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March 3, 2021 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
We have spent a lot of time over the last several weeks getting ready for this review.
We’d guess no less than 4 hours in the cage, two tournaments among several different hitters, the Little League World Series, consulting our 2015 and 2016 Easton MAKO reviews and our 2017 Easton Lineup to put together this review.
Jump to the full review.We’d guess no less than 4 hours in the cage, two tournaments among several different hitters, the Little League World Series, consulting our 2015 and 2016 Easton MAKO reviews and our 2017 Easton Lineup to put together this review.
The Beast is a proven workhorse. Although it never quite got to CF status in USSSA, it’s 2 1/4 version was legit and the BBCOR Easton MAKO Beast was a reasonable option for the light swinging two-piece composite lover.
Frankly, there are few players for whom the Easton MAKO Beast is not a good fit. Here are the general type of hitters that will like this bat: want a top shelf performance and budget isn’t a concern; prefer a smooth swing; have time time to work in a bat’s barrel.
Price Check
The USSSA bats are really liked among travel ball players. While other bats are getting banned from this year, the Easton Mako Beast is a mainstay. Not much different than last year’s version, but if you can find it for a good price we say go for it.
Price Check
Compared to the 2016 Easton MAKO we didn’t find any remarkable changes (at least in the 2 5/8 version). Easton has claimed in a few YouTube videos the Beast barrel is the ‘hottest’ ever and such a claim would be impossible for us to measure.
Some have written to us claiming the compression tests on the Beast’s barrel have come back different than MAKOs in years past. This would imply Easton has done something differently, but implying it now out performs a 2015 and 2016 version, which were straight out crazy hot, is too far fetched for us. The MAKO in the last several years has been the bat to beat in terms of on field performance. That will be no different for 2017.
The 2016 Easton MAKO is a two piece composite bat built with an extremely light swing weight. It is the lightest swing Easton makes and one of the lightest swinging bats on the market.
After almost 5 years of experience with the 2015 Easton Mako we have more than a few things to say. But, to put it quickly, the bat is legendary. The 1.15 2 1/4 barrel pre-USA bat was the stuff dreams are made of---and still are. It is still a legal bat in USSSA play---the smaller barrel does not disqualify it. However, the bat is not allowed in USA play.
In the two piece composite space there several options. Both the 917 Prime from Slugger and the CF Zen from DeMarini are a lot like the Easton Mako Beast. All of them have big barrels, swing light and come in a number of sizes. In terms of user reviews the DeMarini is the most mixed as it had some durability issues (but absolutely raked the ball).
See the 917 Prime Review
After 2 solid hours in the cage with Slugger’s 2017 917 Prime in tow we have a good grasp on its total performance, how it compares to it’s predecessor and what type of hitter will appreciate this bat the most.
Price Check
See the Quatro Review
After considerable time in the cage, direct feedback from hitters at different levels of the sport and discussions about the upgrades with several in the know, we present our 2017 Rawlings Quatro bat review in both Senior League and BBCOR.
Price Check
See the CF Zen Review
The 2017 CF Zen is a legend. The 2 3/4 blue one was banned from USSSA play and the 2 5/8 green drop 5 was and is an absolute ball killer. At the time of this updated writing you can still find it on Amazon in exchange for your kidney. The bat is the perfect blend of balance and performance. Long sweet spot in every size and dominates the USSSA space. The only downfall is that it has some durability issues—but that is directly correlated to how hot the bat is from day 1.
Price CheckLike previous years’ models, the 2017 Easton MAKO Beast is a two piece composite bat with a focus on a massive barrel and a light swing weight. However, in the BBCOR space, the 2017 barrel is larger than last year’s version. In the Big Barrel or Youth Barrel space, the barrel size will be the same.
In both BBCOR, Big Barrel and Youth Barrel, the bat composition is still the TCT composite Easton has been using for at least a couple years now. The connective piece (CXN) is still reasonably stiff and allows for good vibration absorption without any noticeable loss in power.
The Easton Beast comes in a number of sizes. From biggest to smallest they look like this:
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We have been hitting the beast xl since it came out in late 16. Still hitting it in 19. Tried all the zens and sluggers. None compare to the 17 beast. Launches long balls from that sweet spot !! Love it.