B45

B45 is a bat manufacturer based near Quebec, QC. It was founded in the early 2000s by Michel Laplante, a former minor league player and manager of the Québec Capitales. The company uses yellow birch (known as bouleau jaune or merisier in French) to manufacture its bats, a hard wood used a lot in cabinet making, but that had up to that point never been used to make bats. However, its characteristics - harder than ash but more flexible than maple - make it well suited to the purpose. Former pitcher Éric Gagné is one of the company's owners.

B45 is a small-scale manufacturer that specializes in high-end products used by professional players, including a growing number of major leaguers. Players who have used the bats include Matt Stairs, Michael Young and David Murphy.

The name B45 comes from the letter "B", which stands for bat, baseball, birch and bouleau, and 45, for the latitude of the northern forests from which the wood is taken.

Related Sites

• Official website