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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
The 2016 Easton MAKO XL (Amazon Price Check) is a two-piece composite bat built with an end load. It is the third heaviest swing Easton makes behind the Z-Core XL and Z-Core Hybrid XL. The bat’s two-piece design is based on the same chassis as the famed Easton MAKO so it carries the same oversized barrel and peak performance. For sure, the 2016 MAKO XL is a top-shelf performance composite built at the edge of allowable limits.
The bat is built for hitters who appreciate big swings and can appreciate the balance of the bat feeling more towards the knob than the hands.
The 2016 Easton MAKO XL is a top-shelf performance bat built on the same chassis of the Easton MAKO. As such, the bat has a track record of changing the nature of performance bats post-BBCOR and BPF era.
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There are not many bats in the 2016 class which attempt to be an end load for a two-piece composite. In fact, we can’t quite think of any. What may be the most legit competition is a drop 8 or drop 5 DeMarini’s CF8. But the CF8 in BBCOR and a drop 10, 11 or 12 in Senior and Youth barrels better equate to the Easton MAKO, not the MAKO XL.
If you are looking for an end-loaded two-piece composite bat in BBCOR may we suggest the MAKO TORQ XL (which is this same bat but with a rotating handle)? Or, if you’re reaching deep, maybe try a CF8 or 916 Prime in a longer size as a change in length affects the swing weight in the same manner as a change in balance point.
If none of those options sound appealing, then you realize what we do to The 2016 Easton MAKO XL is in a sizing class of its own.
In 2015, the end-loaded two-piece composite from Easton took a split. The Senior League and BBCOR versions continued with the XL1 name while the little league version took the new expanded MAKO barrel onto an endloaded two-piece composite and called it the MAKO XL. Previous to that split, the Easton Omen was Easton’s response to those players looking for a composite barrel in a bigger swinging bat.
For 2016, Easton has abandoned the XL1 name altogether for the MAKO XL name. With that change, all bats are formerly known as the XL1 come with an expanded barrel size like the MAKO XL upgrade in Little League from 2014 to 2015.
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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