Marucci CAT 8 OTM Review (On the Money)

By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022

*These are basically sold out at this point.***

For the 2018 holidays, Marucci has released a special colorway on the CAT 8.

Price Check

2019 CAT 8 OTM Video

2019 CAT 8 OTM Video

2019 CAT 8 OTM Models

It includes, among other things, a barrel with a money shaped theme. Up close on the barrel there are bills you can see. It also comes in a green and gold. The bat, which is a replica of the CAT 8 in BBCOR and USSSA, is a single piece aluminum with advanced knob and barrel tech. It prices out exactly like the CAT 8, which we think is fantastic. It easily makes our gift guide for ball players 2018. (See more images on Marucci’s IG account).

The CAT 8 OTM stands for Cat 8 “On The Money”.

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General Recomendations

On the whole, we are huge fans of the CAT 8. Those looking for a more traditional feeling single piece bat (not some two piece composite “magic”) will appreciate the honest feedback in a the CAT 8. The barrel size is remarkable considering the all aluminum design. The bat’s knob has a dampener (proprietary) that dampens sting considerably.

Model Recommendations

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Comparable Bats

The most comparable bat is likely Marucci’s GS25. That was a limited edition Alex Rodriguez bat also built on the CAT 8 chassis. But, that bat didn’t come in USSSA versions like the CAT OTM has. And, of course, the CAT 8 is very similar in the sense it is the same bat just a different color.

But, outside of the Marucci like up, take a closer look at a bat like the Rawlings Velo or Slugger 518 Omaha.

Construction

The CAT 8 OTM is a single piece bat built with several unique features that make it feel different than traditional single piece bats. Including technology in the knob that helps dampen sting. And, too, variable thickness in the walls to extend the sweet spot, lower swing weight and increase the barrel size.

Overall Ratings

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.