Baseball is a sport steeped in tradition and nostalgia. But one entrepreneur in Baldwin City, Kansas is finding ways to put a unique new spin on the game.
Jacob Austin Walters is a longtime baseball fan who grew up playing up through the college level. His other passion as he grew up was woodworking. So Walters found a way to integrate those two interests – making bats.
But these aren’t your ordinary bats. There are already several large companies like Louisville Slugger and Old HIckory supplying many of the standard wood bats used in MLB and other competitive levels. Instead, Walters customizes each bat completely, including each player’s specific size requirements, swing preferences, and even the paint job and other special elements.
Walters told Fox 4 KC, “What makes us special is the story behind how we came about and how we’ve been making bats by hand for 10 years.”
Walters’ company, JAWbats, doesn’t just include standard paint jobs. They even offer a bat that changes color with rising temperatures or when held. They’ve also added custom heart rate symbols and other customizations to make each bat special for their customers.
For now, JAWbats are available for competitive players in various levels, from youth leagues to D1 colleges. And the company is in the process of getting certified with MLB so they can be used by major league players.
Though baseball is steeped in tradition, the unique customizations that JAWbats offers can help it stand out from established industry players. There are plenty of companies that provide unique designs and custom measurements. So, Walters had to get truly creative with the options the company offers.
Since Walters has been a baseball fan and player for years, this likely gave him a better understanding of what customers may be looking for. By going for unique custom requests and creating quality products that don’t cut any corners, the company has been growing and thriving for ten years.
Image: Envato
