The best selling-bat in the United States right now is one that looks like a pencil.
That's thanks to Victus, one of the fastest growing bat brands in the country.
The pencil bat, designed by then 13-year-old Jackson Tatum, was supposed to be used during "Players Weekend" in 2020. But when Covid hit, the company came up with an ingenious plan.
Victus put the bat in the "MLB The Show” video game.
So when the bat finally made its Major League debut at the Little League Classic game in Williamsport, Pa., as Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott came to the plate, kids were already excited about it.
"They played with it in the game for three years," said Victus Sports CEO Jared Smith.
The bat went viral on social media and Victus sold 1,000 handpainted wood pencil bats in no time. As soon as it could make more, Victus launched a "Back To School" version and sold another 1,000.
This year, the real traction came when VIctus launched metal for baseball and tee ball ($199 to $399).
The company secured a licensing deal with pencil brand Dixon Ticonderoga and have so far sold tens of thousands of pencil bats.
Founded in 2012, Victus got its start when Baltimore's Adam Jones started using its bats. It caught fire in 2018 when Bryce Harper, who was still with the Nationals at the time, won the Home Run Derby in the "We The People" American flag bat.
"We sold as much as we could make – 130 of them – and then had to shut it down for a while," Smith said.
"Players Weekend" turned into another gift this year, as players trotted out Crayon bats. Victus sold 860 once they were posted online.
Fans will only see more of Victus moving forward. Combined with Mariucci – which bought Victus in 2017 – the two brands own 55% of the MLB player bat share. That's because, starting next year, the two bats become the official bat brands of Major League Baseball, unseating Louisville Slugger, which has been around since 1884 and has had official bat status since 1997.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectible market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.