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October 5, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
The long-awaited Marucci CAT 9 was made widely available on 8.31.2020. (Check here to buy it). For 2021, expect the same great barrel with a new alloy and the same AV2 knob found in the CAT 8. The 2021 Marucci CAT 9 comes in BBCOR, USSSA and USA. It’s big barrel and light swing in USSSA will attract a lot of hitters, again. The not too end-loaded BBCOR performs as well as any BBCOR bat on the market, has a loud ping and a great look.
Our hitters like the loud sound, great feel for a single piece, and what feels like a long sweet spot on the 2021 Marucci CAT 9. The bat looks great and doesn’t feel much different (if at all) when compared to the 2020 CAT 8. That isn’t a bad thing, but it does feel a bit like the sam… Jump to the full review.
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Our hitters like the loud sound, great feel for a single piece, and what feels like a long sweet spot on the 2021 Marucci CAT 9. The bat looks great and doesn’t feel much different (if at all) when compared to the 2020 CAT 8. That isn’t a bad thing, but it does feel a bit like the same old CAT with a new look and a differently named alloy.
The 2021 CAT 9 in USSSA is a balanced to light swinging big barrel single-piece aluminum bat. Performance-wise, it does well in the space and performs as well as the DeMarini CF, which has dominated the area for years. In BBCOR, the bat swings heavier than most give it credit. We consider the bat with a slight end-load but a colossal barrel, great sound, and top-notch performance.
Those who like the feel of a single piece bat, as well as the durability afforded by a single piece aluminum, might find the CAT 9 to their linking. As well, the bat has a slight end load, so don’t think it’s for the faint of heart. This is not a great first BBCOR bat kind of look. But, for that good to strong Junior or Senior looking to make some noise (both literally and figuratively), this is the bat.
Also, BBCOR bats these days perform about the same. The BBCOR standard keeps barrel performance across brands and models very uniform. This is not a knock on the CAT 9. We love it in BBCOR. But, don’t buy the hype that his BBCOR bat (or any other) is markedly better than another.
Price Check
The bat we recommend second, to almost every USSSA player, is the Marucci CAT 9. We love its big barrel, light swing weight, and reasonable feedback on mishits. If you don’t want to spend DeMarini CF kind of money and are okay with a little more feedback on the hands during mishits—especially mishits on the inside of the barrel, then the 2021 Marucci CAT 9 should be high up your list.
Price Check
As we stated above, the 2021 Marucci CAT 9 comes with an upgraded allow when compared to the CAT 8. They changed some things to make it more durable and a bit thinner. Marucci still uses multivariable wall thickness to extend the length of the sweet spot and bring down swing weight. As well, in the BBCOR bats, they added a groove along the length of the barrel to bring down the swing weight even more.
After a month of use with the BBCOR and USSSA versions of the CAT 8 we put together this 2019 CAT 8 Review. (Looking for the 2020 USA Marucci CAT review?)
The 2018 Marucci CAT 7 is the same as the 2017 Marucci CAT 7. Marucci doesn't hide this idea. They release their performance bats on a two year cycle.
JustBats purchased the exclusive rights to the CAT 6. That is, the updated look on the CAT 6---with the red base and white accents---is a JustBats only bat. The expectation, as far as we understand it, is that such will be the case indefinitely. Making such an arrangement, as far as know, a first.
The most comparable bat on the market to the CAT 9, we think, is the Warstic Hawk or Slugger’s Solo. We also think the Victus Vandal is a reasonable comparison. All are single-piece aluminum bats with a decent sized barrel. The Solo swings lighter and the Vandal will wring your hands more. Some might also consider the Rawlings VELO as a reasonable comparison. We do not disagree. The Solo, Vandal, and VELO all have variable wall thickness to extend the swing spot of the barrel.
See the The Goods Review 2020 DeMarini The Goods Review: Endloaded, Stiff, Big Hitting. We put the 2020 DeMarini The Goods two piece bat in the hands of 3 serious BBCOR ball players. Each found the bat to swing heavy (in a good way), feel great and look fantastic. We also watched many NCAA 2019 College World Series players give it a shot. The bat is a great shift from the Voodoo Insane of 2019 and is clearly built for the big hitter who still likes a two piece hybrid instead of a single piece aluminum. Our Score: 9/10.
Price Check
See the Voodoo One Review We have now spent considerable time both in the cage and during games with the 2018 DeMarini Voodoo One balanced.
Price Check
See the CAT 8 OTM Review *These are basically sold out at this point.***
For the 2018 holidays, Marucci has released a special colorway on the CAT 8.
Price Check
Dicks Sporting Goods has an exclusive version of the 2021 Marucci CAT 9. It’s a call back to the white edition from years past. It comes in a drop 10, 5, and BBCOR. Note, the drop is not legal for NCAA baseball as they don’t allow white bats. But, it is allowed in high school leagues.
The Marucci CAT 9 has been a long time in the making. Since the CAT 5, the bat has stayed true to its roots, but come a long way too. It still boasts an anti-vibration knob, loud sound, and single-piece feel. Over the years, the barrel size has increased dramatically—implementing variable wall thickness to extend the battel’s usable length and keep the swing weight down. However, the bat still chimes loud on contact, and the anti-vibration knob, now on the third or fourth iteration, still holds to its initial intent: Deliver a single piece feel with a single-piece feel.
Compared to the CAT 9, the CAT 9 Connect uses a composite handle and a connective piece Marucci calls the OLS. Our younger hitters tend to prefer two-piece bats because they feel better on mishits
We took on a particular hitter, a 12-year-old, and hit 60 pitches on the CAT 9 and CAT 9 Connect. They preferred the feel of the CAT 9 Connect. The barrels are no different—both the AZR. The bats have similar swing weights.
The only difference is the feel. You get better hand protection in a Connect than you do in a CAT 9 because that two-piece really dampens the sting in the hands.
Marucci has used the same general principles in their CAT line of bats ever since the now illegal Cat 5. That is, they:
The 2021 Marucci CAT 9 BBCOR version of the bat comes in a 31, 32, 33, 33.5, and 34-inch length.
The USSSA CAT9 comes in a drop 10, drop 8 and drop 5 in a handful of sizes.
As well, there is a two piece hybrid version of the CAT 9 called the CAT 9 Connect.
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Any update on information regarding the 2020 Cat 9?
Yes. The CAT 9 is now expected to release in August of 2020. COVID has it pushed back. Thanks!