BBCOR bat rec?

[Tenacious E]

My kid has swung a 32 inch BBCOR Combat Maxum for a couple of years which has been a balanced bat. It is beat to hell and he's starting school ball so would like to get him something fresh and probably a 33 maybe a 34. He doesn't need to stay balanced, end-loaded is fine. Just curious if there is any consensus on what is the best bat out there. Looking to pick up last year's model for a couple of hundy off unless there has been a significant jump in technology. TIA

Edited to note that it looks like the Marucci Cat 8 is the front runner. He's about 5'9 and 145. He's pretty strong and has a quick bat. If we go with this one, thoughts on 32 vs. 33? TIA again.

Edited again to note the Louisville Meta Prime appears to be the consensus pick as the best bat. A little more spendy than I was hoping, as the 2019 model doesn't seem to be available through the usual websites. TIA.

 

[CJ Beat Hard]

Wood bats bro. Start to prep him for the majors now

 

[Tenacious E]

Wood bats bro. Start to prep him for the majors now

I have thought about wood (that's what she said) but want to give him every advantage. It's a pretty tight funnel now that he will be starting school ball.

 

[Mattski]

My kid has swung a 32 inch BBCOR Combat Maxum for a couple of years which has been a balanced bat. It is beat to hell and he's starting school ball so would like to get him something fresh and probably a 33 maybe a 34. He doesn't need to stay balanced, end-loaded is fine. Just curious if there is any consensus on what is the best bat out there. Looking to pick up last year's model for a couple of hundy off unless there has been a significant jump in technology. TIA

Edited to note that it looks like the Marucci Cat 8 is the front runner. He's about 5'9 and 145. He's pretty strong and has a quick bat. If we go with this one, thoughts on 32 vs. 33? TIA again.

Edited again to note the Louisville Meta Prime appears to be the consensus pick as the best bat. A little more spendy than I was hoping, as the 2019 model doesn't seem to be available through the usual websites. TIA.

I would not have a 5 9 145lb kid swing an end loaded bat unless he's really strong and has a fundamentally sound swing. Stick with balanced bats for now as contact and control still matter most at this point. Love the Rawlings Velo as it has good pop and nice balance. Loud AF indoors is the only downside imo. My now Jr swung it last 2 years and loved it.
Also, at 5 9" I'd suggest 32/29. 34 would be huge for him.

 

[royhobbs2]

My kid has swung a 32 inch BBCOR Combat Maxum for a couple of years which has been a balanced bat. It is beat to hell and he's starting school ball so would like to get him something fresh and probably a 33 maybe a 34. He doesn't need to stay balanced, end-loaded is fine. Just curious if there is any consensus on what is the best bat out there. Looking to pick up last year's model for a couple of hundy off unless there has been a significant jump in technology. TIA

Edited to note that it looks like the Marucci Cat 8 is the front runner. He's about 5'9 and 145. He's pretty strong and has a quick bat. If we go with this one, thoughts on 32 vs. 33? TIA again.

Edited again to note the Louisville Meta Prime appears to be the consensus pick as the best bat. A little more spendy than I was hoping, as the 2019 model doesn't seem to be available through the usual websites. TIA.

Marucci is the best bat, if hes 5-9 go with the 33, theres a bat chart online. Marucci cat 8 is the best bat you can get, all maruccis are balanced which is better.

 

[Tenacious E]

I would not have a 5 9 145lb kid swing an end loaded bat unless he's really strong and has a fundamentally sound swing. Stick with balanced bats for now as contact and control still matter most at this point. Love the Rawlings Velo as it has good pop and nice balance. Loud AF indoors is the only downside imo. My now Jr swung it last 2 years and loved it.
Also, at 5 9" I'd suggest 32/29. 34 would be huge for him.

Thanks! Strong lean now on the balanced bat. Pretty sure we'll go with the Meta prime. He's been using a 32 inch BBCOR for a couple of years now and didn't have trouble getting it around at 13 even when playing on the 50' mounds for intermediates against some very high competition. Still growing so going with the 33...

 

[Tenacious E]

Marucci is the best bat, if hes 5-9 go with the 33, theres a bat chart online. Marucci cat 8 is the best bat you can get, all maruccis are balanced which is better.

Yes it's between the Maruci cat 8 and the meta prime.

 

[royhobbs2]

marucci is a better bat and the most balanced

 

[Tenacious E]

marucci is a better bat and the most balanced

did your kid swing both? They both seem to be A+ in reviews with the meta prime getting slightly higher. Can't go wrong I'm sure.

 

[royhobbs2]

My kid switched to Marucci 4-5 years ago and never looked back. We went from Easton to marucci. Marucci is the most balanced, best bat for bat speed that there is.

Rawlings is not in the same league as marucci

 

[Tenacious E]

My kid switched to Marucci 4-5 years ago and never looked back. We went from Easton to marucci. Marucci is the most balanced, best bat for bat speed that there is.

Rawlings is not in the same league as marucci

The meta prime is LS not Rawlings, and according to the below graph and article, has a lighter swing weight and is more balanced than the Cat 8. It also rates the Meta as the #1 bat.

https://www.justbatreviews.com/best-bbcor-bats-2020/

 

[mcgrawfsu]

My son has the Meta and loves it. He had the Prime 918 before that and you could see an immediate difference when he swung the Meta.

 

[Tenacious E]

My son has the Meta and loves it. He had the Prime 918 before that and you could see an immediate difference when he swung the Meta.

Given he's 15, 5'9, 140-145 pounds, and still growing, do you think the 33 is okay? Like I indicated above he's had to use BBCOR in little league for a couple of years in addition to getting to use the -5 in USSSA and he's been fine. He's always had a quick bat but I don't want to set him up for failure if 32 is more appropriate. It's just for $500+ after taxes I want to get more than one season out of it...

 

[Mattski]

did your kid swing both? They both seem to be A+ in reviews with the meta prime getting slightly higher. Can't go wrong I'm sure.

Bat reviews are so hard to trust in my experience. That meta does have some serious pop though and my younger boy swings a Marucci drop 8 that also has great pop. Cant go wrong with either. Hit up a local bat demo and let him try both and see what feels better.

 

[Tenacious E]

Bat reviews are so hard to trust in my experience. That meta does have some serious pop though and my younger boy swings a Marucci drop 8 that also has great pop. Cant go wrong with either. Hit up a local bat demo and let him try both and see what feels better.

For sure they are hard to trust, but usually where there is enough smoke there is fire (in a good or bad way). Hitting is starting up so just going to take the plunge on the Meta and have faith that either choice would have been a good one.

 

[mcgrawfsu]

Given he's 15, 5'9, 140-145 pounds, and still growing, do you think the 33 is okay? Like I indicated above he's had to use BBCOR in little league for a couple of years in addition to getting to use the -5 in USSSA and he's been fine. He's always had a quick bat but I don't want to set him up for failure if 32 is more appropriate. It's just for $500+ after taxes I want to get more than one season out of it...

my son is 5’9” and 125. He swings the 32 very well. At times I wonder if a 33 would be better. I would think at 145 the 33 should be good. Does he have a friend with one he could swing?

 

[Tenacious E]

my son is 5’9” and 125. He swings the 32 very well. At times I wonder if a 33 would be better. I would think at 145 the 33 should be good. Does he have a friend with one he could swing?

Thanks. He does not have a buddy's bat to swing. Just going with the 33.

 

[mcgrawfsu]

Thanks. He does not have a buddy's bat to swing. Just going with the 33.

You won’t be disappointed. It’s a great bat. Just make sure you put some type of marking on it. Most of the team has the same bat.

 

[Tenacious E]

You won’t be disappointed. It’s a great bat. Just make sure you put some type of marking on it. Most of the team has the same bat.

It was indeed a great bat and he loves it. Unfortunately it was just decertified so we have to return it. He wanted the same bat in a 32, which is still legal, rather than an ostensibly equivalent 33.

 

[Hammer93]

My kid has swung a 32 inch BBCOR Combat Maxum for a couple of years which has been a balanced bat. It is beat to hell and he's starting school ball so would like to get him something fresh and probably a 33 maybe a 34. He doesn't need to stay balanced, end-loaded is fine. Just curious if there is any consensus on what is the best bat out there. Looking to pick up last year's model for a couple of hundy off unless there has been a significant jump in technology. TIA

Edited to note that it looks like the Marucci Cat 8 is the front runner. He's about 5'9 and 145. He's pretty strong and has a quick bat. If we go with this one, thoughts on 32 vs. 33? TIA again.

Edited again to note the Louisville Meta Prime appears to be the consensus pick as the best bat. A little more spendy than I was hoping, as the 2019 model doesn't seem to be available through the usual websites. TIA.

CAT 8 is a great bat. My son has used those since he was in 8th grade. Senior this year. Buy a new one every year.

 

[mcgrawfsu]

It was indeed a great bat and he loves it. Unfortunately it was just decertified so we have to return it. He wanted the same bat in a 32, which is still legal, rather than an ostensibly equivalent 33.

Yes, that 33 situation really sucks. 7 of the kids in my son's high school lineup were using the 33.

Most of the kids are either going down to a 32 or up to a 34 with the vouchers.

 

[Tenacious E]

Yes, that 33 situation really sucks. 7 of the kids in my son's high school lineup were using the 33.

Most of the kids are either going down to a 32 or up to a 34 with the vouchers.

Hopefully they don't run out of 32s before I get my voucher in.

 

[Mattski]

It was indeed a great bat and he loves it. Unfortunately it was just decertified so we have to return it. He wanted the same bat in a 32, which is still legal, rather than an ostensibly equivalent 33.

Did you end up getting the Meta? Heard its banned now I believe in 33/30 version.

 

[mthawkeyes]

I've never seen him swing a bat, but my instinct for most kids would be to stay balanced. I wouldn't worry about going to end-loaded unless a kid is a legitimate threat to go yard more than once or twice a year. Just put solid line drives into play with a balanced bat.

 

[Tenacious E]

Did you end up getting the Meta? Heard its banned now I believe in 33/30 version.

Yes, we did. Son loved it. Sad to ship it back and we're hopeful they will have 32s because their other bats don't look nearly as good.

 

[Tenacious E]

I've never seen him swing a bat, but my instinct for most kids would be to stay balanced. I wouldn't worry about going to end-loaded unless a kid is a legitimate threat to go yard more than once or twice a year. Just put solid line drives into play with a balanced bat.

Thanks MT.

 

[BABiscuit]

All you fancy bat people go answer my question about bats for 9 year olds in the thread I just posted.