Photo/Illutration Shohei Ohtani smacks his first home run of the 2023 season on April 2 against the Oakland Athletics. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Changing bat companies and from Japanese ash to a harder maple may have helped Shohei Ohtani clout the 44 round-trippers to become the American League home run king. 

Since moving to the major leagues in 2018, Ohtani, 29, has changed the bats he wielded as he has become stronger physically.

The bat he used during the 2023 season was made by Chandler Bats of Florida using a variety of inputs and requirements from Ohtani.

Ohtani also switched to maple as the main material for his bat after initially using bats made with Japanese ash.

SRS is the importing agent for Chandler Bats in Japan. According to Seiichi Uno, SRS president, the maple bats made by Chandler are suited to power hitters. The bat designed for Ohtani has a thinner handle and a smaller knob.

The harder maple used in the bats by Ohtani this season may explain why he often shook his hands after a swing that missed the sweet spot. Because the maple bat is not very pliable, the hands can feel numb if the ball is not hit squarely. 

Maple bats became the focus of attention when Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants used one in 2001 to set a major league season record with 73 home runs.

Ohtani moved to using the maple bat after bulking up through weight training.

Until last season, his bats were made by a Japanese manufacturer using Japanese ash, the preferred material used by many Japanese stars, including Ichiro.

But in 2021, Ohtani switched to a bat made from yellow birch, which led to him hitting a career-high 46 home runs.

Hiroyuki Kato, an associate professor of mechanics and materials at Hokkaido University, has researched bat lumber. Maple is the hardest wood, followed by yellow birch and Japanese ash, he said.

Ohtani also used a slightly longer bat this season measuring 34.5 inches (87.6 centimeters), one inch longer than the one he employed last year.

A batter must have a stronger lower body and better balance to effectively wield a longer bat.

As to why Ohtani slugged 44 home runs this season even though he only played 135 games of the 162-game season, Uno of SRS said it was the workman and not his tools.

“He (Ohtani) was not using a special bat," Uno said. "His improved technique in meeting the ball as well as his greater physical strength allowed him to effectively use the bat made of a harder material.”

Related News