Wood bats were the only choice for any batter in the game of baseball until the mid 1970's. But today, wood bats are used far less often than aluminum bats on both the baseball and softball diamonds. Pros are required to use wood bats, and for safety reasons, some high school leagues have recently moved to wood only. Most wooden bats are made of northern white ash, but in recent years maple has become a popular option. This trend started with the success Barry Bonds had with maple bats during the 2001 season.
Most wood baseball bats today are made from Northern White Ash generally harvested in Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. It is graded for quality with straight grain being the most important criteria. (Southern Ash grows too quickly and is not as dense). Major League grade is of course, the best and is also in short supply. Most of what you see that's labeled or sold as Pro-Stock or some similar name is actually Minor League wood or a lesser grade and generally is found for around $40. Of course, there are other levels of quality down to the $20. range. They are known by grades called high school, trophy and retail (don't expect to see the grades labeled). Generally, they are not of very good quality and only worth purchasing if money is an issue. (Better than not having any wood at all). You won't find these on our site. We only work with quantities in straight ash.