The 10 Best Fungo & Training Bats
Special Honors
Phoenix Bats Fungo If you're looking for something that can perfectly match your team's colors, then this might be the company to go with, as they offer nearly 40 per model. There are options designs specifically for hitting to the infield, as well as one that's optimized for use with softballs instead of baseballs, and their prices are pretty competitive. phoenixbats.com
Viper Customized These made-to-order models can be tweaked to give you the exact performance you need with different knobs to choose from like standard or flared, weights ranging from 22 to 24 ounces, and several lengths. You can specify a color, let them know whether you want a glossy or matte finish, and even create custom engravings. viperbats.com
Editor's Notes
July 01, 2020:
With a ranking that's focused on both fungo and training bats, we wanted to divide things up relatively cleanly, and offer a variety that would be suitable for everyone from little league coaches to parents looking to introduce their children to the game. Among fungo models — which, to be clear, are not designed for hitting pitches, but rather for toss up grounders and pop flies hit to train fielders — recognizable brand names have some nice offerings, like the Easton MLF6 and the Louisville Slugger K100, though that Louisville model comes with a particularly rough finish on the handle, and should be wrapped or sanded before use.
Louisville also has a good trainer for hitters in the Louisville Slugger Weighted, which is colored orange so that no one mistakes it for the real thing and tries to hit with it, as they're liable to hurt themselves going all out with its significant weight. It's best used for slow work designed to break down the mechanics of your swing and build muscles conducive to each major component, or to help you warm up in the on-deck circle without using donuts that could damage your primary bat.
For children, we have some really basic options like the Celemoon Super Safe and the Sportime Mondo, neither of which is particularly durable, but both of which are a lot safer than handing your kid a wood or aluminum model. We got rid of the Franklin Tee from our last ranking and replaced it with the Franklin Sports Pop-a-Pitch Combo. It's a very similar model from the same company, but when you remove the tee, it can use a simple lever system to pop balls up in front of your child, giving them an opportunity to work on advanced hand-eye coordination even if they're alone.