Little League adopted the new USA Baseball bat standard, effective January 1, 2018. What does this mean for you:
- All bats currently in use in the Minor, Major, Intermediate (50/70), and Junior Divisions will be illegal as of January 1, 2018 (exception for tee ball bats with a length not greater than 26"; see below)
Summary of bat changes:
| 2017 - 2018 Bat Standard Changes |
| Minors & Majors |
2017
BPF 1.15 marking / 2 1/4" barrel max
|
2018
USA Baseball marking
2 5/8" barrel max
|
| Intermediate (50/70) & Junior |
2017
1) 2 1/4" alloy/metal barrel with BPF stamp of 1.15
2) 2 5/8" alloy/metal barrel (no marking required)
3) 2 5/8" composite barrel with BBCOR marking
|
2018
USA Baseball marking
2 5/8" barrel max
No BBCOR allowed
|
| Senior |
2017
All bats must be BBCOR
|
2018
All bats must be BBCOR
|
Tee Ball bats:
Tee Ball bats (26" and under in length) must also bear the USA Baseball marking as of January 1, 2018. Tee Ball bats produced or purchased prior to the USA Baseball standard becoming effective may be certified for use through the USA Baseball Tee Ball Sticker Program. Complete information on Tee Ball bats for 2018 and onwards is available here.
What will the USA baseball marking look like:
Will this impact the use of wooden bats?
Solid, one-piece wood bats that adhere to Little League’s regulations will be allowed for play with or without the USA Baseball mark. Multi-piece wood bats must have the USA Baseball mark to be approved for play. This includes two-piece wood bats, composite wood bats, laminated wood bats, bonded wood bats, bamboo bats, and any wood bat that could be defined as an ‘experimental’ design.
Little League has full information on the new bat regulations available here