Louisville Slugger M9 Maple Wood Baseball Bat. Harder hitting surface. Maple is a very dense timber with a greater surface hardness than ash. Many players believe this hardness gives them better performance. Maple is a closed-grain timber, making it less prone to flake like ash and allowing for more durability. Maple is generally considered as more popular right now. It has become prominent over the last decade, driven by MLB players using maple. Many MLB Players used maple bats like Buster Posey, Josh Hamilton, Curtis Granderson, Hanley Ramirez, Alex Gordon, Kevin Youkilis, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz. Features #1 Grade Maple. Black Handle Wine Barrel. Handle 1516 inch. Medium Barrel. H359 Turning Model. Cupped End.