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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
The 2016 Easton Z-Core TORQ has a rotating bottom hand built into the bat. We have discussed the purpose behind this technology at length in other threads. Here, suffice it to say, the argument for a rotating bottom handle can allow for faster bat speed and better inside plate coverage. This disruptive technology has made serious waves in the bat space since its release in early 2015.
Easton has taken that new tech and added it to a good ole single piece aluminum bat. Like the 2015 Easton S3z (without the TORQ), the 2016 Easton Z-Core TORQ incorporates an internal composite reinforcement along the barrel’s length to give the bat a considerably large barrel for a single piece alloy. As well, the reinforcement allows for a thinner alloy and, ergo, a lighter swing.
Compared to the 2015 Z-Core, the bat also boasts a new “Torq Taq” grip. We didn’t find that piece particularly compelling, but it is ‘new’ nonetheless.
The Z-Core TORQ is a hot out of the wrapper BBCOR bat with a relatively light swing weight and a spinning handle. As such, we’d recommend the bat for Collegiate or High School players who prefer hot out of the wrapper bats with balanced swings and are comfortable/prefer a bat with a rotating bottom hand handle.
The fact the bat is only released in BBCOR suggests Easton also understands that a single piece bat alloy bat isn’t of particular interest to younger players, who tend to prefer the smooth feel of hybrid and composite barreled bats.
There are no other bats (this year or any other), single-piece aluminum with a rotating handle. Of course, several dozen single piece high-performance bats are put into the market over the last few years, but none of them have a spinning handle. If we were to try and give this bat a twin, we’d lightly suggest the 2016 Axe Element Hyperwhip. That bat is also a single-piece design with unique features in the handle. But it’s clearly not an identical twin bat.
If you are looking for this bat without the spinning handle, the 2016 Easton Z-Core or 2015 Easton S3z is where you should start.
The 2016 Easton Z-Core TORQ is a new bat in Easton’s line up. This is the first bat to be a single piece alloy bat with Easton’s famed rotating handle, made famous on the 2015 Easton Torq. The barrel and transition of the bat are built after the 2015 Easton S3z.
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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