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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
We’ve spent considerable time with Rawlings 5150 line of bats. It is as familiar in the industry as any bat has ever been.
In some sense it defines the traditional single piece aluminum bat. No frills, no gimmicks, just a real bat from a real company that works year in and year out.
This year’s addition of a 29 inch on the BBCOR side expands its reach even further. New BBCOR players as well as seasoned NCAA Division 1 players have serious success with the 5150. We recommend the bat to the budget buyer looking for as much stiffness as possible in a mid-range swing weight bat. There are a few things to consider and we share that in our 2019 5150 Rawlings Review.
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The most obvious comparison to the 2019 5150 is probably the 2019 Rawlings VELO (not pictured). The only differences between those two bats are the Velo uses a composite end cap to bring down the swing weight. Both of those two bats use the same barrel technology, grip and profile to produce a single piece bat.
Outside of the Rawlings brand a similar version is the Omaha 519 (Pictured). However, as you’ll notice, the 519 is almost twice the price of the 5150 Rawlings. If you want a similarly priced bat check out something like the Rawlings BBCOR Threat for 2019 or Easton Speed.
The 2019 5150 uses a lighter end cap that allows for a bigger barrel profile than the 2018 version. As well, the handle is thinner when compared directly to the 2018 version.
The other considerable difference worth noting is the lack of a drop 5 USA Bat version in the 2019 set. If you need that then look for the 2018. As well, the addition of the 29-inch BBCOR in the 2019 version is a welcome addition for the smaller player looking for his entry level bat into the BBCOR bat market.
Aside from those changes, which are noteworthy, the 5150 is the same, straight forward, single piece aluminum bat with a stiff feel and middle balance swing weight.
As it has been since the dawn of time, the 2019 Rawlings 5150 is a single piece aluminum bat. The original name comes from the use of 5150 alloy to make the bat. This is a common alloy used in all types of baseball bats (and aircraft). Rawlings has their own spin on the makeup of the bat.
The unique piece of Rawling’s 5150 is a barrel construction that is referred to as POP 2.0. This uses a tapered barrel design to give it a bigger sweet spot, lower its swing weight and deliver a bigger barrel.
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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