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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
We’ve spent over 10 hours in the cage collectively with the MAKO TORQ brand of bats—including the BBCOR, Little League (youth), and Big Barrel versions of the XL version. We’ve also seen the rotating handled bat at the plate at least one hundred times and have spoken to nearly anyone we’ve seen who uses the bat, about their experience. Additionally, we’ve spent time on the phone with Easton employees discussing the intricacies of the MAKO TORQ.
The 2016 Easton MAKO TORQ XL is a new iteration to Easton’s 2016 MAKO line and takes the end-loaded feel of a traditional two-piece composite bat (like the 2015 Easton XL1). It also increases the barrel size by including the MAKO specs (like the 2016 Easton MAKO) and adds the rotating handle made famous on the 2015 Easton MAKO Torq.
In terms of pure performance, the 2016 Easton MAKO XL TORQ is a top-shelf premium bat—no doubt about it. The barrel size is gigantic by any standards and the bat is a true end load. If a player is willing to become accustomed to the spinning handle—or is so already—and needs (or really wants) an end-loaded performance bat then the Easton MAKO TORQ should be on top of the list. If they can forgo the rotating handle we think there are better options.
As such, we’d recommend the 2016 MAKO XL TORQ to those who are sure they love the traditional Easton XL1 (or the 2015 Easton MAKO XL) as an end-loaded two-piece composite and also believe they’d benefit from the larger MAKO barrel and the rotating handle’s potential for better inside plate coverage. If that isn’t you then we believe there are plenty of performance bats in this price range which will suit your fancy.
Outside the Easton brand, there are, obviously, no bats that have a rotating handle. In terms of messing with the shape or function of the handle only the Axe Bat line, from Baden Sports, can claim a similar intent with their asymmetric handle.
In terms of high-end two-piece composite bats the 916 Prime from Slugger, the CF8 from DeMarini, and the RBZ X3 from Adidas are just a few of the light swinging two-piece composite bats on the market. However, none of those have been built with an end-loaded feel. In fact, there are no other two-piece composite bats on the market with an end-loaded swing except for Easton’s very own 2016 Easton MAKO XL.
To get an end load outside the Easton brand you need to go with a hybrid bat like the DeMarini Voodoo Raw or Slugger’s 716 Select.
Otherwise, if you want a 2016 bat with a rotating handle that is both end loaded and a two-piece composite then your only option is the 2016 Easton MAKO XL TORQ.
Easton did not produce a 2015 MAKO XL TORQ. They did, however, produce both a 2015 Easton MAKO TORQ and a 2015 Easton MAKO XL. They took both of those technologies and added them together into the 2016 Easton MAKO XL TORQ. There are no particular upgrades to the individual technologies found in the bat—instead simply a combining of the two ideas.
The 2016 MAKO TORQs do have a new grip (TORQ TAQ). We found it to be a bit sticker than last years.
The 2016 Easton MAKO XL TORQ is a two piece composite bat built on the chassis of the very famous Easton MAKO—whch has been around since 2014. The XL version of the MAKO is an end loaded version akin to the Easton XL1 of days gone by (and the Easton MAKO XL of 2015).
The TORQ’s defining feature is the bottom four inches of the handle which spins freely around the handle. This rotating feature lends to its name: TORQ.
Easton uses the same connective technology (CXN) in their MAKO XL TORQ as they do in their other performance two piece bats. CXN is a marketing term for the welding technology that connects the barrel of the bat with the handle of the bat. In the baseball space, it is a rather stiff transition and what most hitters prefer. Easton has been using this design since the XL1 and S1 from 2012.
The barrel of the 2016 Easton XL TORQ, made from Easton’s THT Thermo Composite, is built to be gigantic and is akin to the barrel size on any of the MAKO barrels. The handle of the bat is also constructed from Easton’s composite THT composite.
The MAKO XL TORQ is meant to be a heavy swinging bat in the performance space with a two-piece composite design built for big hitters.
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.
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