5 Best Bats For Cold Weather (Baseball & Softball)

As you might know, baseball and softball bats aren’t meant for cold because they can get damaged more easily. However, some bats are better than others in cold weather use.

In this article, you will find out the best baseball, fastpitch, and slowpitch bats for cold weather. Before moving on to the actual bat, I want to make sure that you understand the concept of bats and cold to make an informed decision and treat the bat accordingly.

Feel free to scroll down to the best bats if you already know!

Can You Use a Bat When It’s Cold?

Generally, you can use a baseball or softball bat when it’s cold. However, it depends on how cold it is and what kind of bat you use.

There are composite, alloy, and wooden bats that vary in withstanding the cold. I will go more into detail later after explaining what is too cold for baseball & softball bats.

What Is Too Cold for a Baseball & Softball Bat?

In one of my articles, I went through what is too cold for softball, and the general answer is 32°F (0°C). However, the lowest temperature for the bat isn’t that cold, as it is 50-60°F (10-15°C) depending on the bat, material, and manufacturer recommendations. This is also true when considering baseball.

What Bat Material Is The Best For Cold Weather?

When comparing bat materials for cold weather, wood is the most durable, an alloy is the second, and composite is the least durable.

My first three recommendations are focused on alloy bats as they have far better features in performance than wooden bats, and baseball and softball aren’t often played with wooden bats except in MLB.

If you can sacrifice a bit of the performance to gain more durability and affordable pricing, wooden bats are a great choice.

For example, a wooden bat would be great for just training even when it’s not cold as they are the truest to your skills, heavy, and more durable.

In addition, bat boning, also called bat rubbing, is a good practice for cold weather because the process compresses the wooden material making it denser. Thus, increasing its durability, among other things.

My first three recommendations are aluminium bats, and the last two are wooden. Choose what fits your needs the best.

Best Bats for Cold Weather

Without a further due, here are the five best baseball and softball bats for cold weather.

Best Baseball Bat for Cold Weather: Marucci CAT9 BBCOR Baseball Bat

• Material: Alloy/Aluminum
• Barrel diameter: 2 5/8″
• Length: 30-34″
• Weight: 27-31oz (Drop -3)
• Color options: 2

This bat is the best baseball bat for cold weather, and it’s a killer one on warmth as well! The alloy construction gives better durability against cold than a composite bat. You can find this bat in 5 different lengths with a drop weight of -3.

Speaking of construction, Marucci CAT9 BBCOR Bat is thermally treated, meaning that it has better overall performance, durability, and a forgiving feel! Thanks to a multi-variable wall design, this bat also has a massive sweet spot and no dead spots. The multi-variable wall and anti-vibration knob also decreases post-impact vibrations from missed hits which is good as they tend to be more stinging in the cold.

The swing balance is balanced, although some people report a slight end-load that only increases power. You will get to hold the bat from an ergonomic handle covered with a micro-perforated soft-touch grip geared toward feel and control.

I love this bat because it has all the building blocks for great use in the chill, yet it’s so versatile that it will perform well in any other situation. I’m a fan of overall performance bats, and this is one of those with a touch of power.

Best Fastpitch Bat for Cold Weather: Anderson Rocketech Fastpitch Softball Bat

• Material: Alloy/Aluminum
• Barrel diameter: 2 1/4″
• Length: 31 & 34″
• Weight: 22 & 25oz (Drop -9)
• Color options: 1

For fastpitch softball, you will need a bat that is lighter in weight than a baseball or slowpitch bat, yet it must hold its durability in chilly weather. There are no better choices than the Anderson Rocketech Fastpitch Bat when looking at aluminum bats!

This bat hasn’t been constructed the usual way as the main concern here is that it will perform well in all types of weather. The anomaly here is the weight, as the bat is end-loaded and heavier than most fastpitch bats. So for you to use this bat properly, you need to have some strength in your arms! If you do, this bet is perfect.

Another fascinating thing about its construction is that this bat has a double-barrel design. The alloy sleeve is placed outside the standard barrel to increase durability and performance further.

I highly recommend the Anderson Roecketech Fastpitch Bat for all fastpitch softball players with strength in their swings and love durability and power hitting. If you recognize yourself, this bat is the best choice for chilly weather and warmer ones.

Best Slowpitch Bat for Cold Weather: Miken Vicious 13″ Slowpitch Softball Bat

• Material: Alloy/Aluminum
• Barrel diameter: 2 1/4″
• Length: 34″
• Weight: 27 & 28oz (Drop -6 & -7)
• Color options: 1

Slowpitch, on the other hand, has different needs from fastpitch. The Miken Vicious 13″ Slowpitch Bat is worth considering if you want a bat with great durability even for cold weather, powerful construction, and certifications for all softball play.

This bat features a normal 2 1/4 barrel diameter, a medium-heavy weight, and an end-loaded weight distribution, so this bat is powerful. The barrel is 13 inches long, so the bat will also be great for slapping.

The great thing about this bat is that some softball leagues won’t allow composite bats, and this alloy bat mimics them quite well, increasing performance at all levels. This is possible because of the two-piece, multi-wall design, which places this bat above other slowpitch bats.

Talking about league play, this bat is certified for USA Softball, USSSA, NSA & ISA play. Oh, and the cosmetics of this bat are breathtaking.

This bat is my favorite for slowpitch because its performance is unusual when comparing slowpitch alloy bats. The construction makes it great for chilly weather, and the design is so beautiful to gain positive envy from all that you play softball with.

Best Wooden Baseball Bat for Cold Weather: Louisville Slugger 2020 MLB Prime Bat

• Material: Wood (Maple)
• Barrel diameter: 2 1/2
• Length: 31-34″
• Weight 28-31oz (Drop -3)
• Color options: 9

If you want a wooden baseball bat for cold weather instead of an alloy bat, the Louiseville Slugger 2020 MLB Prime Bat is the ultimate choice.

This is perhaps the most beautiful bat I have seen in baseball and softball. Its glossy shine comes from a durability-focused topcoat that drastically increases the bat’s surface, making it even fitter for cold weather, but also gives it a classic mirror-like look.

Maple is the go-to choice of over 70% of all MLB players because of its superior surface hardness, unmatched sound, and great ball contact feel. When it comes to features, the barrel is slightly smaller with a 2 1/2 diameter instead of the 2 5/8, and the swing weight is balanced.

A final note that I love about this bat is its overall design. The bat starts from the max taper knob followed by the standard handle, which then beautifully conforms into a medium-sized barrel, all included with beautiful coloring and a brilliant gloss finish. I seriously would like to buy all of these bats in different colors and stare at them.

I recommend this bat for all baseball players that want the most beautiful bat with very rigid construction to withstand the coldest baseball conditions you will play in. As a bonus, you will get a great overall wooden bat for baseball that many MLB players highly appreciate.

Best Wooden Softball bat for Cold Weather: Louisville Slugger Unisex Maple Slowpitch Bat

• Material: Wood (Maple)
• Barrel diameter: 2 1/4″
• Length: 34″
• Weight: 27oz (Drop -7)
• Color options: 1

My recommended wooden softball bat isn’t as good quality as the other bats on this list because I wanted to focus on affordability. This is because softball is rarely meant to be played with a wooden bat, so this one is meant for cold temperature training only.

I would use this as the cheap yet capable second bat in addition to the main metal bat you use.

So why Louiseville Slugger Unixed Slowpitch Bat? First of all, the mixture of its low price and great durability makes this the perfect training bat for cold weather. Second, the long barrel and considerable heavyweight will add reach and power for your swings, so been when it’s cold; you can play great softball.

The bat is also USA Softball (ASA) approved. Sometimes, slowpitch teams join wooden bat tournaments or something similar with different rules. Anyways, this bat is a great choice for that as well. This bat is approved by many, especially because of the incredible price-quality ratio. This is the best wooden slowpitch bat you can get at this price.

I like this bat because you wouldn’t want to purchase a bat costing hundreds of dollars just for cold-weather training in softball. This bat comes with an affordable price and stunning performance & durability, especially when compared to the price, which is something unique. I highly recommend this bat for cold weather softball training!