Corked Bat Dugout

In addition to the other advantages of using a corked baseball bat, science also provides evidence that using a corked bat is beneficial to a baseball player. There are two important facts used to show that corked baseball bats give a hitter a scientific advantage over non-corked bats. First, a corked-filled bat barrel has less mass than a wood-filled bat barrel. Secondly, since a corked bat has less mass, a player is now able to swing a bat significantly faster which adds more velocity to his swing.

It is true that by decreasing the mass of a baseball bat decreases the kinetic energy of a hitters swing. However, by examining the above formula we notice that the velocity of a hitter’s swing is a bigger factor in determining the kinetic energy of the swing than mass is. Since swinging a lighter bat gives a hitter more velocity, a hitter produces greater kinetic energy with his swing (even though his bat mass is less!). The more kinetic energy there is in hitter’s swing then the more power there is in a hitter’s swing. The increased power in a hitter’s swing will translate into more extra base hits and homeruns. For non power hitters, one thing is for sure… using a corked bat will lead to more base hits.