Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat (2024)

Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat (1)

Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat (2)

Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat (3)

Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat (4)

Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat (5)

Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat (6)

Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat (7)

Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat

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Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage bat has evolved over his time in the MLB. While he started his career with Japanese Ash, Ohtani hit the bulk of his homers with Maple before switching to Birch for 2022. We spoke to a few manufacturers about this recently, and there is some debate over why Birch has so quickly come into favor. Fundamentally, Birch wood has hybrid qualities, with hardness similar to Maple and flex/forgiveness similar to Ash. This is a happy medium for a lot of hitters, and its also known to become harder as you hit with it and the wood becomes more compressed.

Those are great reasons to switch, and one pro bat manufacturer said he wouldn’t swing anything else but Birch. Another factor could be scarcity, as Maple was difficult to source in 2022, according to another bat manufacturer. The manufacturer attributed the shortage to a late, wet winter that made harvesting Maple wood difficult in the dense northeastern forests. That scarcity didn’t necessarily wipe out Maple entirely, but it made QUALITY Maple harder to come by, so the thought is that Birch might have stepped in for the 2022 season. With its benefits, however, it’ll be interesting to see if Birch continues to challenge Maple for popularity in the MLB.

There is very little to be found about Ohtani’s bat model, though we found that he swung a 33.5″ inch, 32 ounce bat in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The Japanese inscription on the label is as you’d expect, “Shohei Ohtani.” GQ did this interview (below) with Ohtani about his 10 favorite things, but whoever was running the interview didn’t ask any meaningful questions about his gear, so there isn’t much to be gleaned from it. Hunt Asics lumber on eBay, but we haven’t yet found any Birch.

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Shohei Ohtani’s Asics Gold Stage Birch Bat (2024)

FAQs

Which bat does Shohei Ohtani use? ›

Tap star to rate: Shohei Ohtani's Asics Gold Stage bat has evolved over his time in the MLB. While he started his career with Japanese Ash, Ohtani hit the bulk of his homers with Maple before switching to Birch for 2022.

What bat brand does Elly de la Cruz use? ›

Louisville Bats' Elly De La Cruz displays elite speed, incredible power | MiLB.com.

What does Shohei Ohtani use? ›

Ohtani uses Asics from head to toe. Shohei Ohtani's glove is a beauty. His red and white Asics Gold Stage glove is something we are not used to seeing in the US but it sure is eye catching. Ohtani's cleats and batting gloves follow the same theme with a white a red color combo.

What shoes does Shohei Ohtani wear? ›

Ohtani signed a long-term partnership with New Balance on January 31, 2023. Since then, Ohtani starred in New Balance's "We Got Now" global marketing campaign and collaborated with the brand on apparel and footwear.

How heavy is Shohei Ohtani's bat? ›

Shohei's power, like Judge, is top 0.0001% in the world, and his SO17. 4 is sized accordingly. His 34.5 inch, 32 ounce Chandler Maple is as long as any bat in the Bigs except Judge's 35 inch AJ99.

What bat does Bryce Harper swing? ›

And yes, Bryce Harper is on that list. The Phillies MVP has hit a lot of home runs with Victus bats, including the one that sent the team to the World Series. "He always swings with maple bats," said Jared Smith, CEO of Victus. "We've made him a three-pack essentially for every series so far.

What bat does Ronald Acuna Jr use? ›

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER RA13 WOOD BASEBALL BAT.

What type of bat does Ronald Acuna Jr use? ›

Louisville Slugger MLB Prime RA13 Ronald Acuna Jr. Game Model Maple Bat | Dick's Sporting Goods.

What bat does Fernando Tatis Jr use? ›

Victus FT23 Fernando Tatis Pro Reserve Maple Bat | Dick's Sporting Goods.

Is Shohei Ohtani sponsored by asics? ›

Ohtani had been signed with Asics, a Japanese sportswear company, since 2014 — his second year in the Nippon Professional Baseball league.

Why is Shohei Ohtani called a unicorn? ›

11, is often referred to as a “unicorn” by local media. His inimitable talent as a two-way baseball player must make him as unique as the legendary creature.

Why is Ohtani number 17? ›

17 as he was earning two American League MVP awards and becoming a two-way phenomenon. It's the same jersey number Kelly, who had just re-signed with the Dodgers for one year and $8 million, has worn since 2019. Of course, it ended up not being an issue — Ohtani will wear No. 17 and Kelly will wear No.

What size bat does Shohei Ohtani use? ›

Ohtani also used a slightly longer bat this season measuring 34.5 inches (87.6 centimeters), one inch longer than the one he employed last year. A batter must have a stronger lower body and better balance to effectively wield a longer bat.

What kind of batting gloves does Shohei Ohtani wear? ›

ASICS(Brand used by Shohei Ohtani) baseball batting gloves 3121A633 26cm.

What is unique about Shohei Ohtani? ›

In 2021 he became the first player in major league history to be named an All-Star as both a pitcher and a position player. Ohtani was born into a baseball-loving family, and both he and his elder brother, Ryuta, were introduced to the sport at an early age.

What bat does Kane Williamson use? ›

Delta Players Edition Bat - Kane Williamson (20/21) - Cricket Bats | Cricket Express - Gray-Nicolls 2021/22 GN.

What bat does Mike Trout swing? ›

Mike Trout's Old Hickory MT27 is now available! Swing the same Old Hickory bat that Mike does. The MT27 can be customized with your choice of colors and your name on the barrel. You can also order Mike's exact bat, complete with his name engraved.

What bat does Aaron Judge use? ›

Designed for baseball superstar Aaron Judge, the pro model AJ99 offers excellent balance in a bat with a long barrel and large sweet spot. After a couple at bats with the AJ99, you may never want to use another bat again.

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