Every year new baseball bats come out and every manufacturer is trying to top the previous years model. In this Best Baseball Bats guide we break down who has the tops bats for their respective categories in 2019. You can also find the individual bats on some of my other baseball bat reviews.
When we choose what baseball bats are on top of the game, these are the key aspects that we look at:
Each bat has to have pop. What do I mean when a baseball bat has pop because we all know that I do not mean the bat literally explodes like popcorn or something.
In baseball, the term pop refers to how the ball comes off the bat and if you are a physicist, this is also known as exit velocity. Depending on the bat size and material, the pop of the bat varies.
It is always great to have good pop on a bat because this can give you a little more distance with your hit, allowing you to score a few more homers or gets you more solid line drives.
Pop of the bat all depends on many things about the bat. One thing that the pop is impacted by is the material.
Aluminum other metal bats usually have some good pop (as you can see in my other baseball bat reviews).
Another material in bats is composite, which has a medium pop from my experience. Another contributor to pop is how big the barrel is. If you look at a baseball bat you see in the store, it usually has a number such as (-3), (-8), or (-11).
The smaller the number, the smaller the barrel is, which impacts the pop. For example, a (-3) bat is bigger and heavier than a (-11) bat.
You can see me talk about this a little in some of my other baseball bat reviews.
Another point that we look at when picking the best bats in my baseball bat reviews is the balance.
Some people also call this the weight distribution of the bat. Now I am going to warn you now, this part is more of an acquired taste. This is kinda like how some people like their coffee black, while some people go to Dunkin Donuts and get the sugary sweet stuff.
This is all relevant to what you like, but we like really balanced bats because of how you can turn on inside pitches easier, and get some good bat speed so you can slap some baseballs over the fence.
It feels really nice and to me gives me a little bit more confidence up at the plate because I have a lot of control over the bat, and can move it around how I please.
If you have ever been golfing or to a driving range, you have probably seen a really experienced player drive the ball, and the motion of lining up to the tee is what I like to think of when I think of control.
Balance is all about control of the bat and where you want to put it and I see this as a very strong attribute to a bat and will help you greatly at the plate.
The last thing that we look at when we pick the top bats we know is the design of the bats. This consists of two parts and concepts of the bats. You can find more about this in some of my other baseball bat reviews.
I don’t want to name names yet but some bats have a base color scheme that is clean and consistent throughout.
Then, they have an accent color that really pops out and gives the bat its voice. I know bats don’t have mouths but you know what I mean.
The second part of the design actually affects the performance of the bat. This includes if the bat is made of two pieces or one piece.
Similarly, this includes if the bat has special features like the ConneXion technology that stops the vibrations from meeting the player’s hands. I personally like both two-piece designs and one-piece designs. There are pros and cons of both types of bat designs.
A two-piece design has basically the handle and the barrel. In these two-piece designs, they are usually top-heavy, which is a con to having this bat unless you like that.
A pro to having a two-piece design on a bat is that it feels like you’re swinging a sledgehammer, and can get you a more solid connection to the ball.
A con to the one-piece design is that it might feel like less of a bat because it will feel considerably lighter compared to a two piece.
In these two-piece designs, they are usually top-heavy, which is a con to having this bat unless you like that.
A pro to having a two-piece design on a bat is that it feels like you’re swinging a sledgehammer, and can get you a more solid connection to the ball.
A con to the one-piece design is that it might feel like less of a bat because it will feel considerably lighter compared to a two piece.
A con to the one-piece design is that it might feel like less of a bat because it will feel considerably lighter compared to a two piece.
I remember when I was using my DeMarini Voodoo Overlord (two pieces) and switched to my friend’s Marucci Cat7 (one piece) I was lunging at the ball because of the weight distribution difference. A pro to the one piece approach is that you get to turn on the ball more and you get more control.
This goes back to the weight distribution but all in all, one piece designs feel lighter.
Now we’re talking about unlocking a new type of baseball bat. A three-piece design is actually pretty awesome when you get to know about it.
A three-piece allows the engineers of the bat to alter the weight even more. If they want to make a power hitter bat or a contact hitter bat, it’s much easier to put the weight where they want it.
Now there is a downside, which is the loss of energy from the hands from the transferring over all of the pieces. It’s not too big of a deal, but something to consider about these types of bats.
Even though that is true, bat manufacturers can add other types of technology into the bat to counter this effect.
The upside to the three-piece design is how comfortable it feels to swing it. Even on bad hits, there is less sting from vibrations. I really like that feature since I get stung a lot, which can really impact your swing if you have baby hands like me.
Now, to the main event and what you’ve been looking for! If you have any questions about what we mean by Pop, Balance, and Design just refer to the explanations above!
It’s a good thing you came to the best website for baseball bat reviews!
Yet another year where the Rawlings 5150 takes the cake.
This bat is just awesome if you are looking for great pop in a baseball bat because of the design.The Rawlings 5150 has Rawlings’ pOp 2.0 technology integrated into the barrel. Other bats don’t have their own technology for pop as this one does.
Another thing about this bat is that it has a one-piece design. This gives the least amount of power lost on the swing since there aren’t any pieces for it to transfer over to.
The huge barrel on this thing is also awesome. Missing the ball with that thing is harder than hitting it (that’s a joke).
The price is also one of the best in the top bats of 2019 section so thats also a major plus.
So if you want to check out my review on this bat make sure you click here.
You all I love the Marucci Cat series, so this shouldn’t come as a shocker.
Just to tell a little about the Marucci Cat 8, it has a super balanced swing.
If you pick it up for yourself, you’ll see how buttery it feels to cut through the zone with this thing. I just love bats like this.
The balance is perfect on the Marucci Cat 8, but that’s not the only cool thing about this bat. It also has good pop too. Those two coupled together is dangerous so make sure you warn the left fielder when you get up to the plate.
Design-wise this bat is really pretty too. It has nice colors and looks sharp for any player.
If you want to read more about this bat click here.
The 2019 DeMarini CF Zen is also a really exciting baseball bat to talk about this year.
I don’t know why but this bat is so nice to hit with.
Since it is a two-piece composite design there is a lot less vibration on mis-hits, unlike one-piece baseball bats.
I admit that this has been one of the hottest bats this season because of the things that it accomplishes.
There’s great pop even for a two-piece baseball bat.
Also, I’ll mention the cool 3Fusion technology that DeMarini has in their bats so if you want to check it out and read more click here.
Every year, Louisville Slugger puts out a fantastic lineup of baseball bats that perform awesomely.
This is obviously the highest quality bat out of the lineup so what’s so good about it?
For one, it has a decent size barrel. Hitting with this thing feels awesome because of that barrel size, and the two-piece composite design that was incorporated.
I do like the two-piece design because of the comfort it brings, and the flex on a good hit.
Overall this bat is a home run and if you want to check out my review on it click here.
The 2019 DeMarini Voodoo Balanced is actually pretty similar to the DeMarini CF Zen, so what’s different?
Well, the Voodoo Balanced is a little more balanced on the swing, hence the name “Voodoo Balanced.” I definitely prefer more balanced bats to have a little more control but that’s just my opinion.
This bat also is a two-piece but has hybrid materials. That means that there is aluminum and composite in the barrel.
That gives this bat awesome flex and comfort, but also adds a little to the pop factor.
If you want to check out my review on this bat click here.
Now, this is the 3rd and final bat in the Louisville lineup this year, and I’m going to tell you why I like it so much.
This bat has awesome pop, a great balanced swing, and premium feel.
When you swing this thing you’ll know what I mean.
The pop on this thing will send the ball flying. That one-piece aluminum structure is really awesome for that kind of thing. Also because of the one-piece aluminum construction, this thing is hot out of the wrapper, so you don’t really need to break it in like composite bats.
If you want to read more about this bat and other cool things about it like the SBC end cap, click here.
Now, this bat is a little different than the ones that I mentioned before.
That is because it has a 3-piece composite construction. That bat’s that I’ve mentioned before have all had either one or two pieces, but what does three pieces mean.
Well, this just means a couple of things. One is that there is more flex on a good hit. Two it is balanced a little more meticulously. That’s because the engineers of this bat can alter the weight a little better with more pieces.
The only downside is that it takes away from pop the slightest bit, but Louisville makes up for it by incorporating their EKO barrel to boost it up a little more.
If you want to read a little more about this bat then click here!
Now, this is the second bat in the Louisville lineup that the other two bats on this list came from.
The Louisville Slugger Omaha 519 also has a one-piece aluminum design that I love. Like I said before, this makes it hot out of the wrapper and ready to play with as soon as you buy it.
One downside of one piece aluminum bats is that they give off a lot of vibrations to the handle on bat hits, which no one likes.
To counter that, Louisville Slugger added their Vibex Premium vibration dampening handle. Good job Louisville.
Overall a really solid bat that is really one of the best this season.
If you want to read more about it like the six-star end cap, click here!
Here is yet again another 3-piece construction, this time it is a hybrid construction.
I bet you could figure that out by the title of the bat but let’s talk about it anyways.
So with all of the benefits of the 3-piece construction, this bat also has composite and aluminum incorporated into it. This gives good flex while also having good pop.
If you are a power hitter, this bat is for you. The engineers of this bat made it so that it is a little top heavy to really smack the ball.
Anyways if you are looking for a good power bat this it. To read more about the Louisville Slugger Select Hybrid 719 and its features click here.
Here is our second Rawlings baseball bat on the list. I really love Rawlings because they don’t overprice their bats, you really get good deals on awesome bats.
Anyways the Rawlings Velo is a one-piece hybrid baseball bat with some awesome pop.
That pop comes from that cool pOp 2.0 tech that we saw in the Rawlings 5150. Very well performing and adds some good value to the bat.
Anyways this bat is pretty quick through the zone and can send the ball flying a good deal.
If you want to check out my review on this bat then click here.
So that ends the 2019 bats. Overall they are all awesome pick, just make sure you get the one for you.
Now we’re going to check out some 2018 versions and some different bats from 2018 so buckle up!
Obviously, the 2019s are the way to go but if you want, go check them out!
The Rawlings 5150 has something foreign about it that makes the ball fly
I’ve seen the most bombs hit by far with this bat. It comes with the Precision-Optimized Performance POP 2.0 which is responsible for the larger sweet spot.
The engineers of this modern marvel obviously took their time with crafting it, and really focusing on the pop.
The Rawlings 5150 has not only great performance but a very likable price. You can check out more about this metal-ax and the pricing details on my detailed article about it here.
The Rawlings Velo Hybrid is very similar to the Rawlings 5150.
I remember this bat getting big with travel teams and high school teams, as each one would have at least one or two of these.
This bat similarly has the Precision-Optimized Performance POP 2.0 which is responsible for the larger sweet spot.
This is a huge advantage if you want to increase your homer probability or just hit some more solid line drives for base hits. The main difference from the Rawlings 5150 is the weight distribution.
Even though it is better distributed, we like the natural feel of the Rawlings 5150 but still, appreciate the innovation with the Rawlings Velo Hybrid. Check out the article about the Rawlings Velo Hybrid here.
With this bat, a little goes a long way. I say this because this bat has a very simple design, which makes it a great bat with some great pop.
This is a one-piece design and is made of aluminum alloy, which is a great material for good pop.
This bat similarly to the other top-pop bats has a huge sweet spot. With this large barrel, it is not only easier to catch a ball in a good spot, but it gives it more strength.
The Mizuno Maxcor is a great bat that I think is under-rated so don’t overlook this one! Check it out here!
This is the best wood option with great everything, but most of all great pop.
Now, wha
This bat is also used in the MLB, which shows the level that this bat is performing on.
I know I said before that composite has only a medium pop and that you should stick to the Aluminum Alloy material but this is a great exception. Check it out here.
The Easton Z-Core Speed is another great option for this ca
You can just see in the picture the size of the sweet spot, and how it compares to the other options in this category.
This is like a fast version of the Rawlings 5150, hence the name Z-Core SPEED.
Even though this bat is a single-piece design, there is some weight to it for your big players. Weight to a bat is most of the time a good thing because of the momentum during the swing it creates. This basically means that the bat will keep going through the ball even if it’s not a perfect hit. Check it out here.
The control and feel of this thing are insane (I can’t explain it in any other way).
This bat has such great balance that I know some players will be way ahead of the ball when changing bats.
This is a single piece bat which means the weight can be distributed evenly throughout. Fast bat speed and solid hits are in your future with this amazing piece of alloy. Come check out my article on it here.
What’s special about this bat is actually a composite bat. Most one-piece bats are Aluminum Alloy but you will come across the occasional odd-man-out.
Other than that this is a pretty balanced hitting tool and I know anyone who uses it will love it. Come check out my article on this bat here.
The Easton XL1 has a great big barrel that you can really connect to the ball with. This bat is actually a two-piece even though it looks like a one-piece but still is very balanced.
The ConneXion technology on the Easton XL1 helps to direct all of the energy to the sweet spot of the bat, and in this case, it is even better because of the giant barrel.
I also like the color on this bat because it really stands out. Not only will you hit frozen ropes with this thing but you will look good doing it! Check out my article on this bat here.
Like I said before, this bat has POP 2.0 which manages to elevate the product to a professional level.
The carbon fiber cap that this bat sports has a good impact on the weight of this bat, and was a smart decision by the designers of the Rawling Velo Hybrid. Read more on this bat here.
The Marucci Hex is
The bat features the ring-free AZ4X alloy barrel which is fairly new to baseball bats.
Since there is no connective ring, the bat needs to compensate for the vibrations sent to the handle.
From what I’ve seen and heard, the bat has dealt well without the connective ring, because of the material that they use. This bat’s speed is probably among the top products in its niche in this department.
The Marucci Hex will be perfect for players looking to get in the game with aggressiveness and determination. Come check out my full review on it here.
The DeMarini Vexxum was chosen because of the designs on each diffe
Each year the DeMarini Vexxum gets a new look and I personally like each one.
I know that I bought a blue and white DeMarini Vexxum and the next year it was orange, and the year before it was white and orange.
This is a nice and creative touch that really caught my eye.
I also like this bat because of the two-piece design. Yes, I did say that I prefer one piece, but there’s something different about this design.
The material is both Aluminum Alloy and Composite which gives it a unique sound and feeling.
It’s like getting the best of both worlds because it produces great pop while still being balanced. Read more about it here.
Next up is an obvious favorite, the Rawlings 5150. I mostly like everything about this bat but
One, as I said before I love that they included the POP 2.0 so that this bat can really perform and get the ball lifted.
With that being said, this is a one-piece design which I really like because of the balance and how the swing feels, especially going clean through the ball.
The newest version has the yellow/white/black color scheme which is very futuristic looking and makes the bat look like a million bucks. Speaking of a million bucks, this bat will not break the bank with its cheap prices.
If you wanna check out the prices and more about the bat click here.
The barrel sports composite, which actually helps distribute the weight a little more because of the top heaviness.
This bat is one of the most powerful options on the market from what I’ve seen. It comes with some of the latest composite barrel materials which many players have come to enjoy.
Its usability is great for the long term, with reduced vibrations in the handle and durable barrel construction. If you’re looking for a long-term bat with the DeMarini signature features, this is it. Check out the full article here.
The Easton S2 is very similar to the DeMarini Vexxum. Th
This is actually interesting because Easton bats have a pattern to have composite bats.
As with all new two-piece designs from Easton, the Easton S2 comes with the ConneXion technology. This tech is known for its physical abilities to limit vibration to the player’s hands.
The technology has been a positive implement in their bats so I recommend this one. Check out more about this bat and the details on pricing here.
The last bat that I will present to you is the Marucci Cat 7. This will al
It is a smooth one-piece design with AZ4X alloy, which makes this bat very balanced and accurate. The color scheme is also super clean and new with the red/white color scheme.
A cool feature on this bat is the anti-vibration knob. Go check out the details of price and all the features here.
The 2018 Louisville Slugger solo 618 is a really awesome choice for your high school career.
One of the great things about this bat is that it is BBCOR certified which means that you can use it in most if not all leagues you will play in.
The 2018 Louisville Slugger solo 618 is made up of an aluminum alloy metal. I personally like aluminum because of the lightness it brings with the power that it has.
Another cool little feature that this bat has is a lizard skin tape grip, which is usually a premium grip that you would put on after buying this bat.
I know a lot of people who use lizard skin and it is probably one of the best at tapes on the market.
With this bat being a Louisville Slugger it is generally inexpensive compared to other bats of this type. If you want to learn more about it click here.
The 2018 Easton Beast X speed is another really great choice for your high school bat.
Easton has been leading in bat manufacturing for many years and does not disappoint with this one.
The 2018 Easton Beast X Speed is made out of an ATAC alloy which is a new type of metal that they developed.
It is supposedly faster and stronger than ever before. This bat also comes with a hyper skin grip which they developed. This grip does compete with other leading bat grips including lizard skin.
Another thing that I like about this is that it is a one-piece design.
This means that it is all one connected piece which helps with bat speed. That brings me to my next point about how great bat speed is on this the 2018 Easton Beast x Speed.
You can noticeably see and feel the quickness and lightness to this bat. You can check out my review of it here.
Next up is the 2018 Rawlings 5150 bat which is actually one of my favorites for the
This bat is also great because of the aluminum alloy design. The aluminum design brings this bat speed.
Power and speed don’t matter if you don’t connect with the ball thoroughly which is why this bat has an enormous sweet spot.
A number of players admire how big the barrel design is on the Rawlings 5150 which is why it is one of the leading bats of its kind. Not only is it one of the leading bats of its kind but also the lightest because of the one-piece design and aluminum alloy material made with it. When you pick up this bat it just feels like the whole thing is a giant sweet spot. To learn more about this you can check out my review here.
The 2018 Marucci F5 is another awesome pick for my high school top 5 collection.
What’s different about this bat is that it has a bigger barrel compared to other aluminum bats. No, it does not have the biggest barrel but when you put it up next to other aluminum selections this one wins by a little bit. What the bigger Barrel you might think that it makes this bat heavier and harder to swing but that is not the case.
What Marucci did with the F5 is remove some weight by thinning the walls of the barrel. this was really smart because with a lighter swing the faster you could hit the ball.
With the thin walls, this creates a very loud sound when you hit the ball which is also a great indicator of how you hit the ball. It is almost like a sensor telling you how good you hit the ball which makes it really useful in practice also. If you want to check out my review of the 2018 Marucci F5 click here.
The 2018 Louisville Slugger Prime 918 is my last awesome pick for your high school season. This bat is BBCOR certified which means that you can use it in almost any league you play in.
What’s different about this bat is that not only is it a composite microform material, but it is a three-piece design.
All the other bats that we’ve been looking at have usually been one or two pieces but this is the first one that is a three-piece. What this means is that there is less negative feedback from a bad hit and that it is a bit heavier. Even though it is a bit heavier the composite microform Barrel makes up for that. The weight is significantly reduced and it has much more pop than a regular back. To learn more about it check out my review here.
Well, thank you guys for looking into my article. Always remember that I have the best baseball bat reviews on the internet. No one else will get down and personal like this.
Overall I hope you learned what are some good aspects of these bats and you can look further in my baseball bat reviews by clicking the links at the end of the paragraphs.
Also, remember that these bats all have good things about them and bad things about them, so don’t assume that it’s going to be perfect.
That is one of the biggest problems that I get from readers: the baseball bat is not perfect.
Thanks for reading and make sure you check out some of my other baseball bat reviews.
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