Tools of trade: Lamb, Co. talk bat preferences

A ballplayer looking for an on-field edge is as old as the national pastime itself. That's especially true for hitters. From thin handles to thick, cupped or rounded barrels, or maple vs. birch vs. ash, bat options and modifications have long been the norm in baseball.
For Seattle-based Baden Sports' burgeoning Axe Bats division -- whose trademark axe-handle-shaped bats have made believers out of a quickly expanding group of Major Leaguers -- it was actually something entirely different that jumped out to convince D-backs third baseman Jake Lamb to make the switch.
"The barrel of all things was what made the first impression to me," said Lamb, who started using the brand in 2013. "Axe sent me a bat, and I originally had no interest. I laughed it off. I said, 'I'll never swing an Axe Bat with this kind of handle.' So I didn't even give it a try. But then looking at it, I said, 'I like this barrel.' So I started using it and after a few weeks of using it, I didn't even notice the handle anymore. I called them and told them to send me some more bats.
"I used it all spring, and I noticed it felt so much better in my hands than my old bats which would always scar my hands up. I used to hang my hand off the knob, and that doesn't happen with the axe bat handles. I started having success with it, too. I used it for every at-bat last season, and I don't see myself going back to a normal handle anytime soon."
Coming off a breakout 2016 season that saw the D-backs third baseman post career highs with 29 home runs and 91 RBIs, Lamb has joined the likes of fellow big league converts Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, Carlos Correa and D-backs teammates Chris Owings and David Peralta who have moved away from the traditional round-knobbed bats for this new "technology" that was approved for MLB use in 2015.

"With Jake and C.O. having really good years last year using these bats, they told me they felt it helped them better swing through the ball," said Peralta, who began using the axe-handled bats this offseason after having surgery on his right wrist in August, 2016. "For guys who have had injuries to hands or wrists, it helps a lot. I started with these bats this offseason as part of my rehab, and my wrist feels great. There's a reason why so many ballplayers are using these. Word of mouth is huge among teammates and other players in the league."
Lamb added, "When we visited Boston, I was in the field when Mookie Betts was a baserunner at third and he started talking to me about the bats during a pitching change. He was having an unbelievable year using those bats, and he said to me, 'I heard you were getting into the Axe Bat. ... How do you like it?' I got C.O. into using them, and his hitting numbers have improved.
"Our former teammate Cody Ross had some of the original axe-handled bats, and those were brutal. They've come a long way in their development of the handles."
Never much for ash bats, Lamb moved from swinging birch to now maple exclusively with the Axe. In addition to the bat's unique appearance, Lamb has especially noticed the reduced vibration of his latest model vs. his past round-knobbed bats. Gone are the stinging effects of connecting on a mid-90s pitch in on his hands -- a feeling he says he didn't experience once last season with an Axe.
"The original barrel reminded me of a softball bat, and I really liked the wood with it," Lamb said. "Baden sent me Pedroia's model to try out at first. That barrel was a bit small, so I wasn't sure I liked it. They were the only bats I had -- I had to swing them -- so as I started to use them every day, and I really liked the control I had. I fell in love with the model and the handle and stuck with it."

With the company's factory situated in his native Seattle, Lamb has made plenty of offseason trips to Baden Sports to test out new models, as well as offer his input as to their latest and upcoming lines.
"I test out some of the new handles and take quite a few swings at their batting cage at their factory," Lamb said. "I give them feedback. 'This barrel doesn't give me that much swing control. ... This barrel keeps me more locked in.' Some handles I didn't like, but some handles I'm having sent here to test out some more. That's how they get better in terms of their product. The engineers coming up with these handles are incredible, but at the end of the day, they aren't the ones facing 95-mph pitches with sink in a game; they aren't facing Major League pitching.
"It's really important to have a bat you're comfortable with, one that feels right in your hands and one you can control. I was one of those guys who used the same model my whole Minor League career, and then into my first year in the big leagues and then I switched. And I don't see myself changing from this one. I thought I had a model I liked, but then I switched to the axe handle and I fell in love. It's good to have a bat you're comfortable with."
Our bats
Compiled by: Ian Kraft
Paul Goldschmidt
All natural-grain Old Hickory TC-1 model
Length: 34 in. | Weight: 32 oz.
"Old Hickory has a special spot in my heart because they were the only company willing to help me out with a little discount when I was in the Minor Leagues," said Goldschmidt. "In the Minors, you can't afford to be picky when you have to pay for your own equipment -- so I never forgot them for that. They've always done right by me.
"The one thing with my maple bats that I am particular about is that I always use the same one. I don't switch my model or anything, and I make sure all of my spares on gameday feel exactly like the gamer, so if it breaks, I don't feel anything is different. I'm not going to go away from Old Hickory. It's gotten me this far, so I don't plan on switching it up any time soon."

Yasmany Tomás
Natural grain-handled, black-barreled Marucci
Length: 34 in. | Weight: 32 1/2 oz.
"When I arrived in the big leagues in 2015, I was asked what kind of bat I wanted to use," said Tomas. "I didn't know, so they gave me a Marucci JB-19, and I have used it ever since. I used something similar in Cuba, but this is what I like, so I don't want to change it. The wood is thick, and that helps me hit balls harder. That's why I keep using Maruccis.
"Some guys put pine tar on their batting helmets for at-bats, but I don't do that. My pine tar only goes on the middle of my bats -- and not a lot of it -- but it makes the bats easier for me to hold."

David Peralta
Black-handled (green tape), dark-barreled Victus
Length: 33 1/2 in. | Weight: 31 oz.
"I like a skinnier handle because I don't have very big hands," said Peralta. "This season is the first time I am using the Axe Bat. I had surgery last year and it puts less pressure on my wrist. I was talking to Chris Owings and Jake Lamb who are using the same handle and they love it. They told me that they can stay through the ball a little better and that's why I started using it this year, just to give it a try. It feels good so far.
"I like dark barrels, always have, because I can see where I hit the balls. I like that. The combination of barrel and handle doesn't matter as long as I have the dark handle, so I know when I hit bombs. The handle doesn't matter as much because I use the lizard skin tape on mine, but you have to have a little flair with it. That's why mine is neon green. I've got my freight train logo on the knob too. I got it to rock it. I like the name and I like the logo, so I got these stickers made to rock it and to do some damage as a freight train."

Daniel Descalso
Black-handled, natural grain-barreled Marucci
Length: 33 1/2 in. | Weight: 31 1/2 oz.
"I love to pick up other people's bats and just see how they feel, said Descalso. "So I started using this around 2012 when I was with St. Louis. A bunch of guys in the clubhouse were swinging Maruccis. I decided to try it, and I've been swinging them ever since. It just feels good in my hands, plus I am a creature of habit, so I don't want to change.
"As for pine tar, I only put a little on the handle. If I use too much, my swing feels off. Before every at-bat or two, I always want to make sure I have a nice tack on there."

Chris Herrmann
Natural grain-handled, black-barreled Old Hickory
Length: 33 1/2 in. | Weight: 31 1/2 oz.
"Throughout the Minors and even in my Major League career, I've changed out a lot of bats, said Herrmann. "The smaller the barrel, the more dense the wood, so that means it's going to be a harder bat. I'm not a big power-hitter, so the harder the wood, the better. The ball feels really good jumping off the bat, so I'll probably stick with the ML-1 for the rest of my career.
"The main thing I worry about is making sure I have a good grip on the bat. I add some pine tar to the handle before each at-bat, but I don't want to mess with the weight of the bat by adding a bunch of pine tar, so I put some on my helmet in case I need a little extra mid at-bat to get that tackiness back. My batting gloves tend to get really sweaty during the games so I've got to make sure the bat is nice and sticky, so I don't let the bat go and watch it fly into the stands."

Chris Owings
Black-handled, dark-barreled Victus
Length: 33 1/2 in. | Weight: 31 1.2 oz.
"I swing a C-271 Victus and it's basically what I've swung my whole career," said Owings. "I used it in high school and have kept it through my whole career. I swing birch. Everybody has their preference, and birch has treated me well. It was the first bat I started swinging from them, and I felt like the wood was good. With maple it can be hard to break the wood in, but when you use birch, it gets firmer over time which is my favorite."
"I started swinging the axe handle last season. I just feel like it's helping me stay inside the ball a little bit more. I had shoulder surgery in 2014, so I feel like it's helping me be a little more consistent while taking a little pressure off my shoulder, too."