Best Fungo Bats for This Season
The key to winning at baseball always starts with a good defense. And to have good defense, your players have to practice outfilending the right way, with a fungo bat.
What You Will Learn
In this article we are going to cover the top 10 best fungo bats on the market today. These fungo bats range from aluminum to bamboo and other materials, to relatively low prices all the way up the spectrum to a few hundred dollars. We will also cover the basics, like what a fungo bat is, why you need one, how to buy the right sized fungo bat and more.
For fielding, you’ll want to simulate a game-hit ball as close as possible. You can rely on a machine or combine hitting and fielding practice, but a coach hitting the baseball into the field with a fungo bat is the most effective way to train game-like grounders, line drives, and pop flys.
Fungo bats make this possible by making it easy for coaches and parents to hit baseballs or softballs all over the field.
Due to their rising popularity and utility, there are tons of Fungo bats on the market, so it can be difficult to parse out which is the best.
We’ll help you out by reviewing what Fungo bats are good for and providing our top recommendations for the best Fungo bats.
Top 10 Fungo Bats
1. Louisville Slugger Fungo K100 Natural Baseball Fungo Bat
Louisville Slugger is a household name for producing excellent baseball equipment, and this Fungo bat is no different. This model is made of Northern White Ash, making it very lightweight while also giving it a natural feel as the ball comes off the bat. A softer swing will still produce considerable power due to the bat’s unique end-weight design. It also has a natural finish, making it one of the best fungo bats in terms of performance as well as looks.
Features:
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Ash wood fungo bat
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36” length
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Weighs only 1 pound
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Built with a foam core
2. SSK Z9 Professional Edge Fungo Bat 2023
This sleek Fungo bat is available in three sizes from 33” to 37” in length. It is handcrafted with lightweight Magnolia Obovata Wood that grows natively in Japan. The craftsmanship is exceptional while still coming in at a reasonable price with a 60-day warranty. It’s a popular Fungo bat for coaches at all levels including professional and college coaches. The 33” bat is great for younger levels and infield practice, the 35” is popular among softball coaches, and the 37” model is for users comfortable with Fungo bats and an excellent tool for outfield practice.
Fungo Bat Features:
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Made out of Magnolia wood
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60-day warranty
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Available in three sizes (33”, 35”, and 37”)
3. Rawlings Maple Training Fungo Bat
This is another well-designed Fungo bat with multiple bat length options. The 34” is perfect for infield practice and the 37” is designed with outfield practice in mind. Rawlings makes this bat with a sturdy, yet lightweight maple wood that is designed to withstand repeated use. The cupped barrel design gives you more control over the bat so you can better place your hits to improve infield and outfield training. Additionally, it has a 2 ¼” barrel which results in a large sweet spot and improved consistency.
Fungo Bat Features:
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Can be used for softball and baseball practice
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Made with maple wood
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Available in 34” and 37” length
4. SSK Z9 Professional Edge Coaches Wood Fungo Bat
This is the second SSK fungo bats on our list as we are big fans of the Japanese bat manufacturer, and so are its users with some of the highest online reviews and ratings for a Fungo bat brand. It is also made of Magnolia Obovata Wood and likewise comes with a 60-day warranty. SSK fungo bats receive special treatment when they are made which makes them one of the most durable bats you can find. Their fungo bats are heat compressed which makes the wood denser and durable while keeping the lightweight feel in your hand.
Wood Fungo Bat Features:
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Constructed with Magnolia wood
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60-day warranty
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Available in three sizes (33”, 35”, and 37”)
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Great for ground balls
5. BAMBOOBAT Fungo Bat
You get great bang for your buck out of this affordable and functional Fungo bat. It’s a utility Fungo bat with a 34” length that can be used for both indoor and outdoor practice. This makes it a great budget option, and it is very high quality for this price range. As the name suggests, this Fungo bat is made with a proprietary mix of high-quality bamboo. It scores points for its low weight and great durability. It’s a composite bat and for less experienced coaches and parents, this offers a somewhat easier user experience than a wooden bat.
Features:
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Bamboo composite bat
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34” length
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One of the best fungo bats made out of bamboo
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Comes in 10 colors
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Matte finish on the handle for better grip
6. Mizuno Pro Fungo Bat
If you’re looking for a Fungo bat that can be used for outfield practice then this is an excellent option. It has the added benefit of a versatile design so it can still be used in infield practice as well. Mizuno constructed this wood bat with a high gloss finish that gives a premium look to this very affordable Fungo bat.
Features:
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Made from durable wood
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Great for ground balls
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10” grip
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Great for all age groups
7. Diamond Sports Fungo Bat
This is one of the shorter Fungo bats you’ll see, which makes it excellent for controlled infield practice. Diamond Kinetics is known for their swing analysis products, and they’ve expanded their offerings to a wider range of training products. A trusted MLB partner, they’ve hit it out of the park again with this simple, yet sleek Fungo bat.
Features:
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Pro grade wood bat
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Great for fly balls and ground balls
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33” length
8. BF-B Barnett Fungo Bamboo Baseball Bat
This is another composite bamboo Fungo bat, but this one is a 35” model. It has an excellent finish which results in a shiny, slick red bat that both performs well and looks good. Once again, this is one of the best fungo bats for less experienced coaches and parents who want to improve their player’s fielding skills. At 35” you can use this for both infield and outfield practice, and it provides a consistent and sturdy swing.
Features:
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Bamboo composite bat
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35” length
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Weighs just 20 ounces
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Great for hitting fly balls
9. DeMarini Wood Fungo Bat
This Fungo bat is suitable for coaches who prefer hitting with a wood bat. If players at your level hit with wood bats, it might be preferable to go with one of these to get close as possible to a game-like hit. The grip tape is also a handy addition that will give you a safer swing.
Features:
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Wood bat
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Available in 35" / 23 oz.
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Black / Natural color
10. Bownet Coach Bat
Bownet produced an exceptional Fungo bat that is suitable for both baseball and softball. This wood bat is 35” and weighs just one pound. You’ll get great control with this bat, and it comes in at a very reasonable price for its high quality.
Features:
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Poplar wood bat
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35” length
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Weight: 1 pound
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Available in 5 colors
What is a Fungo bat?
A Fungo bat is essentially a practice bat that is designed to conserve the hitter’s stamina while allowing them to hit baseballs all over the field, allowing for an efficient fielding practice. The design gives more control to the user so they can better train their fielders.
Fungo bats are designed to be low weight, long, and produce a consistent swing. They are primarily used during practice to train specific fielding movements or for warm-up before a game.
Typically, they are so lightweight that they considerably weigh less than a regulation-size baseball, relieving stress from the hitter. Most often Fungo bats are constructed with a lightweight wood like ash wood or maple, but you will also find Fungo bats made of bamboo or even aluminum.
Because of their unique design, coaches and parents will have more control over where the balls go. So, if they want to train the shortstop in grounders to the player’s left then you can with a fungo bat.
It also saves a coach’s energy so they can train the players for longer and get every fielder’s reps up during practice.
For these reasons Fungo bats have become a very popular training tool as they protect the coaches and give the players a better practice session.
With that out of the way, let’s look at the best Fungo bats on the market.
Why use a Fungo bat?
The addition of a Fungo bat can greatly enhance your fielding training sessions. With a 35” bat like the SSK Z9 Professional Edge Coaches Wood Fungo Bat you can train both infield and outfield players in a variety of hits from grounders to line drives.
Due to its lightweight, a coach or trainer will have more control of the speed and placement of a hit ball. This means you can better tailor your hits to train specific fielding attributes.
Fungo bats also recreate a more game-like situation for a fielder than firing a ball out of a machine. The pop of the bat gives a more realistic feel that better translates to gameday.
The construction of Fungo bats also saves your coaches energy and protects their hands. As they’re designed for training, they can generate significant power without causing too much stress to the hitter.
Overall, a fungo bat can be used to give your players enhanced fielding training that better reflects what they will see in the game.
Fungo bats vs regular bats
A Fungo bat may look similar in a picture to a regular bat, but Fungo bats are almost always lighter, thinner, and longer than a regulation sized bat. This gives the hitter more control over the bat and makes it easier to hit the ball in the sweet spot for consistent hits.
Regulation bats are heavier due to various regulations, but they also have to be sturdy and heavy enough to make contact with fast, pitched balls.
Fungo bats are designed specifically for fielding training in mind, so they do not have to comply with regulations that regular bats have to. Fungo bats are not for use in a game.
For these reasons, a high-quality Fungo bat is relatively cheap in comparison to a regular bat. That is part of what makes it such a great addition to a baseball or softball team’s training.
Wood or Metal Fungo Bats
You can find plenty of wood or aluminum Fungo bats on the market. The different make of the bats offers a different feel and functionality.
If you are familiar with a wood bat, then we highly recommend going with this material. Wood Fungo bats offer the most natural feel for the fielder and get closest to simulating what types of grounders, line drives, and pop flys your fielders will have to deal with.
The Louisville Slugger WBFN100-NA Fungo K100 Natural Baseball Bat is probably our favorite wooden bat. It’s lightweight and packs a punch that gives you awesome control.
While most of the bats on our list are made from wood, there are still great aluminum options on the market. If you are unfamiliar with using a wood bat, they are easier to get the hang of. Plus, if your players will face aluminum bats in games, it gives them an extra dose of what they’re likely to see on gameday.
The DeMarini WTDXJTRFN89645 Knock Bat is a solid aluminum Fungo bat that comes with a variety of size options, so you can have the most comfortable swing when you’re training your fielders.
Choosing the right weight and size for your fungo bat
Most Fungo bats are around the same light weight, but length is the most important factor to consider.
A longer bat will give you a greater capability to hit long fly balls for your outfielders. Of course, you sacrifice slightly on consistency and accuracy compared to a shorter Fungo bat, which is more suitable for infield practice.
As a rule of thumb, 35” bats are best for combo training, while 33” is best for infield training, and 37” is optimal for training outfielders.
Wrapping it up: What we learned about the best Fungo bats on the market
At the end of the day, all of these Fungo bats on our Top 10 list do a great job. Hopefully, you are now armed with some new information that gives you a better idea of exactly the Fungo bat you need to get the most out of your fielding training.