2016 DeMarini Voodoo Raw Review

The 2 1/4 youth line of bats from DeMarini’s hybrid line will include, again, a drop 13 Voodoo. Of particular note, the 2016 youth barreled Voodoo Raw, unlike all the other Raws this year, has a light swing weight (MOI). That fact, coupled with its massive size range of 28 inches up to 32 inches, makes it the most versatile Voodoo Raw in the entire 2016 lineup.

One fear we always take into the cage with a drop 13 is how easily hand sting can affect batter confidence—skinny, and light bats tend to wring your hands like the dickens on mishits. The last thing a young player needs is the fear of getting electrocuted every-time he attacks a baseball. But DeMarini’s two-piece technology in the Voodoo has come as close as anything to solving that issue in the light swinging bats. Overall

When reviewing baseball bats, it’s hard to think of negative things when there isn’t anything negative to say. The Voodoo is to the high-performance hybrid bat arena what the Rolls Royce is to the luxury car market in that it defines the space. It was the first (that stuck), it dominates the hybrid bat market, and it is the standard to which all other hybrid bats are compared. From T-Ball to Travel Ball to the NCAA World Series in Omaha, the 2016 Raw will serve as yet another loved iteration in a long genealogy of Voodoo bats that flat out rake.

When the bat is released on August 1st, 2015, the new Voodoo Raw’s best pricing is usually found at Amazon (with a search like this) or a place like a baseball express (with a search like this). After August 1st, eBay searches like this are always an interesting place to look. Similar bats will be the 716 Select from Slugger and the 2016 MAKO Hybrid XL.

The Senior league section comes with three general sizes: a drop 10, 2 3/4; a drop 9, 2 5/8; a drop 5, 2 5/8. Our favorite, at least in the cage, was the drop 5.

Drop 5

• A tackier and thinner grip. We found this change on the drop 5 to be the most noticeable of all the changes in the 2015 to 2016 lines. Those who like thicker grips might find this change very noticeable but, from what we understand, most hitters in this category prefer a thinner handle feel. (You can always put on a thicker grip if you don’t like it).
• A shorter knob to handle taper.
• Newly designed end cap (no longer the D design).
• 2 5/8 barrel legal in most leagues. 1.15 BPF stamp.
• Preferred by 12 to 15 year olds who can swing a drop 5 and like the smooth feel even on mishits.

Drop 9

• New end cap.
• No handle flare and a slightly thicker grip.
• Color up looks fantastic. Easily the best liked looking bat of our 12 year old audience.
• 2 5/8 barrel legal in most leagues. 1.15 BPF stamp.
• Preferred by 10 to 13 year olds looking for an end-loaded and two piece bat.

Drop 10

• New end cap.
• No handle flare and a slightly thicker grip.
• 2 3/4 Barrel for maximum hitting surface. 1.15 BPF Stamp.
• Preferred by 9 to 13 year olds looking for maximum barrel size and an end loaded two piece.
• Some leagues don’t allow 2 3/4 barrel bats, but if they do, this is the bat to go for.

Drop 13

• New End Cap.
• No handle flare like last year’s model.
• Slightly thicker grip when compared to last year’s Voodoo Overlord.

2016 DeMarini Voodoo Raw Junior Big Barrel (2 3/4) Review

One quickly growing category in the bat space is the addition of Junior Big Barrel bats (JBB). These oversized barrel bats are for t-ball and coach pitch players looking for a little more game in their game. DeMarini added this JBB Voodoo Raw brand new in 2016. It’s a one-piece aluminum alloy stick in a drop 10 for a 25, 26 or 27 inch bat.