Featured Bat Bro Video
Baseball Bat Bros MERCH by Routine™
Our Top 8 BBCOR Bats of 2022
THE BAT BRO SCALE: Our rating system for BBCOR baseball bats. Due to BBCOR restrictions, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT BAT. Between power, sweet spot, and swing weight, every bat is going to have to compromise in at least one category. To see our full list of BBCOR Bat Bro Scales, click here.
1) Marucci CatX BBCOR
This is essentially Marucci's version of the Voodoo One - and it's shockingly similar. Zak & JT even both slightly preferred the CatX over the Voodoo One. The primary difference we've noticed is that the CatX is a bit more forgiving than the Voodoo One, but the Voodoo One is a tiny bit more powerful on perfect contact.
In our opinion, this is the most unique "Cat" bat to-date, and in our opinion, the best BBCOR that Marucci has ever come out with.
The CatX has recently taken over the #1 spot due to the Voodoo One's reoccuring durability issues.
Pros: excellent power for its swing weight / easy to control / great feel for a 1-pc / fantastic grip/taper
Cons: expensive for a 1-pc alloy / very loud
2) Louisville Slugger Atlas BBCOR
You can think of the 2023 Atlas as a slightly heavier-swinging Voodoo One with a much bigger sweet spot. While it definitely doesn't look the part... this thing absolutely bangs. A massive upgrade from the Solo in our opinion, and legitimately reminiscent of the legendary Easton XL3 and Omaha 517.
As long as consumer durability feedback is positive early-on, this bat is going to have a legit chance to move up very, very high on this list...
Pros: powerful / easy to control / big sweet spot / great sound / great feel
Cons: Tough to think of any "cons"... maybe that it's a tad handle-weighted and some traditional power-hitters might not prefer that? And I suppose the paint job is not very good.
3) Louisville Slugger Select Pwr BBCOR
JT's gamer! You can think of the Select Pwr as a lighter-swinging "The Goods" with a tiny bit less barrel and a tiny bit less power. The Select Pwr has an incredibly comfortable feel on contact and you'll immediately notice the unique sound of the Select Pwr (sounds somewhere between composite and alloy).
Pros: impressive power for its swing weight / great feel / cool sound / good for any type of hitter
Cons: expensive / slightly lower exit velos than other endloaded bats like The Goods & Nuke.
4) DeMarini The Goods BBCOR
The Goods is probably the single most-loved bat in the game. One of the best sweet spots in BBCOR and the ball absolutely jumps off of this bat. The Goods is definitely more on the endloaded side, so it pairs well with stronger/advanced hitters.
The Goods would very possibly be our #1 or #2 ranked BBCOR bat if it wasn't for the durability issues. The Goods' 2-pc connection joint has been a liability over the last few years...
Pros: huge sweet spot / great feel / tons of pop
Cons: expensive / heavy / durability issues (telescoping handle)
5) Marucci CatX Connect BBCOR
Cam's gamer! We've called this bat the "Super Mario" of bats because it could really be used by any type of hitter. The swing weight is super light for a 2-pc hybrid, it has a very forgiving sweet spot, and it can put up some decent exit velos. This is probably the closest thing we've ever seen to a "2-pc hybrid contact-hitting bat".
It did get out-shined by the CatX 1-pc (ranked #1) and The Goods (ranked #2) in our initial review video, but this is legitimately one of the most versatile and well-rounded BBCOR bats on the market right now.
Pros: big sweet spot / easy to swing / durable / fantastic handle & knob taper
Cons: expensive / slightly lower exit velos than some more endloaded 2-pc hybrids
6) Warstic Bonesaber BBCOR
The new 2023 Bonesaber absolutely LIT UP the Hittrax (106.9 mph 😳). With a lighter swing-weight and a slightly more flexible feel, this is the best version of the Bonesaber yet in our opinion.
If you're a victim of the unfortunate circumstances around the Voodoo One or Stinger Missile 2, this is probably the next closest thing to those 2 bats.
Pros: HOT / very light swing-weight / the bonesaber knob is fantastic
Cons: small sweet spot / rings up the hands a little bit
7) Stinger Nuke 2 BBCOR
The budget version of "The Goods".
In our opinion, this is the best endloaded 1-pc alloy bat in the game...and it's durable...and it's cheap. The consumer feedback on this bat has been insanely positive.
Pros: fantastic on mis-hits / cheap / powerful / great handle & knob taper
Cons: very endloaded - make sure you're really comfortable with BBCOR -3 swing weight before you buy this bat.
8) DeMarini Voodoo One BBCOR
The Voodoo One has registered our highest exit velocities ever (107.9 mph), and it's one of the easiest swinging bats out there - a combo that is extremely hard to come by in the BBCOR space.
However, we've had to bump the Voodoo down in the ranking due to recurring durability issues with the knob of the bat.
Pros: excellent power for its swing weight / easy to control / great feel for a 1-pc
Cons: smaller sweet spot / durability issues (knob)
Best BUDGET BBCOR Bats (under $200):
With such a restrictive performance standard like BBCOR, we've found that a lot of the cheapo bats are actually really solid. While these aren't the "best" bats on the market in our opinion, they're honestly not very far off from our Top 10 bats.
1) Marucci Cat6 BBCOR - $190
For under $200, the Marucci Cat6 performs as good if not better than the more expensive 7/8/9 versions of the Marucci Cat BBCOR.
The Cat6 swings very similar to the Stringking Metal 2, but it's a little bit more forgiving on the hands.
2) Stringking Metal 2 BBCOR - $160
At only $160, the Metal 2 is probably the single best bang for your buck in BBCOR right now.
The Metal 2 performs very similar to a bat like the Victus Nox or L.S. Select Pwr: you're likely to see a little bit hotter exit velos with the Stringking Metal 2, but you'll also experience a little bit more sting on the hands with the Metal 2 when compared to a 2-piece hybrid bat like the Nox or Select Pwr.
Our Top 5 USSSA Bats of 2022
The hottest bats money can buy!! While there are some very hot alloy/aluminum USSSA bats out there this year, a good broken-in composite USSSA bat will usually outperform an alloy/aluminum USSSA bat (which is not really the case in BBCOR). The primary benefit of swinging an alloy bat in USSSA is that they are more durable than their composite counterparts. These composite bats sound/feel/hit better though.
1) MARUCCI CAT9 COMPOSITE USSSA
Ladies and gents, this is the best bat in all of baseball right now.
The swing weight is very manageable, the sweet spot is unrivaled, it has an electric feel and sound, and it's extremely durable for a USSSA composite bat.
The Cat9 Comp -5 is our all time exit velo record-holder at 109.4 mph (Hittrax).
This may very well be the GOAT of USSSA.
2) MARUCCI CATX COMPOSITE USSSA
VERY similar to the Cat9 Composite USSSA, but the CatX requires a bit more initial break-in (150-200 swings). It also feels a little bit lighter and a little bit more stiff/rigid than the Cat9 Comp. But it's still just as hot once broken-in.
3) LOUISVILLE SLUGGER META USSSA
While we think the Cat9 Composite is a bit hotter than the Meta, the Meta is one of the most balanced USSSA bats on the market (with a suprisingly large sweet spot for it's lighter swing weight), and it's one of the most durable USSSA composites.
With durability and swing weight being a constant issue in the composite travel-ball space, we wouldn't be surprised if the Meta was one of the most popular USSSA bats in 2022.
4) DEMARINI ZOA USSSA
The Zoa is essentially a slightly hotter version of the DeMarini CF. This bat feels 100% ready to go from the very first swing. But it's still shockingly similar to the CF.
While we didn't love the $500 BBCOR version of the Zoa, the USSSA version is LEGIT. One of the best sweet spots in the game, and very impressive exit velos.
Similar to the CF though, the Zoa is going to be fragile (maybe even more fragile than the CF). That's the trade-off for having the hottest bat from swing #1.
5) DEMARINI CF USSSA
The average USSSA player would barely be able to distinguish the difference between the DeMarini CF and its newer successor, the Zoa. But the CF takes a few more swings to break-in, it has a slightly more flexible handle, and it's a bit more endloaded.
Other than that, you're still getting the hot-out-of-wrapper performance & fragilility of a DeMarini USSSA bat. This bat is flaming-hot within 50 swings and has a mega sweet spot, but those notorious durability concerns are what's keeping the Zoa and CF from being in the 1 & 2 spot.
The Batting Gloves we use: BRUCE BOLTS
Since we started this channel, we've been among the voices saying "Who the heck would ever pay $100 for batting gloves??"
But in early 2021, a friend gave us our first pair of Bruce Bolts (white/red Bader long-cuffs)... and we've now been using the same pair for a year and a half 😂.
These are the most durable batting gloves we've ever come across, and their one of the few BG's we've found that handle sweat really well.
The Pine Tar we use: KRAKEN
This stuff is a lot like Tiger Stick, but we think it holds up better in hot weather, and the packaging makes it a lot easier to use/maintain. It's a bit spendy, but we freaking love it. Using really good grip/tar is one of the most underrated aspects in hitting.