Best Big Barrel USSSA Bats

Pete,

I think a 13-Year-old swinging a 31/26 is reasonable. It will likely just come down to the model. Stay away from a bat-like the Elite which swings real heavy for a drop 5. But, any of the others, like the CF, might be a great fit. I wish it were as easy as some algorithm on the right size, but it’s rarely that easy. It will just be a matter of trial and error. My guess is he’ll be fine with a 31 and he’s used to that in terms of relativity to the plate.

In terms of deals and the right bat, we’d try and find a 2018 Easton Ghost in a 31/26 used on ebay.

This guy:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Easton-SL18GX5-31-26-Ghost-X-5-Baseball-Bat-2-3-4-USSSA-stamp/174512686791?hash=item28a1c446c7:g:dJAAAOSwLwhfYEpX

Under the radar bat that we’d put against the Zen all day. The longest hit we’ve ever seen by a 13-year-old was with that bat.

To be sure, we have no idea who that seller is so proceed with caution. It is eBay after all.

But there should be plenty of those for sale. In fact, with a $350 budget, maybe just buy the 31 and the 32, throw in a wood bat for the winter to get his strength up and see how it goes come spring.

Hope that helps and thanks for reaching out.

Dave,

The most comparable bat in a USSSA would be something like the CAT 9/8/7 etc. (not connect). It’s also a single piece and has that sort of balanced swing and big barrel. That’d be our bet.

Also in USSSA, you have bats like the new T1 from True. That’d be our second choice behind the CAT in terms of things that are similar to the USSSA Beast.

Hope that helps and thanks for reaching out.

The reason he might like the USSSA Bonesaber is due to it’s handle—the barrel is decent although arguably a bit undersized. But, we do love that handle—especially in the bigger BBCOR and for the right kind of USSSA kid. Of the bats you mentioned, we thik the CAT 9 drop 5 will be the favorite. The VELO drop 5 swings very, very light—drop 10 light so its almost weird. But, we still like two piece composites like the CF or Easton Ghost in the drop 5 for that age group–they seem to really get a hold of them.

So, if we had to choose, maybe an older drop 5 Easton Ghost? If you want to pay an arm and a leg, then no one has ever gone wrong with the drop CF.

Dustin,

Thanks. And, to your point, we think hand sting is a huge factor in kids doing well with bats. It’s why, as far as we can guess, most young kids prefer two-piece bats even if they don’t know it.

For USSSA, we really like the CF series of bats. No bat feels better and less stingy than the CF. However, those bats are notorious for their durability. But, until they break, they do have the best pop and the least sting.

If you want to go for something less expensive and cliche’, then there are many two-piece bats out there. Today’s iteration of the Attack is called the Slugger Prime. They even made a Meta version of that bat this year, which feels fantastic. You can find that in all types of sizes and shapes. Marucci has a new USSSA bat called the CAT 9 Connect. They have been hard to find in stock so far but are worth a look if you can. Easton’s has a group of bats called the ADV 360. Those are also great feeling bats with outstanding performance.

So, in the spirit of giving you a bat, not a list, we’d say this: Get a CF. If you don’t want that, then a solid second place could be the 2021 Meta from Slugger. If you want to spend less, find a 2018/19 Easton Ghost in USSSA on eBay/sidelineswap.

I hope that helps!

There is virtually no difference between the allowable limit of a BBCOR bat when compared to a USA bat in terms of barrel performance. So, if all other things are equal, the bats will perform the same.

However, Considering BBCOR bats have been around for quite a while, and many companies have created barrels that perform at peak velocities along their length, we’d bet one would have better success with a good BBCOR bat over a good drop 5 USA Bat.

What it will really come down to is swing weight. In your example above, a heavier swinging BBCOR bat will naturally hit harder than a lighter swinging USA bat because of some simple laws of physics. That assumes he can swing both bats at the same speed. That there is our solution, too. It depends on how much dexterity he has with the BBCOR bat. Considering he hits with a 31/28 woodie often enough, we’d guess he’d do better at the plate on average with a 31/28 BBCOR bat. The Solo is a good pick. But, at a 31-inch, you could even go with the Quatro, CF, or META. We would stay away from heavier swinging BBCOR bats like The Goods or CAT 9. But, if we had to pick, we’d go with a 31/28 in his favorite non-end-loaded BBCOR bat.

I hope that helps!

Sounds good! We got that too. It’s our favorite day of the year:

https://www.batdigest.com/blog/black-friday-baseball-deals/

If you’re talking USSSA, nothing really beats the Zen—although the CAT is a close second. The problem with the Zen has always been durability. So, if you’re down for overpaying for a fantastic bat that might break then go Zen. If you want a really good bat that you can count on, CAT 8/9 all day. At least, that’s what we think.

The difference between a drop 8 and drop 10, all other things being equal, is from 15 to 25% heavier swing depending on the model. That’s considerable. That said, sizing down an inch gets you half that back. So, in theory, at least, a kid swinging a 32/22 drop 10 might feel like a 30/22 drop 8 is about the same swing weight. Of course, this is all highly model-specific, but those are good enough rules to guess by. Since your boy is swinging a 29, there really isn’t the option to drop to the 8 and size down two inches (they don’t make a 27/19).

In terms of those particular bats, we think that the 9u age group generally prefers two-piece bats, and the Beast Speed Hybrid would be a decent choice in a 29/19. As always, our list above might help if you’re still looking. We try and update it often with the “latest and greatest.”

Hey Eric,

The average 8 years old swings a drop 12 28/16. So, you might do better by sizing down an inch to the 28/17 instead of the 29. As you know, increases in length change the swing weight more than increases in scale weight. So, a 28/17 (or drop 12 28/16) will likely feel right at home.

Our experience with 8U bats is that the brand and model rarely matter. Both the Mako and Cat Composite do just fine. Players at that age usually cannot generate the bat and pitch speed which really compresses the barrel and pushes towards that limit. That said, if we had to choose, we really like that 2016 Easton MAKO. Fun bat, good look and you can probably get it for a song these days. Better yet, it is two-piece so will likely feel better on stingy hits.

These are our favorite types of questions because it narrows down the options so dramatically.

(As a side note, it blows our minds that bat companies will produce two-piece composite bats in drop 10 droves and single-piece bats in every iteration imaginable, but when you want something like a hybrid USSSA drop 8, they are nowhere to be found. Weird.)

To your question, your only option is the T1 from True bats. And, turns out, it’s a legit option. We’ve hit with them and think they do a great job of meeting performance standards. If you don’t know much, this company is a golf company that hired a bunch of former Easton folks who are now trying to design a bat line. If you’re looking for a drop 8 in a USSSA bat, then that is your option.

If you don’t like that idea for whatever reason, then the only other idea would be to size up in the Beast Speed Hybrid that you do like. Of course, if you’re already swinging the 32, then that won’t work. But, if you happen to be in a 31 or 30-inch, then moving up an inch is about the equivalent of dropping to the 8 from the 10.

Harrison,

We like the ADV 360. It’s got a big barrel, swings light, and probably has better durability than the CF. It is, for all intents and purposes, Easton’s version of the CF. Another idea, although hard to find right now, you might also like the new CAT 9 Connect in USSSA. At 12U, he might really like the drop 8 or 5 if he can swing it. The newer drop 5 CAT 9 Connect is a great bat, but they’ve been super hard to find this year. We’re hoping some will pop up before the holidays. I hope that helps, and, to be frank, it sounds like this guy will do pretty good with any bat. Keep up the good work.

Thanks Adam,

Good question. The reason his bat is stopping, as we’re sure you realize, is there isn’t enough force on the ball at contact.

In terms of his bat, he can increase force one of two ways. The first is to increase his swing speed, the second is to increase the bat’s weight. Swing speed only increases if the bat get’s lighter, the bat’s weight only increases if the bat gets heavier.

In theory at least, it’s hard to say that an increase in bat swing weight won’t slow down his swing and take away any effect the increase in weight might have had. If he’s catching up to the ball just fine, then he might be able to handle more weight. How you get that more weight doesn’t really matter—going down a drop or up an inch.

We think a 28/20 doesn’t make much sense—and neither do most bat manufacturers, hence the reason only Victus and Marucci make such a size. We’d much rather see someone in the 30-inch range bat before they get to a drop 8. Our sense he’s swinging too short a bat and we’d suggest a 29/19 or 30/20. The average 11-year-old is swinging a 30/20. It might be nice to have him borrow or try out a bat in that size to see how he does with it. But, in short, if the start point is 28-inches, we’d go with a longer bat before we’d go with the lower drop. When he gets through the 30/20, then look at a 30/22 or 31/23.

Thanks and hope that helps.

Hey Kirk,

If you want to stay under $200 new for a USSSA bat, then you don’t have too many 2021 options. Especially now, December is a terrible time to find a deal on new bats. Retailers know people are opening up their wallets, and deals are very hard to come by. We did a quick search at Dicks Sporting Goods and found the CAT 8 for $229. Based on your description, and assuming we had to buy new on DSG’s website (all of which is not true, but that helps us narrow some things down), then we’d buy a 30/20 Marucci CAT 8 in USSSA (https://dicks-sporting-goods.ryvx.net/AM07N).

We also found, on JustBats, a Slugger Solo in a 30/20 for under $150. (https://www.justbats.com/product/2020-louisville-slugger-solo–10-usssa-baseball-bat–wtlsls6x1020/31775/). If under $200 is a hard stop, then the Solo is a very, very good choice (and an excellent deal, surprisingly).

Going from USA to USSSA should be a real treat for your son. He’ll likely feel like any USSSA bat he has is clobbering the ball compared to the USA counterpart.

All that said, and to answer a question you didn’t ask, we’d probably use our $200 to buy an A2000 like this (https://www.justballgloves.com/product/wilson-a2000-superskin-11-75–baseball-glove–wta20rb191787ss/30483/), and then, come January, we’d look on eBay or Sidelineswap for a used CAT 8 in a 30/20 for <$100. Hopefully, you can find something useful in there. Thanks for reading.

Hey Josh,

As I’m sure you know, If the “elbow drag” is a function of his mechanics, then a different bat with the same swing weight isn’t going to fix much of that. If it’s a function of the bat being too heavy for him, then you might want to get a lighter swinging bat. Maybe, something like the Victus Vandal?

In terms of the Avenge Pro for 2021, it doesn’t swing as light as it did in previous models. So, going from the 2019 to the 2021 might make his problem worse—if, in fact, it is because of too heavy a bat.

To your point, the axe avenge data wasn’t terribly impressive. Our hitters couldn’t find the barrel on that thing, although it is bigger and feels better than previous versions. We’ve always loved the Axe Handle but always struggled to find the barrel. Maybe some can?

Those exit speeds might be more a function of the bat’s swing weight and length (it was a 30/20).

We really like the CAT 9 Connect in USSSA. If it were our money and we were looking for a new bat for this coming year, then our money would be on one of those.

Thanks, and I hope that helps.

That makes sense. And, for sure, the Axe handle does help get the hand to the ball. Personally, I love the handle. For some reason, I haven’t convinced the hitters that come into the facility to do so—but I personally love it.

FWIW, you might also want to look into the SwingRail. It might help some. I had a younger boy who really benefited from it. But, as well, I realize you didn’t come here for hitting advice.

We don’t like the Connect better than the CF, unfortunately. And we say unfortunately because we feel like we’ve been preaching CF from the beginning of time. However, the Connect is as good as you’ll get out there that isn’t called the CF. It’s also cheaper and more durable, which is enough reason, in our mind, to get the Connect instead. But, both choices are great ones.

In January, Marucci is releasing a bat called the CF Composite. We love it. Still, again, not the CF. But, it’s as close as any two-piece composite bat has yet to be. If it can be more durable than the CF, we’ll think it is the best there is.

Cory,

11 is always a tough age. If he’s a good hitter, we think the 30/22 or 31/22 drop 8 range makes a lot of sense at this age. The change in swing weight isn’t that crazy, and if he can wield it, he’ll get a lot more power behind his hits. So, knowing nothing other than his size, we’d go with a 30/22 in the ADV (or something like the CAT 9 Connect) and get to work.

I hope that helps, and thanks for reaching out.
Brian

Hey Oscar. Most 9-year-olds at his size like the 28/18.

You can see more of that here: https://www.batdigest.com/bat-size-chart/

Thanks for reading.

Hey Matthew,

We do not. Our middle son who has the best swing of our boys was in a drop 5 30/25 at 9. He wasn’t that big either. Just real good mechanics. If he can swing that drop 8 well then I say go for it. No shame in that. I think our bat size chart shows some 9-year-olds using a drop 8.