2020 Marucci Echo Fastpitch Review

Updated September 25, 2023

Marucci continues to be serious about breaking into the fastpitch market. For 2020, Marucci closes the gap between the top echelon of the fastpitch space and its offerings with the Echo and Echo Connect. After hitting with the bats, measuring their swing weights, exit speeds, and comparing them to other top-end fastpitch bats, we review the 2020 Echo and 2020 Echo Connect fastpitch bats here.

Price Check

2020 Echo Connect Video

2020 Echo Connect Models

Our hitters preferred the two-piece Echo Connect over the Echo. Although the AV2 Knob in the single-piece composite Echo produced a better feel than other single piece composites like the Mizuno Carbon, the SDX EXT connection on the Echo Connect felt better. We could not pick up any better exit speeds on the stiffer single piece than we could on the Connect. The bat's swing weight felt the same (and our measurements showed them within 2% of each other---which is an indistinguishable difference). But, our hitters were also 14 and 15-year-old nonpower hitting high school players. We'd guess, bigger players who know how to barrel it up and put their weight behind the ball will appreciate the single piece.

General Recommendations

We think the Echo Connect, in particular, is a great swing weight option for those who find the Easton Ghost too heavy and the DeMarini CF too light. The Echo Connect has the same swing weight as the Slugger LXT (which sits right on the average line of 2020 fastpitch bat swing weights) and is the ideal weight for more fastpitch players than any other. As such, if you're in the market for a bat that feels like the LXT (the market's most widespread bat) but do not want the LXT for any number of reasons, then the Echo Connect is a recommendable choice. The single-piece Echo is unique. Off the top of our heads, the 2020 Mizuno CRBN1 is the only other performance single-piece composite fastpitch bat. All others are two-piece composite bats with a few exceptions. The Echo, like the CRBN1, feels stiff and swings balanced. But, unlike the CRBN1, the Echo uses Marucci's unique anti-vibration knob to help dampen sting. Although the Echo didn't feel as smooth as the Echo Connect on mishits, the Echo does feel better than the CRBN1.

Reviews By Model

Previous Bats

There is NO 2019 Echo. Marucci uses a two-year cycle for their bats and their last fastpitch bat is called the CATFX. Before that they produced one called the Pure. The CATFX bats, too, comprised a single-piece and two-piece composite bat line. The CATFX line of bats never got significant traction, and it was hard to find a robust sample size that had enough experience with the bats to make general conclusions. As we stated earlier, the competitive fastpitch bat market is a tough nut to crack. The entire industry has coalesced around two-piece composite bats, and there is very little room at the top. The top two or three bats in the space haven't changed in years. Still, considering it was Marucci's 2nd year in the fastpitch bat space, the CATFX lines did well enough. At least, well enough that Marucci continues to push the envelope for 2020's fastpitch market. The Echo has considerable changes compared to the FX lines. In particular, the bat line has an entirely new composite shell. Now, the Echo uses a multi-directional composite called MDX that could be all the difference they need to break into the shortlist of best fastpitch bats. The Echo Connect uses the same connection piece found in Marucci's top-rated CAT 8 Connect.

Construction

The significant difference between the Echo and Echo is visible enough. The Connect uses a connection design (Marucci calls the SDX EXT) to combine a composite handle and barrel. The Echo (not Connect) is a single-piece bat with no connection piece. The Echo implements Marucci's anti-vibration technology in the knob. The Echo Connect does not need the anti-vibration tech because the hand sting is removed from the SDX EXT connection. You can read about the differences in Marucci's blog post about the two bats.