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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
For a single-piece aluminum, the bat does have a decent-sized barrel. But don’t assume a larger barrel means top-shelf production. We simply think the bat is just okay, and anyone looking for a new name brand Easton in the “performance” space will find this the least expensive option.
Beginning in 2012, each year Easton has released a bat named the Easton S3. It was the last in the line of a speed series they referred to as the S1, S2, and S3. We hit with each one of these bats over the years, and the S3 serves as a single-piece aluminum bat in the value space. It is best suited for entry-level players looking for a brand name, a lighter swing, some durability, and nothing to denote exceptional performance. More specifics of our 2017 Easton S3 Review follow.
The Easton S3 is an entry-level single-piece aluminum baseball bat. There are no frills. It comes in non-BBCOR sizes and should be appropriate for those who don’t expect or necessarily need, amazing production at the plate. Those who want a name-brand bat with some lengthy genealogy and good durability will find this bat is adequate.
| 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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If you are in the market for a single-piece aluminum alloy bat with a focus on light swing weight, then your options appear endless. We have a hard time thinking of a bat company that doesn’t make something similar, and each, quite frankly, performs about the same as the next. The 2017 Easton S3, we should note, does not come in a BBCOR. Most others in this class do.
Comparable bats are DeMarini’s Voodoo One, Slugger’s 517 Omaha Rawlings’ 5150, and Axe’s Elite. Each is priced roughly the same as the others and each has similar reviews. In large measure, they are the same bat.
There is no difference between 2016’s S3 and 2017’s S3. Both are single-piece aluminum bats from Easton’s HMX alloy. Each bat has an expanded sweet spot on an aluminum barrel. Both are light swinging and both are called the S3. Aside from the color up, expect no difference whatsoever. See our full 2016 Easton S3 Review here.
Our 2016 review article was called: 2016 Easton S3 Review: Reprinting the 2015 S3. That was meant to imply the 2016 bat is just like the 2015 bat. See our 2015 Easton S3 Review here. In fact, we have not seen real upgrades in production since the 2015 season when Easton upgraded the alloy for a focus on a larger sweet spot. The bat has been largely unchanged since.
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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