Lately there has been so much focus on head injuries as a result of sports, so it’s not surprising to us that people are starting to take action. And in this case, Rawlings, is a-head of the game, literally.
The S100 Pro Comp helmet is the company’s latest attempt at bringing safer protective gear to baseball. It is now mandatory throughout Major League Baseball for players to wear this new helmet. At 18 ounces, the S100 Pro Comp is almost five ounces less than the original S100, with increased protection from 68 to 100 mph. Part of the weight-reduction is thanks to the use of carbon fiber in the helmets. The aerospace-grade carbon fiber composite used makes the helmet 300% stiffer and 130 times stronger than the traditional ABS plastic helmet that was the previous standard in Major League Baseball.
“Collectively with MLB and the MLB Players Association, we developed the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp batting helmet to provide increased protection for the world’s best baseball players, while meeting their specific functional and performance demands,”
said Art Chou, senior vice president of product for St. Louis-based Rawlings.
“The evolution of the Rawlings S100 product line clearly illustrates how we can deliver innovative protective solutions at the very highest level of the sport while still delivering high-performing equipment so these players can continue to play at their peak levels.”
“Protecting our players with the latest innovations in protection equipment is a top priority of Major League Baseball,”
said Dan Halem, Senior Vice President, Labor Relations, Major League Baseball.
“Last year the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp received a great reception from the MLB players that chose to wear it, and we’re pleased to take the next step and roll it out league-wide.”
But last years version of the S100 wasn’t loved by all. Some players found it to be too heavy and bulky which was uncomfortable to wear, let alone, run in. So Rawlings switched from plastic to carbon fiber. Making the helmet five times more expensive and much more time consuming to produce, as carbon fiber is not the easiest material to work with.
Opening day is coming soon and we’re excited to be seeing more carbon fiber in the world all summer long. Go O’s!