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Updated August 4, 2022
By Bat Digest
For 2022, we think the best USSSA big barrel bat is DeMarini’s CF in a drop 8. If you want/need a lighter bat then check out Easton’s Maxum Ultra or the CF in a drop 10. Our favorite older bat is Marucci’s 2021 CAT 9 Composite, but we also like the Easton Ghost X you can often pick up on eBay for a song.
We find the best big barrel bats empirically. That is, we track thousands of swings from multiple players. We collect exit speeds, ball flights, and survey data from players and parents alike on the bat’s value, durability, performance, perception, popularity, and more. For 2022, our compiled data put the 2022 USSSA DeMarini CF Drop 8 as the USSSA youth bat of the year.
We’ve collected teh vast majority of our data for the 2022 season in USSSA and updated our page to represent the 2022 bats.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Light
Serial Number: MSBCCP910
Original Price: $350
Release Month: October 2020
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
Cliche’? Yes. Predictable? Yes. Wrong? No.
This is the first year we have awarded a NON-drop 10 bat as our favorite USSSA bat. It seems like many are very willing to size their young one into a drop 8, and we think that 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. It tops our list of the “best USSSA bats for 2022.”
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 30, 31, 32, 33
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 5
Swing Weight: Mid+
Serial Number: WTDXCB522
Original Price: $350
Release Month: October 2021
Look, this bat is a monster. If you are 13 years old and are allowed to swing this bat, then thank you, lucky stars. Sincerely, it will NEVER get better than this. BBCOR bats are duds compared to this monster. It is, without a doubt, the best-performing legal bat on the market today. Some other drop 5 bats hit it well, too, in USSSA, but swing this bat as a 13-year-old if you can because you’ll one day be able to tell your grandchildren that you were one of the few who got to swing the drop 5 CF as a teenager. Swing hard, run harder.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 30, 31, 32, 33
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 5
Swing Weight: Mid+
Serial Number: WTDXZB522
Original Price: $400
Release Month: October 2021
The ZOA is more different than its CF brother in its connection piece stiffness. That is, the ZOA has a stiffer connection piece than the drop 5 CF. This doesn’t change performance as much as it changes feel–as both bats can hit the seams out of the ball. Overall, the ZOA gets as good of exit speeds as any bat in the drop 5 space, has a massive barrel and that stiff connection pushes the player ratings beyond that of the CF–which has found itself on top of the best drop 5 USSSA bats. There are a lot of good options here, but if we had to choose we’d take the drop 5 DeMarini ZOA as a best drop 5 USSSA bat for 2022.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Light+
Serial Number: WTDXCBZ20
Original Price: $350
Release Month: August 2019
The 2020 CF is a legend. The bat hasn’t changed much over the last few years after its retooling in the 2017 version (to be made legal). But, it still has a huge barrel, light swing weight, and feels great on hits and mishits. We’ve never seen a kid hit with the CF and think anything other than this bat was legit and one of the best, if not the best, in the bunch.
We like the CF even better in a drop 8, but the drop 10 is where 9 through 11-year-old legends are made.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Light+
Serial Number: SL22MX10
Original Price: $300
Release Month: October 2021
In all our years of awarding bats, we aren’t sure we’ve ever put a single piece as our favorite drop 10 USSSA bat. This category is dominated by the two-piece composites of the world. You may blame this ranking on our fatigue of feeling like a broken record. But, to be perfectly sure, we think the Easton Maxum Ultra is the best 2022 USSSA bat in a drop 10 because its barrel is massive, the sizing options are wide (27 to 32-inch), the barrel is bigger than anyone and the swing weight is light. There really is a size for any hitter. Throw in the fact it is widely available and more than $100 less than two-piece composites and we have ourselves a winner.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Light+
Serial Number: WTDXCBZ19
Original Price: $350
Release Month: August 2018
Aside from its durability (or lack thereof), the 2019 DeMarini CF Zen in a drop 10 is all anyone could ever hope for. The bat has a great sweet spot, feels fantastic on every hit, and was the most popular 2019 USSSA bat for a reason. Despite the problems, the 2017 through 2018 version had with certification (some got banned), people still flock to this bat.
Note, for sure, the bat still suffers from durability issues. If you are going to buy it, we suggest you either get a terrific deal on a used one or find one from a vendor who can make sure you have a warranty.
As a colorway, DeMarini also released a “Black” version of this exact bat. It is not any different than the other 2019 other than the paint job.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 29, 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 8
Swing Weight: Light+
Serial Number: WBL2468010
Original Price: $350
Release Month: September 2020
$350
Original Price
The truth is, we could have chosen the CF, CAT 9 Connect, and CAT 9 in this spot. But, we thought we’d share the brand love (although Slugger, like DeMarini, is also owned by Wilson). It turns out, too, the drop 8 Meta is an absolute win—which is rare for the bat’s first run. The Meta builds on the Prime series of bats from previous years, uses what they learned in the connection piece in the very popular Meta, and puts that in a great feel, big barrel, and top-end performance of the drop 8 2021 Slugger Meta.
If budget is not a concern and you want what many consider the best drop 8 bats on the market (including us), then you can’t go wrong with the 2021 Louisville Slugger Meta.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Light+
Serial Number: SL19BS10
Original Price: $200
Release Month: August 2018
At the time of this writing, we could find plenty 2019 Easton Beast Speeds available. The original price of the bat was $199, but we found it in a few places for less than $100. With a sub $100 price point new in wrapper, it makes all other bat buys in the USSSA space feel ridiculous. The Easton Beast Speed gets great ratings, has top-end exit speeds, a light swing, a good grip and a big barrel profile. Aside from the composite sound of the CF and the buttery smooth feel of the other two-piece bats on this list it lacks nothing.
If you want a deal on a legit bat in the USSSA space then we think the best cheap USSSA bat on the market right now is the 2019 Easton East Speed.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Light+
Serial Number: WTDXCBZ
Original Price: $350
Release Month: August 2017
The 2018 CF Zen is a perfect bat. DeMarini has dialed in the feel and barrel performance better than anyone in the USSSA space. We have dozens of players try our every bat in the market (even the small ones), and the Zen always rises to the top, or right near the top, of everyone’s list. This 2018 version is not much different than the 2017 Retooled version. But, even after the retooled 2017 version was released, we still loved it. See our full 2018 CF Zen review.
Why We Love the 2021 CAT 9 Composite
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31
Drop: 10
Serial Number: MSBCCP910
Release Month: October 2020
Why We Love the 2022 Zen
Look, this bat is a monster. If you are 13 years old and are allowed to swing this bat, then thank you, lucky stars. Sincerely, it will NEVER get better than this. BBCOR bats are duds compared to this monster. It is, without a doubt, the best-performing legal bat on the market today. Some other drop 5 bats hit it well, too, in USSSA, but swing this bat as a 13-year-old if you can because you’ll one day be able to tell your grandchildren that you were one of the few who got to swing the drop 5 CF as a teenager. Swing hard, run harder.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 30, 31, 32, 33
Drop: 5
Serial Number: WTDXCB522
Release Month: October 2021
Why We Love the 2022 Zen
Cliche’? Yes. Predictable? Yes. Wrong? No.
This is the first year we have awarded a NON-drop 10 bat as our favorite USSSA bat. It seems like many are very willing to size their young one into a drop 8, and we think that 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. It tops our list of the “best USSSA bats for 2022.”
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 8
Serial Number: WTDXC8Z22
Release Month: October 2021
Why We Love the 2020 CF
The 2020 CF is a legend. The bat hasn’t changed much over the last few years after its retooling in the 2017 version (to be made legal). But, it still has a huge barrel, light swing weight, and feels great on hits and mishits. We’ve never seen a kid hit with the CF and think anything other than this bat was legit and one of the best, if not the best, in the bunch.
We like the CF even better in a drop 8, but the drop 10 is where 9 through 11-year-old legends are made.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 10
Serial Number: WTDXCBZ20
Release Month: August 2019
Why We Love the 2022 Zoa
The ZOA is more different than its CF brother in its connection piece stiffness. That is, the ZOA has a stiffer connection piece than the drop 5 CF. This doesn’t change performance as much as it changes feel–as both bats can hit the seams out of the ball. Overall, the ZOA gets as good of exit speeds as any bat in the drop 5 space, has a massive barrel and that stiff connection pushes the player ratings beyond that of the CF–which has found itself on top of the best drop 5 USSSA bats. There are a lot of good options here, but if we had to choose we’d take the drop 5 DeMarini ZOA as a best drop 5 USSSA bat for 2022.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 30, 31, 32, 33
Drop: 5
Serial Number: WTDXZB522
Release Month: October 2021
Why We Love the 2019 CF Zen
Aside from its durability (or lack thereof), the 2019 DeMarini CF Zen in a drop 10 is all anyone could ever hope for. The bat has a great sweet spot, feels fantastic on every hit, and was the most popular 2019 USSSA bat for a reason. Despite the problems, the 2017 through 2018 version had with certification (some got banned), people still flock to this bat.
Note, for sure, the bat still suffers from durability issues. If you are going to buy it, we suggest you either get a terrific deal on a used one or find one from a vendor who can make sure you have a warranty.
As a colorway, DeMarini also released a “Black” version of this exact bat. It is not any different than the other 2019 other than the paint job.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 10
Serial Number: WTDXCBZ19
Release Month: August 2018
Why We Love the 2022 Maxum Ultra
In all our years of awarding bats, we aren’t sure we’ve ever put a single piece as our favorite drop 10 USSSA bat. This category is dominated by the two-piece composites of the world. You may blame this ranking on our fatigue of feeling like a broken record. But, to be perfectly sure, we think the Easton Maxum Ultra is the best 2022 USSSA bat in a drop 10 because its barrel is massive, the sizing options are wide (27 to 32-inch), the barrel is bigger than anyone and the swing weight is light. There really is a size for any hitter. Throw in the fact it is widely available and more than $100 less than two-piece composites and we have ourselves a winner.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 10
Serial Number: SL22MX10
Release Month: October 2021
Why We Love the 2021 Meta
The truth is, we could have chosen the CF, CAT 9 Connect, and CAT 9 in this spot. But, we thought we’d share the brand love (although Slugger, like DeMarini, is also owned by Wilson). It turns out, too, the drop 8 Meta is an absolute win—which is rare for the bat’s first run. The Meta builds on the Prime series of bats from previous years, uses what they learned in the connection piece in the very popular Meta, and puts that in a great feel, big barrel, and top-end performance of the drop 8 2021 Slugger Meta.
If budget is not a concern and you want what many consider the best drop 8 bats on the market (including us), then you can’t go wrong with the 2021 Louisville Slugger Meta.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 8
Serial Number: WBL2468010
Release Month: September 2020
Why We Love the 2019 Beast Speed
At the time of this writing, we could find plenty 2019 Easton Beast Speeds available. The original price of the bat was $199, but we found it in a few places for less than $100. With a sub $100 price point new in wrapper, it makes all other bat buys in the USSSA space feel ridiculous. The Easton Beast Speed gets great ratings, has top-end exit speeds, a light swing, a good grip and a big barrel profile. Aside from the composite sound of the CF and the buttery smooth feel of the other two-piece bats on this list it lacks nothing.
If you want a deal on a legit bat in the USSSA space then we think the best cheap USSSA bat on the market right now is the 2019 Easton East Speed.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 10
Serial Number: SL19BS10
Release Month: August 2018
Why We Love the 2018 CF Zen
The 2018 CF Zen is a perfect bat. DeMarini has dialed in the feel and barrel performance better than anyone in the USSSA space. We have dozens of players try our every bat in the market (even the small ones), and the Zen always rises to the top, or right near the top, of everyone’s list. This 2018 version is not much different than the 2017 Retooled version. But, even after the retooled 2017 version was released, we still loved it. See our full 2018 CF Zen review.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 10
Serial Number: WTDXCBZ
Release Month: August 2017
Why We Love the 2021 CAT 9 Connect
For as long as we’ve been reviewing bats (2014) we’ve never chosen a best USSSA bat that was anything but the CF. But, the CAT 9 Connect just blew us away. We love the bat’s feel, barrel size, durability, price point, and performance. Player feedback is also top-shelf stuff. We have nothing bad to say about this bat and feel like it matches the CF stride for stride in performance and feel and then passes it up in durability and price.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31
Drop: 10
Serial Number: MSBCC910
Release Month: October 2020
Our platinum-level bats meet the best of the best for almost every player. They rank out well in pure performance, availability, relevance, and player feedback. Often, they rank out well in each one of those categories. The CF and CAT 8 are clear winners in the USSSA space. Their drop 10, 8, and 5 options are destructive. Our survey data (you can see below) shows the two bats make up almost 80% of the entire competitive USSSA market. The CF is about 50% more popular than the CAT 8.
Platinum level bats are highly recommendable. They usually miss the top Diamond level because they fall short in popularity or availability. Meaning, usually, they lack specific sizes or drops. Sometimes, too, they don’t quite get the same stellar ratings on player feedback, although they do perform in our exit speed tests, as well as anything else we measure for the given year. Generally, platinum level bats are great picks, and for the right hitter, they are easily considered the best bat for them.
Gold level bats are also recommendable—although maybe not to as big a range of players. Gold level bats often see unique designs with good to excellent player feedback and well above average performance ratings. If you are in the market for something unique and can find the right size, then Gold level bats are almost always good choices.
Our testers hit every 2019 USSSA Baseball Bat. We tracked the exit speeds of those hits, measured barrel sizes and swing weights as well as detailed our testers’ feedback. We graded out each bat and found the best USSSA Baseball Bat for 2019, regardless of price or drop, is DeMarini’s CF Zen in a drop 5.
Of some note, USSSA buyers and players are generally pretty happy with their bat. They rank out close to BBCOR players and just like Fastpitch (which are 79/100. USSSA bat buyers and users are a reasonable amount happier with their bat choices than the average USA Bat owner.
The order by popular brand goes like this:
DeMarini and Marucci dominate the USSSA market. In particular, the CF Zen and the Marucci CAT 8 alone make up more than 50% of the total USSSA competitive league bat space.
The inner ring of the chart below is league, and the 2nd ring shows what proportion of players in that league use a particular brand of a bat. The third ring shows which bat the brand owners of the 2nd ring think is the best bat.
For example, DeMarini and Marucci are the most popular USSSA bats. But, a more significant proportion of Marucci owners think DeMarini is best when compared to the portion of DeMarini owners that think Marucci is best. You can see that by the size of the red DeMarini on the outer ring of the USSSA Marucci section when compared to the orange Marucci found on the outer ring of the DeMarini USSSA section.
In any event, there is plenty to learn from the chart, and we won’t bore you by writing it all out here.
There is significant confusion in the industry surrounding the terms’ big barrel’ and ‘senior league.’ Each vendor often uses them interchangeably. Technically, a 2 5/8 bat that is NOT a drop 3 is considered a Senior Barrel bat. Big Barrel bats are 2 3/4 sized bats. But, don’t expect the vast majority of vendors and manufacturers to make the distinction.
Junior Big Barrel bats are 2 3/4 inch baseball bats meant for smaller players. They often come in a max size of 26 or 27 inches and have considerable drop weights. These bats are usually not rated for pitch speeds over 45 miles per hour.
We cover the 10-year-old question exclusively in the best bat for a 10-year-old article.
If you are talking about the official Little League, then the answer is no. They use USA Bats now, and you can read all about that stuff here.
It is probably safe to say that a top-shelf bat from any number of companies performs at peak powers. If it says Slugger, Easton, DeMarini, Rawlings, Axe, Anderson, Marucci, or Combat (and maybe one or two others), then you can bet the bat is legit.
Bats that have higher price points tend to have larger barrels, more specific swing weights, and technological innovations that dampen hand sting.
To the contrary of what many vendors often erroneously claim, a bat with an end load does not also have a high swing weight or MOI (mass moment of inertia). Instead of where the load is found in a bat is only one of many factors that determine swing weight—the most important of which is arguably the total length of a bat. Just because a bat has a handle or end load does not also mean it has a low or high swing weight. You can prefer an end-loaded bat but get a low swing weight by only getting a shorter size. See our swing weight charts.
We think the right size bat is way more important than the right model bat. Never buy the wrong size in the model you or your player might believe is hottest. Our data shows that the most significant piece to determine exit speeds is the swing weight of a bat. It follows that fitting the right size to the right player is single most important piece of data to get right. You can see more on our bat size chart.
We don’t see any major changes to the USSSA line in the short run. However, some rumors suggest we’ll see a few new USSSA bats in May of 2022.
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