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By Bat Digest | Last Updated March 4, 2021
While other companies are trying to sell us $550+ bats with spinning handles, DeMarini is approaching the plate this year with what it seems like players want: the best plate coverage with the smoothest swing.
The forefather of modern-day two-piece bats is the CF7. We liked the CF5, but the CF7 is another level. It is the precursor to the CFs of the 2020s and not much has changed. If you can find one of these bats on a secondary market we’d say get it.
In the 2015 class the most comparable bat is Easton’s Mako. It, too, is a two piece composite bat with a big barrel, light swing and monster smash.. You might also take a look at the 2015 915 Prime from Slugger. Although in its first year of product it makes a legit offering—and in the secondary market it is remarkably less expensive than the CF7.
As an update, DeMarini upgraded on the success of the 2014 CF6 and the 2014 Voodoo Overlord with durability. As well, for the CF7, the swing weight has come down compared to the middle balanced CF6.
The CF7 is a two piece composite bat with a big barrel and a light swing weight. At the time of its construction in 2015 this was a unique piece in the market and Demarini crushed it. Many companies now follow suit and try and create this type of bat.
DeMarini’s use of a connective piece and high end composite still work today. And, in large, measure, the bats produced today are not much different than the 2015 DeMarini CF7.
The overall rating uses seven different weighted metrics to determine our overall score. Half of total rating comes from the player and our exit speed tests (Player Rating: 25%, Performance: 25%).The other categories are Relevance (20%), Demand (10%), Durability (10%), Resell Score (5%), and Tech Specs (5%).
(UR) Un Rated: An overall rating of UR means the bat has yet to be fully rated. When it is, this score will update.
(PlaRa) Player Rating: We measure player rating from user reviews. Those users include our own hitters that we test at the lab as well as reviews we find online.
(ExVe) Performance: Performance measures the exit speeds and distances we capture in our hitting lab with HitTrax using these bats.
(Relv) Relevance: We measure the number of sizes and the MOI of the bat. Bats with a wider range of options get a better score.
(Dmnd) Demand: Demand is measured by consumer sentiment and the buzz around the bat.
(Drb) Durability: A bat’s durability is measured by user reviews as well as feedback from manufacturers.
(ReSl) Resell Score: Based on the price the bats go for used. Higher prices mean greater user demand which means, generally, a better bat. A resell value closer to its original price means a higher score.
(Tech) Tech Specs: We rate the bat on its technological advancements from previous years and compared to the industry at large. This is our chance to reward companies who are trying to innovate.
MOI
MOI or Mass Moment of Inertia is a measurement of bat swing weight. This quantifies how difficult it is to swing a bat. The industry often refers to this as things like End Load or Balanced but those words have been overused to the point of meaninglessness. We measure the actual swing weights of each bat we test using the industry-standard pendulum period, balance point, and scale weight. You can read more about that here.
Price
The price is the original MSRP price of the bat.
Type
The types of bats are single-piece alloy (SPA), two-piece composite (TPC), single-piece composite (SPC), hybrid (Hyb.), and wood (Wood). Hybrid bats are made of composite handles and alloy barrles.
Date
The estimated date the bat began distribution.
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