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Updated August 4, 2022
By Bat Digest
To determine the best drop 8 bats, we look at high-speed sources, exit data sheets, swing weights, and player feedback. We also read many online reviews from confirmed purchasers and peruse the forums. Last but not nearly least, we hit with the bats.
Armed with that, we think the current best drop 8 bat is DeMarini’s CF for either 2022, 2021, or 2020. You can also find this bat in a “glitch” or “mashup” version, which is the same bat with a different paint job.
We updated this list with all the 2022 bat data.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 29, 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 8
Swing Weight: Mid
Serial Number: WTDXC8Z22
Original Price: $350
Release Month: October 2021
The 2022 CF isn’t just our favorite drop 8 bat, it is our favorite USSSA bat overall. Many are willing to size their young one into a drop 8, and we think this is fine as long as they are eager to sacrifice an inch. Never get the wrong-sized bat even if someone, like us, says it’s the ‘best.’ In any case, We love the drop 8 CF. It is predictable, more durable than the drop 10, packs a serious punch, and feels fantastic. No one walks away from hitting the drop 8 USSSA CF without anything but a smile.
Certification: USA
Sizes: 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 8
Swing Weight: Mid
Serial Number: YBB22ADV8
Original Price: $350
Release Month: October 2021
We are fans of the 2022 Easton ADV 360 in a drop 8. It is our favorite bat of the ADV line and ranks close to our favorite USA bat in the 2022 class. The other versions of the bat, especially the drop 10 and 11, get worse marks for some durability concerns. Still, the drop 8 is a monster and an easy choice for the person who can swing a drop 8 in USA, doesn’t care much about budget and wants one of the best feeling bats USA has ever produced.
Certification: USA
Sizes: 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 8
Swing Weight: Mid+
Serial Number: WTLUBS7B820
Original Price: $300
Release Month: September 2019
If you want a tried and true (or at least as tried and true as a USA bat can be), look no further than the 7 select series from Slugger. They haven’t changed this bat from its release in 2018 other than some color-ups. But, it still packs a punch and comes as a value buy that you can often find on secondary market places like eBay for a steal. Please do note that this bat will swing heavier compared to a bat like the ADV 360 we mentioned above. So, please don’t push it on the length. If you want a value purchase for an older/used bat in the drop 8 space for a USA player, this bat is the one.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 8
Swing Weight: Mid+
Serial Number: MSBC728S
Original Price: $180
Release Month: October 2019
In 2018, Marucci released a single-piece alloy bat called the CAT 7. In 2020, JustBats worked with Marucci to reproduce that bat under CAT 7 Silver. You can still find that bat in either version, in the secondary market, and sometimes new (especially the CAT 7 Silver). The bat is fantastic. It has an oversized barrel, balanced swing, and some tech in the knob to make it feel better on mishits. In terms of performance, nothing is better. The drop 8 can CAT 7 Silver can hit the ball as hard as anything else on this list, even if it might not feel as good. So with that in mind, if that’s what you’re looking for, then the 2020 CAT 7 Silver would be our favorite drop 8 baseball bat.
Why We Love the 2022 Zen
The 2022 CF isn’t just our favorite drop 8 bat, it is our favorite USSSA bat overall. Many are willing to size their young one into a drop 8, and we think this is fine as long as they are eager to sacrifice an inch. Never get the wrong-sized bat even if someone, like us, says it’s the ‘best.’ In any case, We love the drop 8 CF. It is predictable, more durable than the drop 10, packs a serious punch, and feels fantastic. No one walks away from hitting the drop 8 USSSA CF without anything but a smile.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 8
Serial Number: WTDXC8Z22
Release Month: October 2021
Related: Best USSSA Bats
Why We Love the 2022 ADV 360
We are fans of the 2022 Easton ADV 360 in a drop 8. It is our favorite bat of the ADV line and ranks close to our favorite USA bat in the 2022 class. The other versions of the bat, especially the drop 10 and 11, get worse marks for some durability concerns. Still, the drop 8 is a monster and an easy choice for the person who can swing a drop 8 in USA, doesn’t care much about budget and wants one of the best feeling bats USA has ever produced.
Certification: USA
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 30, 31, 32
Drop: 8
Serial Number: YBB22ADV8
Release Month: October 2021
Related: Best USA Bats
Why We Love the 2020 Select
If you want a tried and true (or at least as tried and true as a USA bat can be), look no further than the 7 select series from Slugger. They haven’t changed this bat from its release in 2018 other than some color-ups. But, it still packs a punch and comes as a value buy that you can often find on secondary market places like eBay for a steal. Please do note that this bat will swing heavier compared to a bat like the ADV 360 we mentioned above. So, please don’t push it on the length. If you want a value purchase for an older/used bat in the drop 8 space for a USA player, this bat is the one.
Certification: USA
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 30, 31, 32
Drop: 8
Serial Number: WTLUBS7B820
Release Month: September 2019
Related: Best USA Bats
Why We Love the 2020 CAT 7 Silver
In 2018, Marucci released a single-piece alloy bat called the CAT 7. In 2020, JustBats worked with Marucci to reproduce that bat under CAT 7 Silver. You can still find that bat in either version, in the secondary market, and sometimes new (especially the CAT 7 Silver). The bat is fantastic. It has an oversized barrel, balanced swing, and some tech in the knob to make it feel better on mishits. In terms of performance, nothing is better. The drop 8 can CAT 7 Silver can hit the ball as hard as anything else on this list, even if it might not feel as good. So with that in mind, if that’s what you’re looking for, then the 2020 CAT 7 Silver would be our favorite drop 8 baseball bat.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 8
Serial Number: MSBC728S
Release Month: October 2019
Related: Best USSSA Bats
Drop 8 bats have a length to weight difference of 8—meaning the difference between the length of the bat in inches and the weight of the bat in ounces is 8. So, for example, a 30-inch bat in a drop 8 would weigh 22 ounces.
In baseball, as a general observation, a drop 8 bat is best suited for the player not quite ready for a drop 5, but who wants to increase his bat’s weight to get ready for BBCOR. In fastpitch, a drop 8 bat is for big-hitting, strong high school players and many collegiate players. It is the heaviest drop you will find in the fastpitch industry.
Drop 8 bats are almost always performance bats. In baseball, the window for a drop 8 is so small, it rarely makes sense for big-time bat companies to produce en masse via box stores. In fastpitch, few players with little experience are good enough to swing a drop 8. As such, virtually no manufacturers make a ‘cheap’ drop 8 fastpitch bat.
Drop 8 baseball bats are made, roughly speaking, for the 11/12 year old looking for something with a little more weight than drop 10 but not quite sure about a drop 5 yet. Our bat survey data shows that most 12 year olds who choose a drop 8 are perfectly happy with—as satisfied as anyone who chose a drop 10. Our recommendation is that more 12 year olds swing a drop 8 as their transition to BBCOR and drop 5 ball is imminent. They will find, we submit, the drop 8 to feel great and give them more distance then they’d expect in a drop 10.
Fastpitch drop 8 bats are made for the power hitter. Drop 8, actually, is the lowest drop of any fastpitch bat and only a few companies make performance bats with that kind of drop. The bats are made for big hitting collegiate and highschool players that can handle as much weight as the game allows. You’ll find, as well, that most drop 8 fastpitch bats only come in a 33 and 34-inch length because, again, only strong hitters use them.
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