Louisville Slugger Dustin Pedroia Maple Model S318 Replica Bat MLB Grade Maple Wood Maple is a closed-grained timber with a structure similar to layers in a laminated product. This makes the bat less prone to flake than an ash bat and allows for a maple bat to be more durable. Maple is a very dense timber with a greater surface hardness than ash. Exact model Dustin Pedroia uses Turning model S320