The biggest difference is many MLB players have switched to maple because they think its harder and has more pop. When Ash breaks it tends to just shatter more in pieces or just split, hard to explain. But when Maple breaks it tends to be just a straight hard snap, clean cut...hence the barrel heads flying like what Colvin got stuck with. So the quality isn't necessarily worse than 20 years ago, its that 20+ years ago not to many guys were using maple so when they did break you didn't have the barrel head flying through the air very often.
The Ash Borer is one problem, even though like poster said less people are using ash. Sooner or later you have to believe some disease will find the maple trees and so on though just like the pines in colorado are dying. A MLB quality wood bat isn't cheap anymore either, you'll spend $90 + on a maple. So obviously a high school kid (especially a less talented one) will break a lot of bats and have more $$ tied up in them than just going with one metal bat that hits almost like a wood. I think the BBCOR was a good compromise. The more talented high school and college players who are real serious play in fall and summer wood leagues, for scouts obviously and its also just cool to play old school with a wood bat in your hand
