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By Bat Digest
Updated August 12, 2023
There are several cheaper and affordable BBCOR bats, but you have to be patient. Personally, we like the idea of buying some of the best BBCOR bats in older models that are used. You can often if you're patient, find a great deal that matches anything here. But, if you're not interested in looking for used stuff, we think the Rawlings 5150, Marucci's F5, Easton's Speed, and the Brett Bros Bamboo Maple are absolute wins for some of the cheapest BBCOR Bats you'll find.
Our knee-jerk reaction to someone wanting to get a quality BBCOR bat for cheap is to go to the used market. Cheap and new BBCOR bats are not different enough to justify any commentary or differences, just choose a paint job and brand, buy it, and move on with your life. The truth is they are made in similar factories overseas and just painted differently. If you want a great BBCOR bat for cheap then the used market is your best bet. We buy a lot of our bats for testing and comparisons in the used market and have had really good success. That said, we do see some BBCOR bats for cheap that might be worth it if you want to buy new ones. See below for our favorite cheap BBCOR bats. Note, too, getting these bats in older models is a GREAT way to save a few bucks.
As we always say, the best bat is the right size bat. Don't get the right bat in the wrong size. There's no such thing. The best bat for you, cheap or otherwise, is the one that is the right size. We'd take a cheap no-name bat from Walmart in the right size over a midsized bat that others thing is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Do you want a new cheap BBCOR Bat?
If so, your options are slim and not very different from one another.
Bats less than $100 in the BBCOR space are all the same single-piece aluminum with nothing remarkable. This doesn’t mean they aren’t good. But, we suggest the one you think looks the best in terms of what you should get. Choose a brand you like—Rawlings, Slugger, Easton, and DeMarini are all reasonable—and pull the trigger.
How about Used?
If the timing is right.
Although the used BBCOR bat market can scare many first-time buyers, we think it is a great place to get a quality bat if your budget is less than $100. As we talk about what to buy when looking for a top-end previous year’s BBCOR bat model in October is a great strategy. Finding bats sold for $300 just a few months ago at a sub $100 price point is commonplace.
Our favorite eBay search is for a used BBCOR bat under $100.
When you accept that strategy of buying a used BBCOR bat for cheap, the world is your oyster in terms of the best BBCOR bat. If you want some ideas on what to look for, look at older (2016, 2017, 2018-sh). You need to scroll to the bottom to see them.
This is a terribly hard question to answer generally. We are fans of the idea that you should borrow a teammate’s or use last year’s before you put any financial stress on the family. Please eat dinner and pay the mortgage before you sell your kidney to get the latest and greatest. BBCOR bats can indeed be better, but not the difference between a scholarship or paying your own tuition.
If you are patient, plan well, and know what you are looking for, then getting a steal on a BBCOR bat in the secondary market between $50 and $100 is possible.