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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
DeMarini releases a whole slew of bat lines every year in baseball. Their top shelf bat, for 2015, is the ever famous two-piece balanced composite CF7 (which we love).
Their other top shelf bat, but end loaded, is the two-piece hybrid Voodoo Overlord FT (which we love). They also have a value option in the high end performance two piece arena named the NVS Vexxum (which we love).
The less heralded yet noteworthy fourth bat in the DeMarini 2015 line up is the Insane. This bat serves as the only single piece bat in their baseball line up and, like last year, is a middle weighted SC4 alloy with a solid construction and knock down power.
On a related note, end caps, these days, are the frontier for hype in the industry. From welded composites to end caps that go 1/4 the way down the barrel to inverted, shaped and multi-composite flux-capacitor type names it seems like the hype train is alive and well. The Insane’s claim is the DeMarini designed end cap reverberates power back into the barrel.
Others Demarini fan likes: DeMarini CF7 Review, DeMarini Overlord FT Review, DeMarini NVS Vexxum Review
We also used our digital calipers to measure the actual size of the barrel on the 2 5/8, 2 1/4 and BBCOR. In the 2 5/8 category the barrel is as big they come–it is as large as the senior league Easton XL3.
The BBCOR barrel measures at 2.62 inches and the youth barrel measures at 2.24 inches. Both basically on the money for allowable diameter (although a handful of bats we test are over their limit).
The end cap weight does plays a crucial role in swing weight (especially in an aluminum bat) but no one should be believe that wind resistance has anything to do with anything here. Speaking of swing weight, We measured the swing weight and found it similar to the NVS Vexxum or the 715 from Slugger. The Insane should be in the middle swing weight, considered towards the heavier end.
There are plenty of deciding factors on why to acquire the 2015 Insane:
The Insane in the right hands are bomb droppers. Hitters who appreciate the feel of a one piece stick and a little rattle on mishits will enjoy this bat. And their parents will love the price point.
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%).
*: When a bat is denoted by a star (*) it is a preliminary rating. Expect it to be updated as we learn more about the bat and gather more data.
(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.