[docbrown]

I don’t think they should or ever will step away from wood bats. It’s one of the few things that levels the playing field for all batters; instead letting brute force be the power behind the contact.

Aluminum and corked bats would ultimately give an unfair advantage to the user as compared to a wood slugger. It’s fine in minor league and collegiate sports as they do not follow the MLB’s stricter regulations but if they plan to aim for the major leagues, they should start training with wood.

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On second thought, I think the only time there would be a change is if there were a noticeable impact on the environment and the amount of word being cut to produce bats. But since America’s trademark sport is baseball, I do not see this happening any time soon.

[prh8]

Aluminum and corked bats also become a player safety issue in the majors. It's already a problem at all levels honestly, but the balance would be far more dangerous increasing already high major league exit velocities.

[icelancer]

BBCOR has solved this problem with metal bats; their COR is identical to wood bats (and likely worse in the aggregate).

[aaronblohowiak]

Wood products harvested sustainably protect forest lands by increasing their economic viability. If forests lose economic value from timber, they are more likely to be clearcut for agriculture.

Edit: maple is also one of the most prevalent commercial timbers in USA, is native in most parts of the country and bat usage is so small a percent of maple consumption as to be effectively 0.