Illegal Baseball Bats – Models and Methods

Today I will talk about illegal baseball bats. Using something that brings unfair advantages in the playing is a common phenomenon in every sport.

Let me give you some famous (or should I say ‘infamous’) events in the history of sports where players took illegal advantages and created a history that every sports enthusiast wants to forget?

On September 24, 1988, history was made. Just when everyone was convinced that it is not possible for a human being to run a 100-meter track under 10 seconds, then one man broke this “Faith.”

Canadian athlete Ben Johnson ran a 100-meter track in 9.79 seconds. But later, he was found dop positive, and the gold medal was taken away.

In the 1994 Football world cup, one of the greatest footballers of all time, Diego Maradona, was ruled out of the world cup after being found drug positive. That was an incident that broke the hearts of millions of football fans because that was the last official world cup football of that little magician.

So, taking unfair means in sports is a common incident. And that happens in baseball, too, even in major league baseball. Sometimes, players also use a baseball bat which is not permitted. In this article, we will discuss illegal bats.

So, read this article carefully and DO NOT use those bats because there is a huge coincidence for that.

How a Baseball bat is Authorized? 

As a baseball coach, it’s my duty to know which bats are illegal in the little league or any kind of league. The governing body of baseball and softball leagues has a set of rules for players on which types of baseball bats they can use in the match.

If you are into baseball, you must know there are two types of certification – BBCOR and USSA bat. After the bat passes the lab test, the authority notifies the bat manufacturers.  Then manufacturers use the corresponding certification against the bat.

But what if the bat doesn’t pass? Well, then a bat is declared “Illegal or banned.”

But the governing body of leagues does not take the certification for granted. They also run tests on baseball bats used by the player randomly.

They test bats, and if they find something suspicious about any bat, they use independent labs to test the bat again.

If any bat fails to pass the tests employed by the league governing body, they “decertified” that bat. For example, that happened to DeMarini CF ZEN in the opening season of 2017. 

I often hear questions from my school baseball team’s guardian and students about which bats are illegal in a match. Therefore, I decided to write an article on this.

Bats are not only declared illegal when they fail to pass the tests. Sometimes players temper the bat to get unfair advantages. 

We will discuss those illegal approaches also in the latter part of this article.

List of Illegal Baseball bats in 2022 

Take a look at the below chart. Those bats are declared “banned or illegal” by the respective authorities. To learn more, please read the next section on why those bats are recognized as illegal by the league governing bodies.

Year	League	Model	Brand	Product Links
2017	USSSA	2 3/4 Drop 10 (blue/white)*	DeMarini	Product Link
2017	USSSA	2 5/8 Drop 8 (green/white)*	DeMarini	Product Link
2018	USA	Ghost X 30-inch	Easton	Product Link
2018	USSSA	KAMO	Dirty South Bats	Unavailable
2018	BBCOR	Balistk	Mattingly	Product Link
2018	BBCOR	CX2	Nike	Product Link
2018	BBCOR	TPX Dynasty	Slugger	Product Link
2018	BBCOR	CAT 5^2	Marucci	Product Link
2018	BBCOR	TLS	Reebok	Product Link
2018	BBCOR	Black	Marucci	Product Link
2020	BBCOR	33-inch	Slugger Meta 33	Product Link

DeMarini CF Zen  

This is one of the surprising news for the baseball industry. The entire bat industry was surprised to hear that the eleven (11) Demarini CF Zen youth bat failed to pass the BPF audit.

And after failing to pass the test, the USSSA certification of DeMarini CF Zen was taken away.

Two versions of this model were declared illegal – Drop 10 and 9 versions. Later in 2018 28,29, 30, 31, and 32 were also declared banned in 2018. As a result, Ghost X USA was declared illegal in all USSSA baseball.

That was disastrous for the brand as they lost half of their youth baseball bat line up for this ban. In addition, that impacted their brand value, and customers lost faith in them.

But the brand gave up its frustration and released DeMarini CF Zen Retooled (DXCBZR). This bat got USSSA BPF certification.

KAMO Dirty South Bats 

On 4th December of 2018, the USSSA declared some serials of Dirty South KAMO was declared “banned.” At first, two sizes BB KA 8 Drop 10 and Drop 8 (there were three of them) was announced illegal.

After the announcement, the DSB KAMO (BB KA 8) was declared illegal in the USSSA games. The announced illegal sizes were 32/24, 31/23, 32/22, 31/21, and 30/22.

Before the ban was applied, there was a rumor in the market that Dirty South bats were hot. And when the league management took the lab test they found the rumor came true. 

KAMO is a famous brand and I, along with other experts, am confident that they didn’t willingly market illegal bats because they have some popular great baseball bats.

The following series of KAMO dirty south bats were declared illegal:

31/23

32/24

32/22

31/21

30/22

** Drop 10 and three models of Drop 8 were declared illegal.

Marucci CAT 5 BBCOR

This was one of the most shocking news the baseball bat community ever heard. When someone talks about an illegal baseball bat, no one expects to see the name Marucci on the list. Marucci is one of the best brands for baseball kits.

The CAT series is one of the best baseball bats in the industry.

Therefore, when people heard Marucci CAT 5 was declared illegal, that was huge shocking news. But hold your breath. Not all models of CAT 5 were declared illegal.

Only the 34-inch and 33-inch models of the Marucci CAT 5 series were declared illegal

Those two models of CAT 5 were much hotter than the tolerance level declared by the BBCOR standard. The governing body found this out, took the test, and they were banned from BBCOR leagues.

After CAT 5, Marucci released CAT 7, which was a revolutionary baseball bat. It is BBCOR certified. The one-piece alloy construction was an impressive addition to the baseball bat industry.

Moreover, the patented AV2 knob minimized the vibration which was like a “dream came true” feature for players.

After Marucci CAT5 was banned, there was a rumor in the market that the Marucci F5 was banned. But that was entirely wrong. We have a review article on Marucci F5, which is, in my opinion, one of the best budget bats in the industry.

If you are interested in the Marucci CAT series, you should read the Marucci CAT 7 vs. CAT 8 review. I placed both bats side by side and provided my honest opinion on them.

Marucci's latest bat Marucci Cat X has gained huge pupulairy in the market for its high performace and latest technologies. 

COMBAT B2 Youth

This composite youth baseball bat had a great review in all marketplaces. The bat was so powerful that it got the name “Da Bomb.” Young baseball players made the pitcher’s life tough with this bat.

COMBAT B2 youth bat had a huge sweet spot and came with an extremely balanced design. But the league authority was suspicious after seeing the power of the bat and ran a lab test and declared it illegal. That was 2011.

In 2016 COMBAT declared that they would not produce any baseball bats in the future. But the company was already owned by Easton in 2013. Though the production of COMBAT bats was shut down still, 2018 COMBAT bats are available in the market. They are limited edition bats and are sold by their close partners.

Mattingly Balistk

Mattingly Balistk was a super hot bat, and hitting with this bat was a piece of cake for anyone.

Apparently, the league committee took the bat to the experiment and found that this bat is not legal and declared it banned.

Louisville Slugger OneX Fastpitch

This was an old-banned incident. In 2013 the Louisville Slugger OneX Fastpitch bat was declared illegal. The bat had serious manufacturing defects also and cracked within very few days.

Sometimes they broke between the handle and barrel. The total number of the reported incident was more than 170, which was huge considering a top-level league bat.

Though the bat was considered one of the best fastpitch bats, it was declared banned.

The Louisville Slugger XENO Fastpitch softball bat, on the other hand, provided top-notch performance and had no friction. Moreover, the double-wall design made the bat extremely durable.

Marucci Black

A strange incident happened with the Marucci Black. The NCAA claimed the bat was illegal, but NFHS did not impose any ban on this bat. That was one of the strangest incidents that happened in baseball bat history.

I tried to figure out how this happened as both the leagues use the same standard. But unfortunately, I could not find any authentic news about this. But the thing is what it is. The Marucci Black was declared illegal by the NCAA.

Illegal Softball Bats

The number of illegal softball bats is huge, and I did not bother to list all of them in such a short scope. Please see the below picture to find out the list of illegal softball baseball bats.

Reasons why A Baseball Bat becomes Illegal 

So far, I have talked about the list of illegal baseball bats. The list I provided will help you NOT TO purchase an illegal bat. But what if you make a bat illegal?

Yes, you can make a bat illegal also. There are many things that make a baseball bat illegal to play with. As a coach, I will also make those things clear in this article so that you DO NOT make your bat illegal and face dangerous consequences. 

A Legal bat passes some tests before entering the market. But some modifications can increase the bat’s performance. They are often called “doctored bat” or “Juiced bat”.

Shaving makes a bat Illegal 

Bat shaving is illegal to approach. In this process, the inside wall of a baseball bat is shaved using a CNC milling machine. First, technicians remove the end cap and then replace it after the shaving process is complete.

Shaving removes the weight of the bat and makes long-distance ball hit easier. If you shave your bat and use it in any kind of league, you will be severely punished.

Some people say bat rolling is illegal but that is not true. I have written a separate article on bat rolling and shaving. Check this out, and you will learn everything about this topic.  

Painting is Illegal 

Baseball bat painting is often used to cover up identifying marks on the bat. Players paint their bats so that they can hide any unfair approach they make on the bat.

In most cases, players paint their baseball bats to alter their appearance. Altering the bat will make the bat look like a legal bat, and the umpire will not doubt the bat if the player made any tampering with the bat.

Simply put, painting a baseball bat creates a fake declaration about the bat. So, NEVER think of painting your bat for styling purposes. You will be sent out off the field can face long-term punishment for this.

Bat Corking on wood bats is illegal 

Bat corking is done on wooden baseball bats. It’s a kind of modification that improves the performance of a bat unethically.

The process involves drilling. Those who do these things drill a vertical one-inch hole which is six inches deep down the center of the barrel. Then the expert fills the vacuum with rubber balls or crock and re-seals the bat.

To disguise the modification work, the end is filled. Though this process decreases the durability and lifespan of the bat, it increases the hitting capability. Therefore, this is illegal in any form of the baseball league.

Some people believe that this process doesn’t enhance the performance of the bat but the majority think it does. Therefore, these days some players also use this method in the aluminum bat. It doesn’t matter which bat you are applying the method on. This is illegal and NEVER do it.

Illegal Drop Weights

Drop weight compares the weight and length of a baseball bat, and it’s a negative number.

Drop weight is a negative number. The method is simple. The drop weight is calculated by subtracting the weight from the length of a baseball bat. The unit for weight is an ounce, and the length is inches. 

If you did not get the point, let me demonstrate you with an example. If a player reaches the senior league of minor league age 13 and above, players have to use -3 drop weight. If we do the math, if the weight of the bat is 28 ounces, the height can’t be more than 31 inches (the subtraction should not exceed -3)

Every league has a specific drop weight, and players must follow that rule strictly.

Bat Weighting

Any type of bat weighting is illegal in baseball. Every bat comes with a specific weight when it comes to the market. The bat’s end cap is typically the adjusted point of the bat’s weight. Sometimes players replace the endcap to hide illegal adjustments of the weight.

The weighting of the bat is referred to as “end loading.”

Grooved Baseball Bats

Grooves on a baseball bat make a huge impact on the spin of the ball. If a baseball bat contains a groove, it can change the flight of the ball, and the ball behaves weirdly when in the sky.

The inconsistent surface of the grooved baseball bat will affect the flight consistency of the bat. As a result, the flight of the ball becomes inconsistent, and fielders find it tough to grab the ball. Therefore, grooved baseball bats are illegal, and never use grooved bats in any form of match.

Flat Surface Baseball Bats

In the early days, flat surface bats were made. A flat surface is mostly used on wooden bats. This practice is illegal these days, and you can not use a flat surface bat.

Permitted bats in Different Leagues    

So, now you know which models of bats are illegal and the reasons that can make a legal baseball bat illegal. Now let’s talk about which league permits which types of bats. If you are thinking about taking baseball seriously, you should know which bats are permitted in which leagues.

Major League Legal Bats

The major league is the highest level of baseball, and MLB players of MLB are the best in this profession. So, batters of major leagues have the capability of hitting the ball with so much power that they can generate dangerous speed.

Therefore, some rules are imposed on the major league bats.

In the major league, only wooden bats are allowed. Even bats made with bamboo are not allowed in the major league. Hitting with the wooden bat is difficult, and that makes the game safe for the players and the crowd also.

You can not play with white bats in the major league as the white ball is not visible against the white bat, and that can cause a safety issue for the pitcher. 

The allowed diameter of major league bats can not exceed 2.61 inches, and the length should be under 42 inches.

Minor League 

The minor league is the second most competitive league, and the players of the minor league are considered as the pathway to the major league.

Minor league players are expected to have a similar skill level to the major league players. Consequently, the rules for the bat of the minor league are similar to the major league.

College Baseball 

The dimension of the college-level baseball bats is the same as the major and minor league. But the component used to manufacture the bat can be different here.

In a college-level baseball league, you can use bats made of aluminum, wood, or composite materials.

Another vital factor of the college-level baseball bats is that they must be BBCOR rated. If the bat is not BBCOR certified, then the bat is considered illegal.

High School Baseball 

Just like the college level, high school baseball level permits aluminum, wood, and composite material baseball bats.

In most cases, players tend to select composite alloy or aluminum bats in this level of baseball matches. Aluminum bats are great for hitting, and most young players prefer this bat to attract the scouts of senior leagues.

The diameter can not exceed 2 ⅝ inches, and the bat can not exceed 34-inches. And for the certification, the bats must have BBCOR certification with a -3 drop.

Little League Baseball 

The little league consists of between the ages of 4 to 16. Therefore, the size and type of the bat change according to age. Players can use wood, aluminum, or composite bats. You can find the detailed bat rules for the little league from their official bat rules page.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is an illegal Baseball bat? 

Baseball is played in different sectors with different sets of rules. Every league has its own set of rules for which bats can be used by the players. For example, the major league only permits wood bats. So, aluminum or composite bats are illegal in the MLB.

Again some tempering methods can give a player additional advantages, which is not permitted by the league authority. For example, if anyone uses the shaving method in the baseball bat, that increases the hitting ability. So, bat shaving is illegal. Like this, there are certain sets of rules for every league, and if players break that rule, that bat becomes an illegal bat.

What happens if I play with an illegal bat? 

Bats are declared illegal for certain reasons. Using an illegal bat gives you extra privilege, which is against the “spirit of the game” and breaks the “level playing ground.” There are different levels of punishment for using illegal bats.

You can be fined or can be banned for a season, and the punishment depends on the league authority.

Final words 

Human nature is very mysterious. Some want to take the challenge, and some others want to win, taking the unfair path. That’s why rules are important. That’s why rules should be implemented without any mercy.

Using illegal bats in a baseball match is huge cheating.

As a coach, I always tell my students to take the challenge. When you take the challenge and defeat your opposition by playing within the rules, that gives you the original satisfaction. Unfairness never gives satisfaction.

So, you should never use any illegal bats in any form of match. Play the game by the rules and uphold the spirit of the game. At the end of the day, that matters more than winning.