Where the Aluminum Tariff Hits a Baseball Bat

Bats matter.

From cost to speed, wood bats and aluminum bats are different. For that reason, at a Major League Baseball game, we hear the thwack of a wooden bat while at most college games, high school, Little League, it’s the ping of aluminum.

Although an aluminum bat could be more expensive than one made of wood, aluminum is a better investment. Lasting longer and less likely to break, aluminum winds up being the better deal.

But also, the bat affects swing speeds, exit velocity, and pitching decisions. Players might prefer aluminum because of its larger sweet spot and consistency. However, a speedier exit velocity from a ball hit by an aluminum bat can make pitchers less safe. The Bleacher Report tells us that everyone is less safe with aluminum.

But depending on where they play, a team might not have a choice. Switching from wood to aluminum in 1974, the NCAA has a series of bat standards including the BESR (Ball-Exit-Speed-Ratio). Yet still, some college teams stuck to wood.

Shown by the following (fascinating) video, there is so much more to a bat than we could ever imagine:

The Trump Aluminum Tariff

A baseball bat could have been imported or made in the USA. Either way, it would be hit by the Trump aluminum tariff.

Imported Aluminum Bats:

We get our aluminum from countries with lower energy costs.

Imported Aluminum:

Our Bottom Line: Incentives

New incentives have already elevated aluminum prices. Expecting tariffs, manufacturers increased demand by accumulating inventory:

Furthermore, bat experts suggest that wooden bats could become more attractive as their aluminum sisters go up in price. Concluding, we can ask here if a tariff should shift decades of the market’s decisions.

My sources and more: For tariff facts, Reuters was one of many media possibilities as were CNBC and CNN. Next, for some bat analysis, this article and Bat Digest and the Bleacher Report explained the difference between wood and aluminum. And finally, the Tax Foundation has a great summary of a tariff’s impact on consumers’ pocketbooks and the GDP.