BRIDGEVIEW, Ill., Aug. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As Major League Baseball enters the stretch run, front offices across the league have spent the last month wheeling and dealing—adding arms, stacking bats, and positioning for October. Across ESPN's ticker you'll hear it all: contenders boosting rosters, rebuilding clubs banking on prospects, and executives making moves with the future in mind.

But trades aren't just happening at the front office level.

On backfields and batting cages across the country, another kind of shift is underway—one not dictated by GMs or agents, but by players themselves. They're trading out the tape and pine tar they've used for years and replacing it with StickGrip, a next-generation polymer bat grip from Nakoma Products that's redefining how the game feels from the hands up.

"We're seeing players at every level—from high school to travel ball—walk up to their teammates and ask, 'What grip is that?'" says Nick Cipkus, StickGrip's National Account Manager. "Before we know it, they're pulling off old tape and making the switch right there in the dugout. It's like trade season for equipment."

Built Where Common Sense Meets New Technology

StickGrip wasn't designed for flash. It was built to solve problems—slipping, breakdown, residue, rewraps, and mess. It's a product born where common sense meets new emerging technologies and testing: a clean, durable, high-traction grip that feels like it should've always existed.

The shift is real. Sales have more than doubled in the past 18 months, with players discovering StickGrip organically at tournaments, testing it on the fly, and sticking with it.

"My kids use it on all their bats," says Kevin Breinholt, a father and builder who now runs The Grip Stop at youth tournaments in Washington State. "It looks great, lasts through the season, wipes clean—and every time a new kid tries it, it spreads. It's our best seller, by far."

A National Push Powered by Reps, Not Retail

Yes, StickGrip is on some retail shelves. But that's not where the story's being written. It's being told on fields, between innings, and in parking lots after long doubleheaders—where reps like Peter Escarcega and Bella Anthony are helping players find something that just works better.

"We're not focused on mass retail," says Cipkus. "We're focused on building with reps and vendors who live in the game—who know what matters when the game's on the line."

In California, Escarcega stocks StickGrip at fast-pitch tournaments across the Central Valley.

"It's become a staple. It goes on easy, looks sharp, and doesn't wear out. The players love it—and they talk about it."

At the national level, Anthony and her team at Top Gear Sports say StickGrip is now a go-to product with returning customers.

"We picked it up after seeing the demand online. Now it's one of our best draws. Players recognize it instantly. We're just here to help them get it in hand."

The Grip Swap That's Going Viral

This isn't just a movement on the field—it's exploding online too. In the past year alone, StickGrip's TikTok account has racked up:

• 21.5 million video views
• 19.7 million unique viewers
• 130,000+ profile visits

Players aren't just using it. They're showing it off. And their teammates are making the switch.

Follow the Trade Trend:

TikTok: @stick_grip (https://www.tiktok.com/@stick_grip)
Instagram: @stick_grips (https://www.instagram.com/stick_grips)
Facebook: Stick Grip (https://www.facebook.com/share/19yXDQXFvw/?mibextid=wwXIfr)

About StickGrip by Nakoma Products
StickGrip is the next-generation bat grip system trusted by players from youth leagues to elite tournament teams. Built from proprietary polymer materials, StickGrip delivers superior feel, long-term durability, and easy, clean application—no residue, no breakdown. StickGrip is proudly developed by Nakoma Products, headquartered in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Contact:
Nick Cipkus
National Account Manager
399376@email4pr.com | 440-488-9639
Nakoma Products – 8455 S. 77th Avenue, Bridgeview, IL
stickgrip.com

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SOURCE Nakoma Products