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In time, some bats become less popular. To make things a bit more navigable on the site, we lump them by year.
Below are some of our 2015 baseball bat reviews. You can find other 2015 baseball bat reviews by the search feature or menu items above.
We hit every bat we review. That includes our reviews below, too.
Our Review
Nowhere on the list, at least until now, has been baseball bats. But the truth is, a couple relatively inconspicuous companies have been making really good baseball bats …
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
The 715 is considered by Slugger as a three-piece hybrid bat: a composite handle, graphite connective piece and high grade aluminum barrel. The technology in the connecti…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
The 2015 Easton S3, like the 2014 version, will be a one piece aluminum bat with a balanced to light swing weight. Different than the 2014 S3, however, the S3 will be co…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
Like the 2015 Easton S2, the S2z has a composite handle with spiraled graphite to help dampen sting as well as the new HyperLite aluminum alloy barrel.
[/types]Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
Those BBCOR hitters looking for a full piece aluminum bat with a brand bat may want to take the S3z for a spin. We think it clearly an improvement over the BBCOR S3 from …
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
It was their first foray into the metal bat space and it was a smashing (both literally and figuratively) success. The ’06 and ’07 Techzilla hit more baseball…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
If you were to search google trends you’d find people look for the lightest swinging tee ball bat more often then anything else, but outside of that, what else is t…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
The bat was very well received among Rawlings lovers and those looking for a light swinging bat with good barrel size.
The Trio was received so well , in fact, Raw…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
Many bats just don’t get enough space in the blogsphere–and the 2015 Anderson Flex BBCOR is one of them. We reviewed this bat late last year and lumped it in…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
The 5150 title, named after the type of alloy used in the bats, has been used for several generations of alloy bats made by Rawlings. Originally, as far as we can tell, i…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
Baseball bat reviews are inundated with the word pop. Amazing Pop, Great Pop, Freakish Pop, and so on and so on. This drives me batty for a handful of reasons. Not the le…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
Their other top shelf bat, but end loaded, is the two-piece hybrid Voodoo Overlord FT (which we love). They also have a value option in the high end performance two piece…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
For example, we’ve found many a bat with surprisingly dinky looks but exceptional power. The opposite has also been true. Further, we’ve found the eyeball tes…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
The Catalyst name has been used by Slugger in at least the last four years. Its genesis, as far as the Internets could tell us, was the one piece Louisville Slugger TPX C…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
Every new Marucci bat we see seems to leaves us weak in the knees. And, if our count is right, this is five in a row: (1) the Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
There is a whole list of things I think about when the word Canada comes to mind.
Nowhere on the list, at least until now, has been baseball bats. But the truth is, a couple relatively inconspicuous companies have been making really good baseball bats from America’s 51st state for quite a while. The first, a wood bat swung by a bunch of MLBers is Sam Bats. The second is … Jump to our Full Review
Nowhere on the list, at least until now, has been baseball bats. But the truth is, a couple relatively inconspicuous companies have been making really good baseball bats from America’s 51st state for quite a while. The first, a wood bat swung by a bunch of MLBers is Sam Bats. The second is a composite bat and hybrid bat company named Combat.
Combat is a little league household name because of its ability to create one piece composite bats. The original one piece composite, called the B1 DaBomb, is one of the best little league bats ever made. Combat took that success and, every year since, has released an iteration of the one piece composite.
Overall it is difficult not to like the Combat Senior League and BBCOR Portent G3. The bats are balanced and they hit with a real honest feel and a real big barrel. If one piece, unpretentious bats are your thing then it's hard to wrong.
Price Check
As somewhat of a caution, we don't find a significant difference in this years model and last years (Portent) or, frankly, the last two or three years of models. The lizard skin bat tape is a real nice touch and the color coding is clearly a step in the right direction but if you can find an older model at a discount we'd suggest that route. (Usually here or here is the place to do that).
Price Check
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
The 715 Select from Louisville Slugger is part of their 2015 top shelf bat line.
The 715 is considered by Slugger as a three-piece hybrid bat: a composite handle, graphite connective piece and high grade aluminum barrel. The technology in the connective piece is referred to as Tru3 as in, I am guessing here, truly a third piece in the bat.
Jump to our Full ReviewThe 715 is considered by Slugger as a three-piece hybrid bat: a composite handle, graphite connective piece and high grade aluminum barrel. The technology in the connective piece is referred to as Tru3 as in, I am guessing here, truly a third piece in the bat.
In a move that gets high marks from us, since its partly our job to keep track of all these bat names, they have put some thinking behind the bats title: 715 Select. The 7 refers to the same series of gear that Slugger makes (Series 7). The 15 is the release model year: 2015. The Select refers to a line of their wood bats (MLB Select) used often in the minors. It might sound like a silly thing, but the names that are actually informative to the consumers, in our opinion, are a step in the right direction.
We do not Recommend the 715 Select for any of the following hitters: Those who prefer composite barrels. Those who need or prefer a very light swing. Those who enjoy the sting and feel of single piece bats. Those on a limited budget.
We Would Recommended the 715 Select for any of the following hitters: Those who prefer an aluminum barrel but do not like one-piece bats. Those looking for a big swing with a deep balance point and high MOI with a budget not so big. Those who prefer hybrid bats. Those looking for a smooth swing through contact and a desire for more distance and batted ball speed.
Price Check
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
The Easton Power Brigade line is back in 2015 with the usual suspects. The Speed (S), XL, and MAKO lines will once again grace the plates of little leagues, high school and colleges around the country. Of course the big news is the MAKO TORQ with its spinning handle, but here we focus on the Easton S3.
The 2015 Easton S3, like the 2014 version, will be a one piece aluminum bat with a balanced to light swing weight. Different than the 2014 S3, however, the S3 will be contain Easton’s new and improved HyperLite Alloy. This alloy is also found on the barrel of their top shelf 2015 Easton S2… Jump to our Full Review
The 2015 Easton S3, like the 2014 version, will be a one piece aluminum bat with a balanced to light swing weight. Different than the 2014 S3, however, the S3 will be contain Easton’s new and improved HyperLite Alloy. This alloy is also found on the barrel of their top shelf 2015 Easton S2.
The 2014 Easton S3 had mixed reviews. The light swinging aluminum stick was helpful for those who needed a very, very light swinging bat, but it missed a lot of folks expectations when the sweet spot in the bat was hard to find.
We found the 2014 S3 to have the sweet spot similar to those of a youth wood bat and a swing weight that was only fit for those who needed a severely light swing. The very light swing coupled with the tiny sweet spot made, in our opinion, the 2014 S2 a swing and miss. We usually recommended those looking for a one-piece aluminum bat to look elsewhere as we thought there were such bats with similar or better price points with a little more bang for your buck. Easton has appeared to approach these issues with the 2015 version of the S3 and, at least at first glance, we think a step in the right direction. The claim is this new alloy allows for a larger sweet spot and increased durability without affecting swing weight. The barrel is noticeably larger. And since we believe, other bat manufacturers have been able to accomplish such feats in previous years, we don't think Easton's claim of increased durability with a larger barrel and light swing weight in a full aluminum is unfounded.
Price Check
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
With the Easton MAKO and MAKO Torq getting all the publicity these days, I think the industry might be missing an impressive addition to Easton’s now gigantic Power Brigade line. The Easton S2z is a new concept bat from Easton that incorporates a few industry tricks and the shell of the new Easton S2.
Like the 2015 Easton S2, the S2z has a composite handle with spiraled graphite to help dampen sting as well as the new HyperLite aluminum alloy barrel.
Jump to our Full ReviewLike the 2015 Easton S2, the S2z has a composite handle with spiraled graphite to help dampen sting as well as the new HyperLite aluminum alloy barrel.
However, and most notably, unlike the S2 the 2015 S2z has an internal carbon sleeve, under the new-fangled aluminum shell, that runs the length of the barrel. This allows enough strength in the material to extend the barrel dramatically (like 3 real inches) yet still give the bat an aluminum feel and sound. It also allows the engineers to create a thin-walled aluminum barrel for ideal swing weight. Easton is referring to this technology as Z-Core internal technology. The Z-core name, if that sounds familiar, is a shout out to the greatest bat ever made.
The bat, to some extent, reminds us of the original Exogrid bat from Louisville Slugger. Yet the S2z is a hybrid design instead of the Exo's one-piece aluminum. We are not aware of any hybrid bat (composite handle, aluminum barrel) that has had an internal composite casing.
Price Check
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
With the Easton MAKO and MAKO Torq getting all the publicity these days, the industry may be missing a new concept bat in Easton’s 2015 Power Brigade lineup. The new S3z for 2015 incorporates what Easton learned in the all-aluminum S3 from years past and combined that with some industry tricks to create a long-barreled one-piece aluminum stick with a patented composite internal sleeve.
Those BBCOR hitters looking for a full piece aluminum bat with a brand bat may want to take the S3z for a spin. We think it clearly an improvement over the BBCOR S3 from years past. Any one-piece aluminum hitter who prefers a light swing weight should probably have this big barreled aluminum bat … Jump to our Full Review
Those BBCOR hitters looking for a full piece aluminum bat with a brand bat may want to take the S3z for a spin. We think it clearly an improvement over the BBCOR S3 from years past. Any one-piece aluminum hitter who prefers a light swing weight should probably have this big barreled aluminum bat from Easton on the shortlist.
We recommend the 2015 Easton S3z for hitters who: Prefer aluminum barrels; Like one-piece aluminum bats; Are looking for the latest innovation but don’t want to spend the latest innovation prices; Prefer a balanced to light swing weight; Also need a BBCOR bat.
We do not recommend the 2015 Easton S3z for hitters who: Prefer composite barrels; want a two-piece; prefer end-loaded swings; are not looking to hit a lot of home runs this year; little leaguers (as the S3z isn't available in their size).
Price Check
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
In 2006 and 2007 the hottest baseball bat on the planet was the double walled aluminum Techzilla from a small company named Anderson.
It was their first foray into the metal bat space and it was a smashing (both literally and figuratively) success. The ’06 and ’07 Techzilla hit more baseballs into the Mariana Trench than any other bat.
That is a made up ‘fact’, but our point stands: the 2006/2007 … Jump to our Full Review
It was their first foray into the metal bat space and it was a smashing (both literally and figuratively) success. The ’06 and ’07 Techzilla hit more baseballs into the Mariana Trench than any other bat.
That is a made up ‘fact’, but our point stands: the 2006/2007 Anderson Techzilla was (and is) the daddy of bomb dropping double walled baseball bats. If you can pick up one of these relics on ebay (and they usually run at quite a premium for an 8 year old bat) then it’s worth putting a bid or two–actually don’t because we want to buy them.
The 2015 Techzilla, also in true fashion, does not yet come in a big barrel or BBCOR size. We hope that will change one day soon as we think an endloaded one piece aluminum BBCOR bat (or dual walled) bat would fill a serious gap in the current little league and highschool offering. But until then, those who want to swing the namesake of one of the original gangster bomb droppers need to be in a 2 1/4 league.
Overall we are excited to see Anderson Bat company producing legitimate bats for every level of baseball and we think and hope in the years to come the offering will be broader. We think the 2015 line does fill a serious need in the highschool range of those looking and needing the lightest swing possible. The one piece aluminum bats in the Senior League are also great price points for a well made stick.
You can buy the 2015 Anderson models are here.
We recommend the Anderson FLEX line for hitters who: Need and/or want the lightest swinging bat in that size; are price conscious; prefer one piece aluminum bats (with the exception of the 2 1/4 size which is composite); like the immediate feedback of single piece aluminum bats. We do not recommend the Anderson Flex Line for hitters who: Can effectively swing bats with heavier MOIs; are not on a budget; prefer composite barrels; prefer two piece bats.
Price Check
We recommend the Andreson Techzilla 2.0 for hitters who: Need a 2 1/4 barrel bat; can/want to swing an endloaded bat; like the feel of a single piece (dual layered) aluminum bat. We do not recommend the Anderson Techzilla 2.0 for hitters who: Are allowed to swing 2 3/4 or 2 5/8 barrels; need a BBCOR bat; prefer or need a light swing or balanced bat.
Price Check
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
It’s hard to differentiate between tee ball bats.
If you were to search google trends you’d find people look for the lightest swinging tee ball bat more often then anything else, but outside of that, what else is there to decide on when looking for a bat that isn’t rated for anything other than some mild hits?
Jump to our Full ReviewIf you were to search google trends you’d find people look for the lightest swinging tee ball bat more often then anything else, but outside of that, what else is there to decide on when looking for a bat that isn’t rated for anything other than some mild hits?
So it’s quite noteworthy when we actually run across a tee ball bat that is actually something to talk about. Like, for example, the 2015 Axe Phenom.
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
In 2014 Rawlings proudly introduced a bat with three distinct pieces: a composite handle, 5150 alloy barrel and composite end cap. All three were welded together in a new bat line for the behemoth company and was christened, fittingly, the Trio.
The bat was very well received among Rawlings lovers and those looking for a light swinging bat with good barrel size.
The Trio was received so well , in fact, Rawlings reprinted the bat with updated graphics but left the design largely intact for the 2015 Rawlings Trio.
Jump to our Full ReviewThe bat was very well received among Rawlings lovers and those looking for a light swinging bat with good barrel size.
The Trio was received so well , in fact, Rawlings reprinted the bat with updated graphics but left the design largely intact for the 2015 Rawlings Trio.
This doesn’t mean we don’t like the bat. The Trio is a legit stick with great plate coverage and a butter like swing. Those who like a light swing with massive plate coverage and also want the ping of traditional aluminum at contact should have the Trio on their short list. The fact there were virtually no changes in the 2015 version coming from the 2014 model forces reason to buy this one instead of this one.
As of this writing, the best deal on a 2014 Trio is here. The 2015 model's best price is here. Rumor is Rawlings is working on a 4 piece bat called the Quatro for the 2016 season. That bat, like the rest, will be reviewed here as soon as we can. We recommend the Rawlings 2015 Trio for hitters who: Prefer a light swing with massive plate coverage; prefer sting dampening; can't find a cheaper 2014 version with the same conditions (warranty); want to accentuate their contact skills (vs bomb dropping skills). We do not recommend the Rawlings 2015 Trio for hitters who: Want a bomb dropping bat; hit in the power line up holes (3/4, 4 or 4/5); prefer once piece bats; prefer immediate feedback (read sting) on mishits.
Price Check
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
If you are looking for the light swinging BBCOR in the one piece aluminum marketyou’ve come to the right place.
Many bats just don’t get enough space in the blogsphere–and the 2015 Anderson Flex BBCOR is one of them. We reviewed this bat late last year and lumped it in with the youth 2.0 Techzilla bat. But we thought it deserved some publicity on its own.
Jump to our Full ReviewMany bats just don’t get enough space in the blogsphere–and the 2015 Anderson Flex BBCOR is one of them. We reviewed this bat late last year and lumped it in with the youth 2.0 Techzilla bat. But we thought it deserved some publicity on its own.
The BBCOR Flex is a single walled aluminum bat. This gives the bat a fantastically low swing weight. This bat is securely in the hand-weighted category with the Rawling’s Velo and DeMarini’s CF7 trailing in swing weight. This light swing weight should play well with highschoolers looking for a single piece stick with a lot of ring on the hands.
The single-walled BBCOR flex also gives the bat noticable pop and a ping off the barrel when you find its sweet spot. In the right hands it can really drive the ball in the gaps. Smaller hitters trying to find a bat they can get some distance and batted ball speed with should find some satisfaction with new iteration from the Anderson name.
Price Check
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
Few bats have more traction in the high performance bat space than the 5150. That’s because it has a lot of things going for it. First, it has a great pedigree. Second, it has a nice price point for a high end bat. And third, its reviews, year after year, have always been stellar.
The 5150 title, named after the type of alloy used in the bats, has been used for several generations of alloy bats made by Rawlings. Originally, as far as we can tell, in 2009 Rawlings was using 5150 to help describe their original exogrid.
Since that time, the original 5150 arrived in ea… Jump to our Full Review
The 5150 title, named after the type of alloy used in the bats, has been used for several generations of alloy bats made by Rawlings. Originally, as far as we can tell, in 2009 Rawlings was using 5150 to help describe their original exogrid.
Since that time, the original 5150 arrived in early 2012 (Serial #BBCA) and then a color up from that version in 2013 (BBCA2). Followed by what was probably 5150’s most successful iteration yet in 2014 (BB513 Black).
This allows the 5150 to have a lighter swing weight—as its end cap weight is composite material. As a result, the 2015 version of the 5150 has a marked swing weight decrease compared to its predecessors (2013, 2014).
When we wrote a highly read review on the Mako Torq and its spinning handle a few months back we asked, “what will the baseball bat industry think of next?” Well, we finally have our answer: It’s the RIP-IT Helium BBCOR bat that will be available for the 2015 season.
If you are looking for the light swinging BBCOR in the one piece aluminum marketyou’ve come to the right place.
See the Velo Review Rawlings’ claim that their hand-loaded version is significantly ‘balanced’ sells this bat short.
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
Baseball bat reviews are inundated with the word ‘pop’. “Amazing Pop”, “Great Pop”, “Freakish Pop” and so on and so on.
Baseball bat reviews are inundated with the word pop. Amazing Pop, Great Pop, Freakish Pop, and so on and so on. This drives me batty for a handful of reasons. Not the least of which is how .50 BBCOR and BPF 1.15 regulations constrain the trampoline effect of performance alloy and composite bats,… Jump to our Full Review
Baseball bat reviews are inundated with the word pop. Amazing Pop, Great Pop, Freakish Pop, and so on and so on. This drives me batty for a handful of reasons. Not the least of which is how .50 BBCOR and BPF 1.15 regulations constrain the trampoline effect of performance alloy and composite bats, making any claim of pop vs. another high-performance bat an unfounded claim.
Quite truthfully, top-shelf high performance bats don’t have different ‘pop’. They aren’t allowed to. And most big time companies with big time wallets make sure their big time bats get as close to that regulatory limit as possible.
Performance bats do, however, have different sting dampening, barrel size, price point, swing weight as well as a different sound on contact. Two of these factors, sting dampening and sound, weigh heavily in a hitters experience in deciphering how hard they hit the ball. But while those two principles may hold true with wood bats, composite and alloy bats "pop" is far from a feel or sound test.
Price Check
The real differences in composite and alloy bats are sometimes worth paying for. For the 2015 Mizuno Generations baseball bat has its real competitive advantage in its barrel and sweet spot size.
Price Check
After our review of the Portent G3 baseball bat a couple days back, we were reminded we’ve yet to put up Combat Bat Reviews on the other two 2015 performance baseball bats from Canada: The 2015 Combat Wanted and the 2015 Combat Fray Hybrid.
I believe we have seen and touched every 2015 BBCOR bat on the market. We’ve learned a couple things along the way. For starters, lots of bats aren’t much different than the next. Second, we are obsessed with baseball bats. And third, looks can be deceiving.
See the Insane Review DeMarini releases a whole slew of bat lines every year in baseball. Their top shelf bat, for 2015, is the ever famous two-piece balanced composite CF7 (which we love).
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
DeMarini releases a whole slew of bat lines every year in baseball. Their top shelf bat, for 2015, is the ever famous two-piece balanced composite CF7 (which we love).
Their other top shelf bat, but end loaded, is the two-piece hybrid Voodoo Overlord FT (which we love). They also have a value option in the high end performance two piece arena named the NVS Vexxum (which we love).
The less heralded yet noteworthy fourth bat in the DeMarini 2015 line up is… Jump to our Full Review
Their other top shelf bat, but end loaded, is the two-piece hybrid Voodoo Overlord FT (which we love). They also have a value option in the high end performance two piece arena named the NVS Vexxum (which we love).
The less heralded yet noteworthy fourth bat in the DeMarini 2015 line up is the Insane. This bat serves as the only single piece bat in their baseball line up and, like last year, is a middle weighted SC4 alloy with a solid construction and knock down power.
On a related note, end caps, these days, are the frontier for hype in the industry. From welded composites to end caps that go 1/4 the way down the barrel to inverted, shaped and multi-composite flux-capacitor type names it seems like the hype train is alive and well. The Insane’s claim is the DeMarini designed end cap reverberates power back into the barrel.
We do agree that the end cap keeps the power in the barrel but we feel pretty confident in claiming the vast majority of end caps do this too. But, none of those end caps look nearly as sweet as this:
Price Check
Before we get into the good stuff (aka fascinating baseball science and technology) here are some basics of the 2015 Mizuno MaxCor.
See the NVS Vexxum Review While the world waits for DeMarini’s new CF7 and Voodoo FT to be released, the 2015 DeMarini NVS Vexxum is also in lift off mode.
Last Updated: November 13, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
I believe we have seen and touched every 2015 BBCOR bat on the market. We’ve learned a couple things along the way. For starters, lots of bats aren’t much different than the next. Second, we are obsessed with baseball bats. And third, looks can be deceiving.
For example, we’ve found many a bat with surprisingly dinky looks but exceptional power. The opposite has also been true. Further, we’ve found the eyeball test to find barrel dimensions (like actual diameter and actual barrel size) are impossible to tell and nearly criminally deceivin… Jump to our Full Review
For example, we’ve found many a bat with surprisingly dinky looks but exceptional power. The opposite has also been true. Further, we’ve found the eyeball test to find barrel dimensions (like actual diameter and actual barrel size) are impossible to tell and nearly criminally deceiving. A bat’s paint job does a great job of duping your eye’s measuring skills.
But what we have yet to see, in all these bat tests, is a bat whose look alone makes us fall all over ourselves. Hey, I get it, looks are for frilly girls playing rec league slow pitch. Fancy bats and neon striped wrist bands with matching lipstick, trying to prove something other than a love for the game. But then in comes the 2015 Marucci Camo OPS with neon orange letters and a gloss finish to make you weak in the knees.
I seriously put saran wrap over the barrel to hit with because I didn't want it marked up. The actual bat is a sweet singing and seamless two piece hyrbid (the only two piece BBCOR Marucci makes) and was "inspired" by David Ortiz himself--which I don't quite understand because I can't picture Big Papi chilling in a duck blind with the Robertson family. But so goes their marketing blurb.
Price Check
Although some vendors are calling it a balanced bat we found it is actually almost end loaded. Its swing weight is a tiny bit more than the NVS Vexxum from DeMarini and a bit under the Axe Avenge from Baden. In fact, as a two piece hybrid, it reminds us a lot of Louisville Slugger's 715 Select whose swing weight (and price) it matches.
Price CheckDeMarini releases a whole slew of bat lines every year in baseball. Their top shelf bat, for 2015, is the ever famous two-piece balanced composite CF7 (which we love).
Before we get into the good stuff (aka fascinating baseball science and technology) here are some basics of the 2015 Mizuno MaxCor.
Last Updated: November 6, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
We now turn our attention to Slugger’s one piece composite, their only carry over from years past for the 2015 line, the 2015 Catalyst.
The Catalyst name has been used by Slugger in at least the last four years. Its genesis, as far as the Internets could tell us, was the one piece Louisville Slugger TPX Catalyst released in 2011. In 2012 the bat was released with a color up and hasn’t looked back.
Jump to our Full ReviewThe Catalyst name has been used by Slugger in at least the last four years. Its genesis, as far as the Internets could tell us, was the one piece Louisville Slugger TPX Catalyst released in 2011. In 2012 the bat was released with a color up and hasn’t looked back.
The 2015 Slugger Catalyst is an ultra-light swinging bat made for the small or young one who needs as much bat speed to barrel ratio as possible. It might ring some hands, but the type of player that needs this bat rarely sees the pitch speed associated with hand sting.
Overall we think that when a big company, who clearly has the resources to create something new, keeps producing the same bat year in and year out, it's a sure sign the bat is working-- in the labs, in the markets and in the hands of players. Easton's S1 is a perfect example of this. Slugger's Catalyst is on that list as well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Slugger keeps leading the charge with the Catalyst on the menu, and for good reason.
Price Check
Combat, a Canadian based company, is known in the baseball space for a high-performance one-piece composite baseball bat with a lot of barrel.
We have spent over a hundred hours of cage and game time experience among several different players to formulate our 2017 Combat MAXUM Review.
Last Updated: November 17, 2020 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
From a design standpoint Marucci Sports owns our hearts.
Every new Marucci bat we see seems to leaves us weak in the knees. And, if our count is right, this is five in a row: (1) the CAT 6 is poetic; (2) the Jump to our Full Review
Every new Marucci bat we see seems to leaves us weak in the knees. And, if our count is right, this is five in a row: (1) the CAT 6 is poetic; (2) the OPS is now hanging over the fire place mantle; (3) the Marucci Hex Composite may be the best looking Senior League bat of the year; (4) the Elite Limited looks like it came out of a Sears Fall Special catalog.
Now, (5) the limited release Marucci Hex Alloy may be the most mesmerizing of them all. The pictures don’t quite do it justice, just wait until you hold one. Looking directly at the knob, it looks like they used a Skittle as the template and design. Its shiny gloss lime green finish is brilliant and well proportioned. Around JBR HQ we refer to this bat as the Skittle bat.
On a more practical note, the bat is the answer for those who wish they had a CAT 6 in the drop 10 big barrel or drop 12 youth barrel. Can I get a Hallelujah!? Like the CAT 6, the Marucci Alloy is a full alloy one piece bat. It has, like the CAT 6, the sting free alloy design.
One other engineering feat of which Marucci should be proud is the gigantic barrel. This barrel is large even by composite barrel standards. Compared to the Marucci Hex Composite, which has one of the largest barrels in the business, we found the Alloy’s barrel size nearly identical in diameter from the cap through the “M” on Marucci. It does taper faster than the composite version and by the time it gets to the line the barrel is about 15% skinnier.
Overall we are huge fans of the 2015 Marucci Hex Alloy. The bat performs at peak allowable performance out of the wrapper. Its ping and pop are remarkable and the design we dare say flawless. The price point is right in the wheel house of what most parents are willing to spend. All for less than $200 in the Senior League and under $130 in a youth barrel. How does anyone say no to this bat?
Price Check
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