2016 Easton XL3 Review

While there are several bats in the youth and senior league space that are full alloy, none quite have the end load as the XL3. Its closest competitor is DeMarini's 2016 Insane---which boats an end load on a single-piece alloy in many more sizes than the XL3.  However, the Insane DOES NOT come in a drop 5 version. A drop 5 in a single-piece alloy can be found in the Marucci Cat 6, but the CAT 6 is a balanced bat made for line drives, whereas the XL3 in the drop five is made for towering bombs from the biggest kid on the playground. Another similar bat would be Louisville Slugger's 2016 516 Omaha. It also comes in a drop 5 (among several other sizes). But the 516, like the CAT 6, is built as a balanced bat. Nothing quite captures, especially in the drop 5 version, the heavy-hitting power of the 2016 Easton XL3 drop 5.

The 2016 XL3 is similar in many respects to the 2015 Easton XL3 (remarkably similar to the 2014 Easton XL3). The XL3 is still a one-piece premium aluminum alloy bat with an extra stiff feel and an end load. For an aluminum one piece in the little league, youth, and ample barrel space the barrel length is noteworthy but still lacks compared to other 2016 composite barreled bats. The 2016 XL3 keeps the same "HyperLite" Alloy, which 2015 gained from the 2014 version.

As we stated above, the 2016 Easton XL3 is a stiff one-piece bat with a heavy end load. In 2014 Easton has several complaints of the XL3 denting way too early in its life. The change to a new "Hyperlite" alloy, which is now found on their BBCOR aluminum barreled bats, appears to be a solid move as the 2015 XL3 generally was given rave reviews. The end load on this single-piece bat is it's a real unique feature. In particular, the drop 5 2 5/8 senior league Easton XL3 is as heavy-hitting a bat you can find in the space. Those capable of wielding it could hit a ball to the moon.