B45 Baseball

What B45 Baseball does

B45 Baseball is a Quebec City-based manufacturer of premium wood baseball bats and complementary equipment, founded in 2004 by forest engineers who pioneered the use of Yellow Birch wood for baseball bats. The company handcrafts bats from Quebec-sourced Yellow Birch, a species the company claims combines the hardness of maple and the flexibility of ash, producing bats with lower breakage rates and Ink Dot Certification for MLB play on its Premium line. The product portfolio spans Premium bats ($199.99), Pro Select bats ($119.99–$169.99), youth bats, B-1 blemished bats, training bats, trophy/baby bats, softball bats (four models), and three tiers of fielding gloves (Diamond, Pro, Elite), supported by accessories, apparel, and gift cards. Online Custom Bat Builder and Custom Glove Builder tools allow self-serve personalization of model, size, color, leather, and engraving.

B45 operates primarily as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business through its Shopify-powered website b45baseball.com, with secondary distribution through an authorized dealer network across the U.S. and Canada and factory pickup at its Quebec City production facility. The company serves professional baseball players (with signature bat models for current and former MLB players including Carlos González, Abraham Toro, Eduardo Escobar, Matt Stairs, and Ender Inciarte), amateur and recreational wood-bat league players, youth players, softball players, baseball organizations seeking trophy/award bats, and retail dealers. Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time hardware sales of bats and gloves at premium price points, with no subscription, licensing, or recurring revenue model disclosed. B45 inc. is a privately held corporation incorporated under the laws of Quebec, owned since 2015 by former Major League pitcher Éric Gagné; no external funding rounds, institutional investors, or M&A activity have been disclosed. The company ships to 26+ countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America with notable exclusion of Puerto Rico.

Name

B45 Baseball

Legal name

B45 inc.

Website

https://b45baseball.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

B45 Baseball is a Quebec City-based manufacturer of premium Yellow Birch wood baseball bats, gloves, and equipment, selling primarily direct-to-consumer via its Shopify website and through an authorized dealer network across North America and 26+ international markets. The company serves professional, amateur, youth, and softball players, with signature bat models for current and former MLB players.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Baseball Bats & Equipment

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Baseball & Softball Equipment Retail (CRAMAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Team & League Branded Merchandise Retail (Non-Apparel) (CRAMAOAF)

Keywords

• Wooden baseball bats
• Yellow birch wood
• Custom baseball gloves
• Softball equipment
• Sports equipment manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wood Baseball Bats: Primary revenue stream from selling wooden baseball bats made from Yellow Birch. Product lines include Premium, Pro Select, Youth, B-1 (blemish/deal), and Custom bats. Pricing ranges from $119.99 for youth bats to $199.99 for premium bats.
2. Softball Bats: Sale of wooden softball bats crafted from Yellow Birch wood. Four models available: SBB (classic), SWR (power hitters), AF10 (speed/slap hitters), and MT21 (newest).
3. Fielding Gloves: Revenue from baseball gloves including fielding gloves, first base gloves, catcher gloves, and batting gloves. Product tiers include Diamond Series (Korean cowhide), Pro Series (Japanese beef leather), and Elite Series (European kip leather). Prices range from $224.99 to custom options.
4. Training Equipment: Training bats including fungo bats, two-hand trainers, overload/underload bats, flat bats, short bats, and skinny bats. Also includes training bundles and packs.
5. Trophy Bats: Custom trophy bats and miniature baby bats for team trophies, awards, and promotional items. Fully customizable with colors, logos, and engraving. Bundle discounts available for larger events.
6. Accessories & Apparel: Batting gloves ($39.99), compression arm sleeves ($19.99), pine tar ($21.99), glove mallets ($39.99), apparel (hoodies, t-shirts), headwear (hats, caps), and bat grips/accessories.
7. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards for custom bats, custom gloves, and general merchandise allowing recipients to choose their own products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

B45 Baseball designs, handcrafts, and sells premium wooden baseball bats (and complementary gloves, softball bats, training equipment, and accessories) made from Yellow Birch wood sourced in Quebec, Canada. Its catalog spans Premium MLB-grade bats, Pro Select bats, Youth bats, discounted B-1 blem bats, fully customizable bats and gloves via online builders, softball models, training aids, and trophy/award bats, sold direct to consumers through its Shopify website and through an authorized dealer network.

Product overview

B45 Baseball is a manufacturer of premium yellow birch wood baseball bats and baseball equipment. The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio centered on its signature yellow birch wood bats, including Premium Baseball Bats (Ink Dot Certified for Major League play), Pro Select Baseball Bats (stock and custom), and Youth Bats. Beyond bats, B45 provides Training Bats (fungo, overload, underload, and specialty training bats), Trophy Bats for awards, and Softball Bats. The company also offers Fielding Gloves across three quality tiers (Diamond Series, Pro Series, Elite Series) with custom glove builder options, plus accessories including batting gloves, compression sleeves, pine tar, and glove mallets. The product ecosystem allows customers to customize bats and gloves online, with all bats covered by a 45-day warranty. Founded in 2004 and now led by former MLB pitcher Eric Gagne, B45 is headquartered in Quebec City, Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premium Baseball Bats High-quality Yellow Birch wood baseball bats certified for Major League use via Ink Dot testing, featuring premium finishes, 45-day warranty, and limited-run colorways priced at $199.99 USD.
• Pro Select Baseball Bats Handcrafted Yellow Birch bats with balanced weight ratios for control and precision, available in stock and custom configurations starting at $119.99 to $169.99 USD, with 45-day warranty.
• Youth Baseball Bats Yellow Birch youth bats sized 24-30 inches designed for developing players transitioning from aluminum to wood, with models including B271, JD20, B141, JL18, and B-1.
• B-1 Blem Bats Budget-friendly Yellow Birch bats sold at discounted prices due to minor cosmetic blemishes or spec differences, retaining full quality and performance. 3-bat pack available for $289.99-$324.99.
• Custom Wood Baseball Bat Builder Online customization tool allowing customers to design personalized Yellow Birch bats with preferred model, size, style, color, finish, up to 2 lines of engraving (35 characters each), and team logos. Custom bats have 3-4 week production time.
• Training Bats Specialized training bats including fungo bats ($89.99-$109.99), one-hand bat ($79.99), two-hand trainer, overload/underload bats, flat bats, short bats, and skinny bats, designed to improve bat speed, hand-eye coordination, and swing path.
• Trophy Bats Customizable trophy and miniature baseball bats for team awards, gifts, and recognition, priced at $24.99 (baby bats) and $49.99 (regular trophy bats), with bundle discounts for larger events.
• Softball Bats Yellow Birch wood softball bats with 2.25-inch barrel diameter, including SBB (classic), SWR (power hitters), AF10 (speed/slap hitters), and MT21 (newest). Custom softball bat builder starts at $139.99.
• Fielding Gloves Premium baseball fielding gloves in three quality tiers: Diamond Series (Korean cowhide, $224.99), Pro Series (Japanese beef leather, $274.99), and Elite Series (European kip leather, custom pricing), with online Custom Glove Builder supporting style, web design, leather, color, and embroidery options.
• Knock Series Batting Gloves High-performance batting gloves with cabretta leather palms and lightweight polyester/spandex inserts, available in Black, Gray, and Navy in sizes Small to X-Large at $39.99.
• B45 Compression Arm Sleeves Athletic performance sleeves made from 100% Lycra for arm stabilization and moisture-wicking, available in multiple colors and sizes at $19.99 per pair.
• Glove Mallet 10.5-inch natural wood finish mallet for softening and shaping new leather baseball gloves without damage, priced at $39.99.
• B45 Original Pine Tar Bat grip enhancement product providing tacky, secure grip for better bat control, weighing 120 grams and made in the United States, priced at $21.99.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in customizable amounts for purchasing bats, gloves, apparel, and accessories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Significantly lower breakage rate compared to maple or ash bats
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jordan LennertoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional baseball player (Quebec Capitalizes, Can-Am League) and former MiLB Gold Glove winner. Used only ONE B45 bat for entire 106-game 2017 season, demonstrating product durability. Now coaching at University of the Fraser Valley Cascades.
• Amanda FamaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer U.S. Softball Olympian and current coach with AF10 Pro Select Softball signature bat model. Collaborated on softball bat design for players seeking increased bat speed.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Louisville Slugger: Louisville Slugger (Hillerich & Bradsby) is the most iconic wood baseball bat manufacturer in North America, producing MLB-licensed bats and a full amateur lineup. It is B45's closest direct competitor in the premium wood bat category, sharing target customers (serious players, MLB/MiLB, wood-bat league participants) and the Ink Dot MLB-quality standard.
• Marucci Sports: Marucci is a leading premium baseball bat and equipment manufacturer with deep MLB and college player adoption (acquired Victus Sports in 2016). It directly competes with B45 in custom and stock wood bats as well as pro-grade fielding gloves, sharing the same athlete endorsement and dealer-channel playbook.
• Old Hickory Bat Company: Old Hickory makes custom and stock wood bats from Northern White Ash, competing directly with B45 in the amateur and collegiate wood bat segment. They share custom online ordering, MLB-quality grain standards, and a target customer of serious amateur players.
• Chandler Bats: Chandler Bats is a U.S.-based custom wood bat maker serving MLB, MiLB, college, and amateur players. It overlaps with B45 on the custom maple bat builder, MLB player endorsements, and direct online ordering experience.
• Sam Bat: Sam Bat is a Canadian wood baseball bat manufacturer offering custom-built maple bats with MLB use. Geographic proximity (Canada), custom bat focus, and MLB player signature models make it a close direct peer to B45's premium custom wood bat business.
• Victus Sports: Victus manufactures custom and stock maple wood baseball bats favored by MLB hitters and serious amateurs. After its Marucci acquisition it competes head-to-head with B45 on custom wood bat quality, MLB endorsement roster, and direct-to-consumer customization.

Broad incumbents

• Mizuno: Mizuno is a global sporting goods incumbent with deep baseball/softball glove and cleat expertise (and growing wood bat offerings). It overlaps with B45 in premium fielding gloves but operates across a much broader equipment portfolio across multiple sports.
• Wilson Sporting Goods: Wilson is a major incumbent sporting goods brand with baseball bats, gloves, and balls across both wood and non-wood categories. It overlaps with B45 in gloves and accessories but competes across a far broader equipment portfolio rather than specializing in premium wood bats.
• Rawlings: Rawlings is the official baseball glove of MLB and offers a broad equipment portfolio including gloves, bats, helmets, and apparel. While not specializing in wood bats like B45, it competes in fielding gloves and accessories with a much larger dealer footprint and brand presence.
• Easton: Easton is a long-established baseball/softball equipment brand offering metal, composite, and wood bats plus gloves and protective gear. It competes with B45 primarily in softball bats, gloves, and the broader bat category rather than premium custom wood.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/b45baseball
• YouTubeyoutube.com/b45online
• Facebookfacebook.com/B45Baseball
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b45-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/b45baseball

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about B45 Baseball