2018 USA Baseball Organizations Bat Changes

2018 USA Baseball Bat Changes

The bat changes noted do not apply to travel baseball at the time this article was written.  
No Baseball Players Association (BPA) changes for 2017.

January 1, 2018 ushers in new bat changes for the national member organizations (NMOs) of USA Baseball. American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC), Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), Babe Ruth Baseball/Cal Ripken Baseball, Dixie Youth Baseball, Little League Baseball and PONY Baseball will adopt USA Baseball's new bat standard (USABat).  The standard looks to have manufacturers create bats that perform like a wood bat and will apply to bats that are classified below the NCAA and NFHS level of play.  "The new standard will not have a drop-weight limit, so young players can use bats made with light-weight materials." - USA Baseball website.

All the USA Baseball NMOs approved bats can be used during game play until December 31, 2017 using the current standards.  The plan is for the bat manufacturers to release the new bats in the Fall of 2017 in time for the 2018 season.

Sources and More Information:
Little League Baseball http://www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/baseballbatinfo.htm

Little League Baseball Media http://www.littleleague.org/media/llnewsarchive/2015/May-August/Little-League-USA-Baseball-Bat-Standard-2018.htm?utm_source=ll.org%20bat%20page&utm_medium=2018%20USA%20Baseball%20Bat%20Standard%20Link&utm_content=LL.org%20Bat%20Resource%20Page

USA Baseball Announcement http://web.usabaseball.com/article.jsp?ymd=20150807&content_id=141742668&vkey=news_usab