Marucci Buys Victus Bats

Marucci Sports, a major player in the baseball bat space, announced today they have acquired Victus Sports. Victus, a mid-level player in the pro-bat market that produced bats for Bryce Harper, among others, was the first wood bat company to license the asymmetric knob of Axe bats for use on their wood bats.

Depending on who you ask, Marucci maintained about 60% of the MLB wood market in 2016. Victus, on the other hand, held around 10%. Now combined, Marucci Bats is approaching the market share dominance Louisville Slugger established in the mid-1990s.

High-Quality Pro Bats

Victus produces a high-quality wood bat called the ProPact line. Enough MLB players swing Victus’ top-shelf line to solidify its place as a premium brand. Their bats deliver a smooth look much like, dare we say, Marucci. From an aesthetics standpoint, the two companies are remarkably comparable.

Although Marucci already produces a top-tier and sleek-looking wood bat, acquiring Victus broadens their MLB reach and facility distribution. From a number-crunching standpoint, the acquisition makes sense.

You can see Marucci’s full press release on the matter here.

Axe Handle

The most intriguing turn of events may be what Marucci does with the Axe Handle on some Victus bats. Victus licensed the design from Axe, and these Axe-handled wood bats have been used by enough players, like Dustin Pedroia and Mookie Betts, to carry credibility moving forward. Many assumed Victus and the Axe handle would only expand their MLB presence in the 2017 season.

But a Marucci-owned Victus Axe-handled bat adds complexity. The reason is that Marucci and Axe compete directly in the aluminum and composite bat space. Axe claims its proprietary asymmetric handle is superior to traditional handles. Marucci, unsurprisingly, disagrees. While the competition between the two companies is cordial, it is far from insignificant.

What value would Axe find in licensing their unique advantage to a serious competitor? And why would Marucci validate the Axe handle by continuing the relationship?

These are fair questions, and the answers will only become clear as the situation unfolds.

More Bat Company Movement

In the past two years, we have seen Wilson acquire Louisville Slugger and the disappearance of Combat and RIP-IT from the bat space. Easton’s parent company suffered a devastating bankruptcy. Yet even with those setbacks, Adidas and Mizuno have entered the metal and composite bat market, while new companies like Dirty South and Rude American are gaining traction.

There is no rest for the weary in the bat company space. Expect more shifts and developments in the near future.