms, be sure to consider all of these aspects:

Have a Plan

First thing’s first, no matter what level of baseball you’re at, you want to come in prepared and have a plan. A common misconception is if you’re walking around with papers you don’t look like you know what you’re doing. Sometimes, sure, but for the most part you actually look organized and like you have a plan. And in reality, if you have something to refer to to keep practice in order, you are prepared. Keeping a cheat sheet of sorts around for your basic practice outline, individual assignments and practice drills is a great way to know precisely when and where certain things need to be done. You generally only have an hour or two to go through everything during a little league baseball practice, so making the most of it is key.

Having a plan and executing it are two very different things, as are having a plan and thinking you have a plan. We’ll go over some pretty key tips to help you go into your first/next little league practice with confidence.

Set Guidelines and Rules

You either already have a firm plan in place or you’re ready to learn one right here as we go. That’s part one, and part two is setting your own rules and guidelines for yourself, other coaches and the players to follow. Set the time with a perfect baseball uniform that each practice starts and ends and have that be very strict. Players that are late run laps or sprints and every rule you set in place remains constant. Setting and executing rules and regulations within the team helps build character, but more importantly, it holds everyone accountable.

Saying “it’s just little league baseball” is lazy and nothing good is ever built without a sound foundation. Keep things concrete from the very beginning and let everyone involved in the little league practices know where they stand and what is expected of them. Your practice isn’t an NFL training camp, but it also isn’t a playground where people can come and go as they please and once there can do whatever they wall. Structure is key, and you’re the coach, so make sure whatever rules you set up are followed through with every time just as you announce them to start the season.

Player Development

Notice we haven’t even talked actual little league baseball tips yet? That’s because foundation is truly so very key when dealing with young minds. Just like parents and teachers would, you need to consider that you are shaping young lives, both in a sport and in life. With every rule, coaching tip and personal move, always keep in mind that these are still young kids and that they have feelings and personal opinions. Develop the player, but don’t forget about the child.

Basic Practice Outline

1. Get Started & Warm Up

Once your rules and guidelines are in place, they’re there for everyone to know and there won’t be any surprises when someone slips up and needs to received proper punishment. Then you’re free to start off your practices as you see fit. The best way to do this is to do the same thing every time the team first meets up, to help build continuity and a routine. This can be whatever you want, but common ideas to first get started are a 10-minute jogging sessions with some basic calisthenics (push ups, jumping jacks, sit ups, etc). This gets the blood flowing and let’s everyone know right away when they get to practice that they’re coming there to work and to better their craft as little league baseball players. Obviously depending on age and level you can determine how rigorous this is to start out, but generally it’s fairly laxed and everyone works as the same pace. Pick out a team leader to guide the team in the calisthenics while you meet with the other coach(es) and gear up for the rest of the practice.

This is a good place to start and outside of a light jog and calisthenics, you don’t need much more for a warm up, as everyone will be ready to go. That being said, there are other things you can do to start each practice and if you really want, you can even alternate how you open up practices.

2. Throw Around

Throw around can be part of the warm up session or even take the place of calisthenics, but the extra movement being playing catch is good for the mind and body. It loosens players up and gets them mentally and physically prepared for the practice. Doing a throw around session separately gives them one more thing to do as part of your opening routine and it’s obviously also a huge fundamental part of little league baseball. Playing catch can be broken down to groups of two or three or you can develop a full team strategy that works on infielding. Infield drills usually cover that, however, so starting out with light tossing is suggested.

One key thing to keep in mind is that this should be ordered and monitored. For one, you can’t just have players go and throw wherever they want. Have one set of players line up on one of the white foul lines, with his partner across from him about 10 feet. This should help avoid anyone getting hit with stray balls. It’s good to have someone (or yourself) watch the tossing, too, so you can make sure no one is misbehaving, but also to watch that the technique is strong on the throws and catching.

3. Drills

The actual drills you do are completely up to you, but it probably would be a good idea to switch them up every practice. This may be the one area of your practice that completely deviates from your regular routine. That helps keep players thinking and on their toes, while every practice you’re coming up with new challenges to boost their game. One day can be offensive drills, another defensive, another simply endurance, etc. The list goes on.

Good examples of drills you can conduct are sliding, base running, bunting, pop up catching, ground ball catching and third base drills (knowing what to do and when to do it at third). Some drills you can split the team up for, and others you’ll want to keep everyone together.

4. Batting Practice

BP is a hugely important for all players to hone their swing and perfect their vision and timing at the plate. You can use tee’s, use a rotation of pitchers or even take the team to the batting cage. One way or another, they need work at the plate. A good 30 minutes is probably plenty of time to get every player a few reps at the plate and this is not an activity that takes up a lot of energy, but still has them using focus and effort to improve a key part of their skill-set. This is best done toward the middle of practice so it can both be used as a bit of a break (you can also schedule a min-break in your practices if you feel it’s needed), but it’s also obviously extremely beneficial to every player.

5. Defense

After getting some work in at the plate, it could be a good idea to next focus on defense for a good portion of practice. Obviously on offense you’re largely dealing with hitting and running, so with that already touched on earlier in practice, you’ll want to spend a good deal of time on the defensive side. Whatever you don’t already potentially cover in your selected drills portion of the practice as discussed above, you can slide in here. You can work on double plays, pitcher decisions, catcher decisions, plays from the outfield and the list goes on.

6. Scrimmage

Not every practice needs a full team scrimmage, but it never hurts to take what you learned or went through each day and put it in a full speed, live game atmosphere. You can work to schedule this in for every single practice, or you can choose special days during the week where the team will conduct a brief scrimmage, putting offensive and defensive knowledge to work. This allows you to test your little league baseball team in a game setting and see what specific individuals may need to work on.

Ending Practice

You can decide how to end your practice, but however it does end should always be similar or even exactly the same from day to day. Rounding the team together for a mini-rally at the mound to discuss your upcoming game, practice times and the like is encouraged, and this is where you can discuss specifics of the practice and anything else you need to relay to the team. Once this is over, you should have, within your predetermined rules and regulations, already set in motion for players to be responsible for cleaning up the field (picking up bats, balls, etc) and to inform their parents of pick up time and when/where/what time the next game and/or practice will be. For your first ever practice, you can use this huddle to lay down all of your rules and guidelines before and/or after the initial practice.

While everything touched on here is very important, the biggest thing of all might simply be proper communication. Make sure you’re always doing your best to effectively communicate what you expect out of parents, fellow coaches and of course, the players. When everyone is on the same page and working correctly together, you’re well on your way to building a positive (and successful) foundation.

This isn’t the end all, be all to little league practice tips, but it’s a good start to get the ball rolling. For more info on specific little league practice drills, tips and advice, be sure to check back at our blog routinely as we look to help new little league baseball coaches succeed in their first go-around this year.

There’s nothing like variety in sports, especially when a team isn’t a lock to make the playoffs or is down a star player. Taking in a baseball game live is always plenty of fun, but add a little change of pace, and it can be so much better. One way for MLB teams to provide that randomness is with their alternate MLB uniforms.

You’ve got your total misses when some teams go the “camo” route, and then you have several teams that just don’t get it when it comes to treating their fans to a high quality alternate look. A few MLB teams absolutely get it, however, and they take custom baseball uniforms to a whole new level when they send their players out with their “other” digs.

People will always have their own thoughts on the best and worst MLB uniforms, so that naturally plays into the best alternate uni’s, as well. We’ve got five of our own personal favorites, so feel free to check them out and let us know if we nailed it or if we missed a couple really good ones:

Texas Rangers Red Uniforms

The Texas Rangers currently sit atop the AL West division and are trying to win the division and/or get into the 2015 MLB playoffs, whatever the cost. They’re also looking good doing it. Texas happens to have one of the better MLB uniform rotations in the league, as no one will balk about their regular blue uniforms. However, they’re among the league leaders when it comes to their alternate uniform game, as their red uniforms might be the best jersey they have.

Oakland Athletics Yellow Uniforms

Oakland has always kept their MLB uniforms fairly traditional, as even their modern uniforms still pay homage to their throwback 1970s look. Their alternates really take the cake, though, as the all yellow uniforms oddly capture what the Athletics are all about. Most A’s fans are used to the all white and green trim or the bold green with white pants, but no other Athletics uniform is as flashy and eye-catching as their yellow alternate uniforms. They could even make a case for the best in baseball.

Toronto Blue Jays Blue Uniforms

Toronto dances dangerously on the fine line between being original or looking like the Los Angeles Dodgers when it comes to their all white or cream grey uniforms. But when they put on their blue alternate baseball uniforms, there is no mistake the Blue Jays are on the scene. Toronto is one of the most potent offenses in all the league and they just might be a World Series contender in 2015, but there is no denying they seem to be at their best when dressed in their blue jerseys. Even if that’s not necessarily case, they at least look their best when donning the blue uniforms.

Pittburgh Pirates Black Uniforms

Pittsburgh, much like their hometown brethren the Steelers, will always be known for their yellow and black combination. But what’s more Pirate-y than Pitt’s black alternate uniforms? Nothing, is the answer. Andrew McCutchen and co. can beat anyone on any given day, but there’s no denying they look their absolute sharpest when wearing their black jerseys.

Seattle Mariners Alt White Uniforms

The Mariners have come on strong since the middle of the summer and in some ways they’re “white hot”. That brings to mind their best uniforms, which arguably have to be their all white alternate uniforms. They only bust them out every now and then, but Seattle never mixes today’s modern era with a throwback mentality than when they’re draped in all white with the classic “Mariners” etched across the chest. Sure, there might be some edgier uniforms or even ones that cater more to the throwback image, but Seattle’s all white uni’s do one of the best jobs of mixing both.

Got a better alternate uniform? Tell us what other uniforms you think should have cracked our top-5!