Easton Baseball Bats’ Advertised Weight Misleading, Class Action Claims

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

A class action lawsuit claims that Easton Baseball bats made for children weigh more than advertised.

Plaintiff Ricky Wisdom alleges that he purchased an Easton bat for his son, and discovered that Easton Baseball/Softball Inc. and Easton Diamond Sports LLC misrepresent the weight of their baseball bats made for children.

He seeks damages for consumers financially injured by this misrepresentation, and wants the company to stop the misrepresentation and sale of the incorrectly weighted bats.

According to Wisdom, the company’s children’s bats are, on average, more than an ounce heavier than advertised, which can negatively impact a player’s health, training, and experience.

Wisdom claims that Easton sells high-end baseball and softball bats, meaning that the brand is seen to be of high quality and reliability. Because of this positive reputation, the company allegedly charges a premium for its bats, often around $350 for a child’s bat.

The Easton Baseball bats class action lawsuit states that many consumers specifically seek out Easton bats because of their perceived reliability — consumers of Easton bats are often the parents of middle school-age children who participate in baseball.

According to Wisdom, the weight of a baseball bat is very important in the sport, because it impacts how the bat swings to make contact with the ball. Additionally, he claims that having a bat of the appropriate weight can impact an athlete’s experience, performance, training, and safety.

The plaintiff says swinging a bat that is too heavy can put too much stress on an athlete’s body, notably wearing out their shoulders easily.

Wisdom claims that not only can using an incorrectly weighted bat injure players, but can injure spectators. If a player uses a bat that is too heavy, the ball can fly farther than anticipated, possibly hitting and injuring other players and spectators.

The Easton Baseball class action lawsuit states that even a small weight difference between the advertised weight and the actual weight on a baseball bat is especially impactful in the case of children’s bats.

Allegedly, even a weight difference of a few ounces can put too much strain on a young player’s body and affect how they learn how to swing a bat. Additionally, because little league fields used by children are often smaller than standard-size baseball fields, if a baseball bat used by a child is too heavy, the ball is very likely to fly too far when hit, and hit other players or spectators.

According to the Easton Baseball bat class action lawsuit, Easton’s manufacturing processes do not live up to the company’s reputation for quality. The plaintiff claims that the company’s manufacturing process allows for a lot of error, and that their quality control processes are insufficient.

Wisdom states that an independent organization, Bat Digest, published a report on the weights of Easton bats and determined that numerous sizes of children’s bats were significantly overweight.

The plaintiff is represented by Robert R. Ahdoot, Theodore W. Maya, and Bradley K. King of Ahdoot & Wolfson PC.

The Easton Baseball Bat Weight Misrepresentation Class Action Lawsuit is Ricky Wisdom v. Easton Baseball/Softball Inc. et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-04078-DSF-SS, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

UPDATE: On Sept. 10, 2018, plaintiffs in an Easton false ad class action recently argued against the company’s dismissal bid saying that consumers having to pay a premium price for a “virtually useless” bat gives them the standing to sue.

UPDATE 2: On Oct. 9, 2018, parents who say they purchased youth baseball bats too heavy for their children managed to dodge an attempt by Easton to dismiss the class action lawsuit.