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Updated August 4, 2022
By Bat Digest
Our knee-jerk reaction to someone wanting to get a quality BBCOR bat for cheap is 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. See below for our favorite cheap BBCOR bats.
We updated this artcile in July of 2022 with new 2022 bats.
Certification: BBCOR
Sizes: 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 3
Swing Weight: Mid+
Serial Number: BB153
Original Price: $250
Release Month: October 2020
One bat that very few talk about but gets in the hands of many College Level players in the Rawlings 5150. The bat has been around forever, and although it has a bit of an endload can hit the ball as hard as any other BBCOR bat out there. It feels that Rawlings gave up on the BBCOR space, but that’s alright because the 5150 has been banging for going on for 10 years now in the BBCOR space. The price point is excellent, and for a cheap BBCOR bat, you really can’t go wrong.
Certification: BBCOR
Sizes: 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 3
Swing Weight: Mid
Serial Number: MCBF53
Original Price: $130
Release Month: September 2021
If we had to choose an inexpensive BBCOR bat we’d be very happy to buy the 2022 Marucci F5. We think this bat actually outperforms (and we have the data to prove it) many bats 2 to 3x its price. The bat has as great barrel, swings balanced, and hits the crap out of the ball. It’s a no frills bat that can hit it hard but because it doesn’t get the hype, for whatever reason, people have yet to catch on that the Marucci F5 is a bomb maker.
Certification: BBCOR
Sizes: 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 3
Swing Weight: Mid
Serial Number: BB05B322
Original Price: $200
Release Month: October 2021
Ok, ok. It’s not the cheapest BBCOR bat (that would be a used BBCOR bat), but it’s inexpensive, and it has as much pedigree as any bat on the market. In fact, it might be the most iconic bat on the market. Slugger continues to try and push this bat in the background compared to ones like the Meta and the Select PWR. But the Omaha keeps banging, and many serious players have it as their go-to bat. It feels great for a single piece and has a great swing weight for big hitters in the 33 and 34-inch but then changes its balance point when moving to the 29 through 32-inch. It’s a well-thought-out bat that is on the cheaper side of the BBCOR world and, for that, we recommend it as one of our favorite cheap BBCOR bats.
Why We Love the 2021 5150
One bat that very few talk about but gets in the hands of many College Level players in the Rawlings 5150. The bat has been around forever, and although it has a bit of an endload can hit the ball as hard as any other BBCOR bat out there. It feels that Rawlings gave up on the BBCOR space, but that’s alright because the 5150 has been banging for going on for 10 years now in the BBCOR space. The price point is excellent, and for a cheap BBCOR bat, you really can’t go wrong.
Certification: BBCOR
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
Drop: 3
Serial Number: BB153
Release Month: October 2020
Why We Love the 2022 F5
If we had to choose an inexpensive BBCOR bat we’d be very happy to buy the 2022 Marucci F5. We think this bat actually outperforms (and we have the data to prove it) many bats 2 to 3x its price. The bat has as great barrel, swings balanced, and hits the crap out of the ball. It’s a no frills bat that can hit it hard but because it doesn’t get the hype, for whatever reason, people have yet to catch on that the Marucci F5 is a bomb maker.
Certification: BBCOR
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
Drop: 3
Serial Number: MCBF53
Release Month: September 2021
Why We Love the 2022 Omaha
Ok, ok. It’s not the cheapest BBCOR bat (that would be a used BBCOR bat), but it’s inexpensive, and it has as much pedigree as any bat on the market. In fact, it might be the most iconic bat on the market. Slugger continues to try and push this bat in the background compared to ones like the Meta and the Select PWR. But the Omaha keeps banging, and many serious players have it as their go-to bat. It feels great for a single piece and has a great swing weight for big hitters in the 33 and 34-inch but then changes its balance point when moving to the 29 through 32-inch. It’s a well-thought-out bat that is on the cheaper side of the BBCOR world and, for that, we recommend it as one of our favorite cheap BBCOR bats.
Certification: BBCOR
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
Drop: 3
Serial Number: BB05B322
Release Month: October 2021
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.
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) models found on our best BBCOR bats page. You need to scroll to the bottom to see them.
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 an midsized bat that others thing is the greatest thing since sliced bread.