Tater Baseball (formerly known as Tater Bats) is an American baseball equipment manufacturing company out of Cheshire, Connecticut. Founded in 2015,[1] Tater specializes in premium baseball gear including woodbats, training bats, fielding gloves, batting gloves, elbow guards, uniforms, and apparel.[2]

In 2017, Tater became one of the 36 licensed bat manufacturers[3] (as of 2021) approved for Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) use.[4] Tater also supplies bats to leagues all over the country and world including the Frontier League, Pioneer League, Empire League, and professional winter ball leagues in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.[5] Tater now has 150+[6] players across all levels of professional baseball. Recently, Tater has expanded further into the uniform space offering custom uniforms for youth and collegiate summer teams.[7]

History

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Freddie Vargas Jr. founded Tater Bats LLC with his brother, Jeremiah, out of the shed in the backyard of his residence in 2015.[8] During their respective collegiate careers, Freddie played baseball at Clark Atlanta University before transferring to the University of Connecticut; Jeremiah played baseball at Stonehill College.[9]

In 2023, Tater moved from Waterbury, Connecticut into its current headquarters in Cheshire, Connecticut,[10] which includes a storefront and manufacturing center. Though the company started with training bats, Tater has since expanded to stock and custom MLB-grade wood bats made from either maple or birch wood.[11]

In the media

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In May 2019 Connecticut State Senator, Chris Murphy, awarded Tater as "Murphy's Monday Manufacturer,"[12] a weekly recognition highlighting local Connecticut manufacturing companies.

In 2021, Teoscar Hernández became the first player actively using their products to become an MLB All-Star and Silver Slugger.[13]

In 2021, Tater products were featured in MLB The Show.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Post - Taft School". www.taftschool.org. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  2. ^ "Tater Baseball - Premium Wood Baseball Bats and Baseball Equipment". Tater Baseball. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  3. ^ https://archives.rep-am.com/2019/03/28/theyre-batmen-waterbury-father-son-team-power-mlb-players-through-tater-bats-with-video
  4. ^ https://www.ctinsider.com/connecticutmagazine/article/This-Father-and-Sons-Team-Makes-Baseball-Bats-For-17044752.php
  5. ^ "Post - Taft School". www.taftschool.org. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  6. ^ "Tater Baseball pitches new office-to-industrial plan". Hartford Business Journal. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  7. ^ "Tater Baseball Team Store". Tater Team Store. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  8. ^ "Pitching their wood bats in Waterbury". fox61.com. 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  9. ^ "Baseballbatsmanufactured in Waterbury a real hit with major league players". Yahoo Sports. 2023-07-16. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  10. ^ https://www.ctinsider.com/cheshireherald/article/tater-bats-manufacturer-cheshire-ct-19380850.php
  11. ^ "Tater Baseball - Premium Wood Baseball Bats and Baseball Equipment". Tater Baseball. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  12. ^ "WITH BASEBALL SEASON IN FULL SWING, MURPHY HIGHLIGHTS WATERBURY MANUFACTURER, TATER BATS, AS THIS WEEK'S "MURPHY'S MONDAY MANUFACTURER" | U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut". www.murphy.senate.gov. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  13. ^ "'21 Silver Slugger Award winners announced". MLB.com. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  14. ^ "MLB The Show 21 - SM6 Pro Maple". mlb21.theshow.com. Retrieved 2024-07-06.