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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
The biggest gap in the USA bat market was the light swinging performance bat. DeMarini fills that void with the 2019 Sabotage.
The entirely new bat line comes in a drop 12 two piece (blue, grey and black) as well as a single piece drop 11 (red, grey and black) called the Sabotage One. We hit with these bats and measured their swing weights to gather enough data for this 2019 DeMarini Sabotage Bat Review. These bats are built for the hitter looking for an ultra light swing in the USA Bat space. The small 27-inch size swings extremely light (in either the Sabotage or Sabotage One). It is, to date, the lightest swinging USA Bat we have tested and we’ve tested a lot.
Remember, the bats total weight has very little to do with their actual swing weight. You can’t weigh these bats on a kitchen scale and claim they swing a certain way.
At their current price point you’ll need to pass on the 619 SOLO in a USA to go for the DeMarini Sabotage. The 619 Solo is far and away the most popular bat due, in part at least, its light swing weight and price point. But, it also swings a bit heavier than the Sabotage line. Add in the fact you get a smoother smash with the Sabotage and it could make sense for some.
| 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
|---|
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
|---|
The light swinging USA Bat space, at least in 2018, was far and few between. Bats like the 618 Solo from Slugger and the Rawlings Threat were the only two options—and the USA 618 absolutely killed it.
We expect a ton more options in the light swinging 2019 USA Bat world. Some of that will be filled with the two bats we are discussing here: The Sabotage and the Sabotage One.
At this point, both bats don’t have real close comparison. A drop 12 USA Bat build like a Hybrid? No such thing as of now (aside from the 619 Solo–sort of). A single piece aluminum drop 11 in the single piece aluminum in a USA Bat Model? Again, the 619 is where it is at.
But all those bats have a 2 5/8 version. This bat is a 2 3/8.
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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