2012 Youth and BBCOR Bat Reviews

The 2012 baseball bat model year is upon us and the manufacturers are scrambling to produce bats that meet the new standards. I’m only going to list the Adult BBCOR bat models in this review as this will soon be the standard across the board. You’ll see some bats saying they are BBCOR certified for the 2011 season. In most cases these bats only have a one-year waiver and can be used in 2011 but not in 2012. Hence, I’m not listing them. Don’t forget to check out recommendations for each bat category and price range listed on the right side. Here’s what is out there:

Easton Bat Reviews
Easton is far ahead of the competition when it comes to BBCOR. They are the only manufaturer with a BBCOR 100% composite bat. They continue to push their two-piece design in their top tier bats. Their bats only seem to be available in stiff handle designs. This is a big change as Easton pushed flex handles for years. They started offering both flex and stiff handle editions of the same model in 2010, and now seem to have moved only to stiff handles.

Easton Omen A two-piece bat made of 100% composite material with a stiff handle. The only BBCOR approved 100% composite bat. It’s made with Easton’s IMX composite and is slightly end loaded (MOI rating of 80). This bat is very similar to the Easton Speeds, but made to BBCOR specifications. It is an extremely popular bat for experienced players at every level. The Adult -3 retails for $399.

Easton Surge This two-piece bat, with Easton’s IMX composite handle and their new THT 100 alloy barrel, has a stiff handle and balanced design with a MOI rating of 70. Essentially, it’s the old SV12 with a new alloy barrel. This is another extremely popular Eaton bat. The lower MOI (swing weight) makes it popular at all experience levels. The Adult -3 model retails for $299.

Easton Rival A one-piece bat made of 100% alloy and a stiff handle design. It has the lowest swing weight of the top Eason bats (MOI 60) and is made with their new THT 100 alloy. It is similar to the older V12 which was never popular. Most go to Eaton for the two-bat design and their one-piece models do not get much attention. The Adult -3 model retails for $199.

Demarini Bat Reviews

Like the others, Demarini is scrambling to put out BBCOR bats. While the current CF4 and Vendetta C6 are approved for play in 2011, they will not be allowed in 2012. Demarini is sticking to their bread and butter, two-piece, flex handle bats with their “half and half” technology. Here’s a look at their 2012 models:

Demarini CF5

The change to make it BBCOR compliant is the new “Tri Strut TR3 composite material”, otherwise it’s the same design as the CF4 & CF3. Demarini is claiming a new “triangle formation” but it’s just hype around the new material needed to make it BBCOR certified. It’s a two-piece design with a flex handle and light swing weight. Most college players stayed away from the CF4 due to it’s light (or too light) swing weight. The Adult -3 retails for $399.

Demarini Voodoo

A two-piece, single wall hybrid baseball bat with a flex handle and slightly end-loaded design. The handle is made with Demarini’s pitch black composite material and the barrel with their SC4 alloy. It is Demarini’s top tier hybrid bat. It is great choice for those looking for a top tier hybrid bat. The Adult -3 retails for $299.99 putting it in line with the other top tier hybrid bats.

Demarini Vexxum

The old standby Vexxum, a two-piece hybrid bat with a balanced design and flex handle. It has Demarini’s C6 composite handle and a SC4 alloy barrel. It is a solid choice for those looking for a low cost hybrid bat with a great reputation. The Adult -3 retails for $199.99.

Demarini Versus

The Versus provides a different approach for Demarini. It is a 100% alloy bat that doesn’t have a taper ring (a bump). This is a big change as Demarini hasn’t showcased a 100% alloy bat and has always used the taper ring design. Although it looks like a on-piece bat, it is a two-piece design using Demarini’s SC4 alloy. But they’re not done with the changes! It has a stiff handle which is different than the other Demarini bats that have a flex handle design. The Versus is slightly end-loaded and the Adult -3 retails for $199.

Louisville Bat Reviews

Louisville was a little slow out of the BBCOR gates, but they seemed to have caught up. They are the second manufacturer to release a 100% composite BBCOR model. The Exogrid 2 has also hit the shelves with minor revisions. The Triton will be allowed in most High Schools for 2011 only.

Louisville TPX Z-1000

Louisville’s first BBCOR approved certified 100% composite bat. The new composite material is called LS-2X. It’s has a one-piece design with a stiff handle and a balanced swing weight. Their pitch is that “two inner discs” create just enough barrel flex to produce good pop, but limit it enough to pass the new BBCOR legal limit. Louisville has finally done well on their top tier composite entry and should compete with Easton and Demarini in this category. It’s one of the few 100% composite BBCOR options. The Adult -3 retails for $369.

Louisville Exogrid 2

For all intense and purposes the 2012 Exogrid 2 is very similar to Louisville’s best selling bat for the last 6 years. It’s a hybrid bat with an alloy barrel so there wasn’t much needed to be done to make it BBCOR compliant. The change for 2010 is the addition of the “Power Disc Technology”. Two independent discs are positioned inside the barrel to supposedly allow for peak performance around the sweetspot, and provide an oversized hitting surface and balanced swing weight. Like most claims, this is more hype than any real benefit. It’s the same technology, a one-piece design with carbon composite inserts in the handle and the same AC21 alloy barrel material. The real news is that the price has gone down to $299 for the Adult -3 making it a viable option in the hybrid category.

Louisville Omaha

It’s the long running Omaha that we’ve seen for the last ten years now as a BBCOR. It’s a one-piece, 100% alloy bat with a stiff handle, a balanced design and Louisville’s older ST-20 alloy. This bat, while a good choice for those looking for a 100% alloy bat, will not be seen much at the high school or above levels. The Adult -3 model retails for $199.

Rawlings Bat Reviews

Here’s all Rawlings has in the BBCOR category:

Rawlings 5150 Composite

A two-piece 100% composite bat with a stiff handle and balanced design. This is Rawling’s first bat with a multi-wall barrel. The Adult -3 model retails for $349.99 putting it in the low end composite category.

Rawlings 5150 Machine

A two-piece hybrid bat with with a flex handle and slightly end-loaded design. The barrel is the same 5150 alloy as the 5150 alloy, and the handle has the same 5150 composite as the 5150 composite bat. The difference, other than the hybrid design, is the flex handle (2x the flex of the other 5150’s) and the end-loaded design. The Adult -3 model retails for $299.99 which is in line with the other top tier hybrid bats.

Rawlings 5150 Exogrid with Ph. D Features

Yes, the design for this bat is very similar to Louisville’s Exogrid. It is a one-piece bat with a carbon sleeve inserted into the handle. It is made from Rawlings 5150 alloy, has a stiff handle and a balanced design. The Ph. D feature is supposed to reduce handle vibrations. As I’ve mentioned before, go with the original Louisville Exogrid if you like this design.

Rawlings 5150 Velo

The next generation 5150 alloy bat. It’s a single wall, one-piece, stiff handle bat with a balanced design. It is made from Rawlings 5150 alloy. The Velo technology claims to have increased the barrel size. The adult -3 model retails for $249.99. Way too high a price in my opinion. I’d recommend the Omaha or Surge in this category.

Rawlings 5150 Alloy

It’s a single wall, one-piece, stiff handle bat with a balanced design. The Adult -3 retails for $199, the same as the Omaha or Surge, and as mentioned, these are better options.