Louisville Slugger 2014 S318 M9 Maple Wood Baseball Bat Brand New Turning model S318 is swung by Jay Bruce M9 professional-grade maple wood construction offers outstanding durability Maple wood is a dense grain that is less prone to flaking and splintering Handle: 15/16" 34" WBM914-18CNA The M9 series is constructed using professional-grade, handpicked maple. Maple stands out as a dense timber with greater surface hardness than ash, leading many players to believe it gives them a sizable bump in performance. Due to its close-grained timber, maple bats are less prone to the flaking found on barrels of ash bats. Natural The official and #1 wood bat used in the MLB