Add Matt Chapman to Old Hickory Bat’s Murderer’s Row. He joins names like Trout, Arenado, Goldschmidt, and Story as guys who swear by Old Hick.
Chapman, unlike others we’ve seen, is swinging Birch wood, which is regarded as a hybrid between the forgiveness of Ash and the hardness of Maple. Others like Ender Inciarte and Jonathan Lucroy (who swing B45 Birch) has referred to a “break-in” period with Birch bats, as they seem to become harder with use. Matt Chapman’s bat is the JB5, which is Old Hickory’s version of A-Rod’s old model, the C271L. You can shop the JB5 in Birch, Maple, or Ash.
From Old Hickory’s site:
“The Old Hickory JB5 is cut to the C271L profile. The JB5 has a medium barrel with a long taper to the thin handle and a large flared knob. This bat is similar to the Old Hickory KG1 but features a larger knob.
Dimensions: 2 1/2 barrel (medium), 29/32 handle (thin), flared knob”