Why are Batting Gloves Essential for Optimal Performance in Baseball?

[jdibarto]

Batters swear that batting gloves improve their performance. From a physics standpoint, why is this?

My impression is that low friction between the bat and the hand causes more slipping during the hit and therefore more kinetic energy lost due to friction. This effectively decreases the coefficient of restitution between the bat and the ball. The higher coefficients of friction from the batting glove help minimize this effect.

Does anyone disagree or have a different take on why the glove might help?

 

[Simon Bridge]

Welcome to PF;
The glove protects the hand against accidental blows, cushions against the impact with the ball (allowing harder hits for eg) and prevents slipping - a firm grip always helps.

It's not just some energy from the swing getting lost in radial motion of the bat, but also just the awkwardness in the holding when the bat slips. You can try it for yourself. Hands holding a bat-handle are not a simple arrangement.