Another baseball bat question

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

A while back I had some questions regarding baseball bats that many of you were kind enough to answer. I now have one more. We ended up getting my son a Marucci F5 to use on his 7th grade team, but the coach told him it was too end loaded and causing his swing mechanics to be off and recommended a more balanced bat. After some research and him trying one out another boy had, looks like we may go with a Louisville Slugger Meta. Here's my question. I can get a 2021 model for $250, 2022 for around $400, and the 2023 is $500. Do bats have a shelf life or is an unused 2021 model just as good as an unused 2023? From what I've read the bats had no significant design changes other than the graphics, so would he be ok with a 2021 model or would he need the 2022 or 2023?

 

[beachbumdawg]

A while back I had some questions regarding baseball bats that many of you were kind enough to answer. I now have one more. We ended up getting my son a Marucci F5 to use on his 7th grade team, but the coach told him it was too end loaded and causing his swing mechanics to be off and recommended a more balanced bat. After some research and him trying one out another boy had, looks like we may go with a Louisville Slugger Meta. Here's my question. I can get a 2021 model for $250, 2022 for around $400, and the 2023 is $500. Do bats have a shelf life or is an unused 2021 model just as good as an unused 2023? From what I've read the bats had no significant design changes other than the graphics, so would he be ok with a 2021 model or would he need the 2022 or 2023?

If it’s a BBCOR - the ‘21 is just getting hot - the others are nothing more than a repaint

btw what size are you looking for?

Edited:
My 8th grader swings both a Voodoo One and Maxum Ultra for school ball

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Take the bat to Monroe County. The schools there used to know a thing or two about making a bat hot.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Find a tree struck by lightning. That's the hard part. I think you know how to proceed from there.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

He has to use a bbcor drop 3. I think 31/28.

 

[cowbell88]

Things sure was easier when the decision was to choose a EASTON with green letters or EASTON that was black with yellow letters!

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Things sure was easier when the decision was to choose a EASTON with green letters or EASTON that was black with yellow letters!

Damn straight. I went to Walmart and got my glove and bat. As I said I got my son that Marucci F5 and I thought I had gotten him a bat he could be proud of. First day of practice and all the other kids asking him why he has such a crappy bat. Not made of money so it hurts like hell seeing the prices of all this stuff. Blows my mind seeing 13 year olds running around with $500 bats and $200 gloves. My *** must be in the wrong career field.

 

[beachbumdawg]

He has to use a bbcor drop 3. I think 31/28.

Ok if he needs balanced:
Two lightest metal: CatX and Voodoo One followed by LS Atlas

Meta swings heavier than all those; add to that it also swings heavier than the LS 31” Select PWR

only composite we’ve swung that is very balanced and wippy Easton Maxum 360 followed by Maxum Ultra

 

[beachbumdawg]

Ok if he needs balanced:
Two lightest metal: CatX and Voodoo One followed by LS Atlas

Meta swings heavier than all those; add to that it also swings heavier than the LS 31” Select PWR

only composite we’ve swung that is very balanced and wippy Easton Maxum 360 followed by Maxum Ultra

dude I’ve got a barely used Maxum 360 I’d offload for reasonable price it’s a 31

 

[bulldawg989]

My son is 11 and not huge for his age but on the bigger side compared to the majority of his travel team. He swings a 30" -8 CAT9, he'll have to go to a -3 BBCOR for middle school, I got him a -5 Victus Nox so the transition from -8 to -3 wouldn't be so big. The Nox is end-loaded and he hates it, it does affect his swing. He's strong enough to swing it but it doesn't feel like the CAT9, which is more balanced.

Most of the bats in this arena are expensive, you can find a good bat in a lower price range but just because one person says its hot doesn't mean your son will swing it the same. There are a couple of kids on our team that have CATX, and '22 Meta (orange) and '23 Meta (green) and they all like them...couple of kids that have a Zoa and The Goods that prefer theirs to the others. While the saying is true that a $400 bat won't fix a $10 swing, it's also true that a quality bat does perform when used as intended. I had my son take multiple hitting lessons (still does) to ensure his mechanics match the stick, he can hit so I have no problem getting him a good bat but it does get expensive.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Thing is I know jack squat about all this. I thought the F5 was a good bat. Then all the kids made fun of him and his coach says to get a meta. One of the other kids has one and he did ok with it. I'm leaning towards getting one he's actually swung and familiar with instead of ordering blindly and hoping for the best. I was holding a cat X yesterday along with the F5 and to be honest I couldn't tell the difference. Balance point seemed to be identical to me. So I had a hard time spending $400 on a bat that to me feels identical to a bat he was told was no good. Why I'm leaning meta.

 

[beachbumdawg]

Damn straight. I went to Walmart and got my glove and bat. As I said I got my son that Marucci F5 and I thought I had gotten him a bat he could be proud of. First day of practice and all the other kids asking him why he has such a crappy bat. Not made of money so it hurts like hell seeing the prices of all this stuff. Blows my mind seeing 13 year olds running around with $500 bats and $200 gloves. My *** must be in the wrong career field.

What’s his size?

 

[MaxwellSmart]

Find a tree struck by lightning. That's the hard part. I think you know how to proceed from there.

I've got one that should be good for a few bats.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

What’s his size?

He's 5'. Not sure weight. Small side, though.

 

[Independent George]

For a really good balanced BBCOR with pop I’ll throw in a recommendation for the Warstic Bonesaber. My son had two of them and loved them both. Bonus points because Ian Kinsler who founded Warstic is an MSU guy. Meta is also a good option but not sure they’re really worth the premium you pay for them.

 

[beachbumdawg]

He's 5'. Not sure weight. Small side, though.

Why 31”?
I ask because my 5’11” 140lb 13 yr old just moved from 31” to 32”

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

For a really good balanced BBCOR with pop I’ll throw in a recommendation for the Warstic Bonesaber. My son had two of them and loved them both. Bonus points because Ian Kinsler who founded Warstic is an MSU guy. Meta is also a good option but not sure they’re really worth the premium you pay for them.

Ben Jenkins is the Warstic MSU guy. They're based out of Dallas. Ian Kinsler played for the Rangers and Jack White from the White Stripes are Ben's partners.

Kinsler got beat out at Arizona State by Dustin Pedroia after Juco and finally landed at Missouri. When playing for the Rangers he had a reputation as being a real a-hole as well, but thats just scuttlebutt.. Ben is good people though.

In a side note, if you like Vodka. Ben was one of the founders of Western Son Vodka which is now owned by a fellow dawg.

 

[graddawg]

Things sure was easier when the decision was to choose a EASTON with green letters or EASTON that was black with yellow letters!

Oh, they are back. And they are glorious.

 

[MStateU]

When did it move from the schools responsibility to provide 5 or 6 decent bats to every kid having to provide his own? Then if the parents really can’t afford to buy a good one the kid gets made fun of and the coach tells him to tell his parents to buy this specific bat.

Just nuts to me.

if the school coach wants kids to hit with a specific bat then provide it. Otherwise have a ****** hitting team. School’s choice.

So if a bus loads up to go to a game you are telling me almost every kid has a bat…some 2 bats. There may be $10,000 worth of bats on there.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Things sure was easier when the decision was to choose a EASTON with green letters or EASTON that was black with yellow letters!

I remember when Easton was just a twinkle in the eye of Bombats.

 

[GTDawg]

A while back I had some questions regarding baseball bats that many of you were kind enough to answer. I now have one more. We ended up getting my son a Marucci F5 to use on his 7th grade team, but the coach told him it was too end loaded and causing his swing mechanics to be off and recommended a more balanced bat. After some research and him trying one out another boy had, looks like we may go with a Louisville Slugger Meta. Here's my question. I can get a 2021 model for $250, 2022 for around $400, and the 2023 is $500. Do bats have a shelf life or is an unused 2021 model just as good as an unused 2023? From what I've read the bats had no significant design changes other than the graphics, so would he be ok with a 2021 model or would he need the 2022 or 2023?

The Louisville Slugger Atlas has really good reviews and it’s not Uber expensive. The Voodoo One is super hot but has durability issues. The Cat X and Atlas have been rated two of the top BBCOR.

Justbats has good customer service and can help you select a bat that would be good for your son.

 

[cowbell88]

So, I’ve obviously been out of little league baseball loop for a long time. Just in case mine wants to play Rec ball this year, where are these type bats sold at? Definitely not at Hibbit which is what’s local to me.

 

[aTotal360]

A while back I had some questions regarding baseball bats that many of you were kind enough to answer. I now have one more. We ended up getting my son a Marucci F5 to use on his 7th grade team, but the coach told him it was too end loaded and causing his swing mechanics to be off and recommended a more balanced bat. After some research and him trying one out another boy had, looks like we may go with a Louisville Slugger Meta. Here's my question. I can get a 2021 model for $250, 2022 for around $400, and the 2023 is $500. Do bats have a shelf life or is an unused 2021 model just as good as an unused 2023? From what I've read the bats had no significant design changes other than the graphics, so would he be ok with a 2021 model or would he need the 2022 or 2023?

A 7th grader will find no difference in them.

Go to The Baseball Bat Bros youtube channel and search it up. They rate all bats and talk about the swing weight.

Bats do have a shelf life if abused. A 7th grader won't have enough power to have much impact on it.

 

[beachbumdawg]

When did it move from the schools responsibility to provide 5 or 6 decent bats to every kid having to provide his own? Then if the parents really can’t afford to buy a good one the kid gets made fun of and the coach tells him to tell his parents to buy this specific bat.

Just nuts to me.

if the school coach wants kids to hit with a specific bat then provide it. Otherwise have a ****** hitting team. School’s choice.

So if a bus loads up to go to a game you are telling me almost every kid has a bat…some 2 bats. There may be $10,000 worth of bats on there.

hell it costs over $1K to play middle school ball and we pay the same fee as high school- the school does have an inventory of bats players can use though

for example, my 13yr old saw the varsity had an Omaha 517 (same one rowdey swung) so he borrowed it to see if he liked it

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

hell it costs over $1K to play middle school ball and we pay the same fee as high school- the school does have an inventory of bats players can use though

for example, my 13yr old saw the varsity had an Omaha 517 (same one rowdey swung) so he borrowed it to see if he liked it

I honestly don't know if the school has an inventory or not, but I'm doubtful. When he played 6th grade football he had to buy all his own equipment including shoulder pads and helmet. So far for baseball we had to buy the pants, socks, and belt. The school ordered the hat and jersey. I'm expecting a bill for those but haven't received it yet so I don't know. This is his first foray into organized baseball aside from playing rec league last year. Right now he absolutely loves baseball so I'm going to do everything I can to encourage him and allow him to play as does his grandmother who is also a sports nut. Maybe this chase season I'll get me some insane video that all the news networks will fight over and he'll be set next season.

Ended up ordering the meta this afternoon so maybe it'll be good for another 75 points on the average.

 

[kired]

When did it move from the schools responsibility to provide 5 or 6 decent bats to every kid having to provide his own? Then if the parents really can’t afford to buy a good one the kid gets made fun of and the coach tells him to tell his parents to buy this specific bat.

Just nuts to me.

if the school coach wants kids to hit with a specific bat then provide it. Otherwise have a ****** hitting team. School’s choice.

So if a bus loads up to go to a game you are telling me almost every kid has a bat…some 2 bats. There may be $10,000 worth of bats on there.

We had to provide our own bats when I played 25 years ago. But what really happened was 2 or 3 guys bought the newest model and everyone shared them. I don’t ever remember the school providing them for us or my older brothers (going back over 30 years ago).

I think the real difference is every kid is expected to hit with only their bat now.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

Tell him don't worry about other kids opinions on his bat. If he rakes with a broom handle the other kids will want to use it. So find the one that works for him. I knew plenty of guys that used bats that I didn't like and I know some thought bats I used were no good.

 

[QMartinez]

Marucci used to make the most balanced bats. I always used eBay and found good deals on bats for my kid. I don’t like end loaded bats , especially for smaller kids. Marucci was the best as far as finding a balanced bat to generate bat speed.

 

[beachbumdawg]

I honestly don't know if the school has an inventory or not, but I'm doubtful. When he played 6th grade football he had to buy all his own equipment including shoulder pads and helmet. So far for baseball we had to buy the pants, socks, and belt. The school ordered the hat and jersey. I'm expecting a bill for those but haven't received it yet so I don't know. This is his first foray into organized baseball aside from playing rec league last year. Right now he absolutely loves baseball so I'm going to do everything I can to encourage him and allow him to play as does his grandmother who is also a sports nut. Maybe this chase season I'll get me some insane video that all the news networks will fight over and he'll be set next season.

Ended up ordering the meta this afternoon so maybe it'll be good for another 75 points on the average.

Be sure to put around 500-1000 swings on it to begin to break it in

good luck this season

Our team went 20-6 last year in spite of the coaches (long posts) - new coaches this year - given what I’ve seen - the coaches need to be sainted and I expect a lot of frustrating nights for the coaches and my son

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Be sure to put around 500-1000 swings on it to begin to break it in

good luck this season

Our team went 20-6 last year in spite of the coaches (long posts) - new coaches this year - given what I’ve seen - the coaches need to be sainted and I expect a lot of frustrating nights for the coaches and my son

Thanks. Good luck to yours, too. Aside from that one rec year joke of a team, this is his first time of organized baseball. Everybody else on the team been playing since T ball I think so he's badly behind the curve. My hope is he's at least good enough to not be picked on and actually get a little time on the field.

 

[MStateU]

We had to provide our own bats when I played 25 years ago. But what really happened was 2 or 3 guys bought the newest model and everyone shared them. I don’t ever remember the school providing them for us or my older brothers (going back over 30 years ago).

I think the real difference is every kid is expected to hit with only their bat now.

I played back in the 90’s. I didn’t bring a bat. I specifically remember the school had a couple of TPX tuxedo bats and Easton CCOR bats we all used. Probably 2 of each in different sizes. That was it. I just don’t remember many people at all having their specific bats.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Damn straight. I went to Walmart and got my glove and bat. As I said I got my son that Marucci F5 and I thought I had gotten him a bat he could be proud of. First day of practice and all the other kids asking him why he has such a crappy bat. Not made of money so it hurts like hell seeing the prices of all this stuff. Blows my mind seeing 13 year olds running around with $500 bats and $200 gloves. My *** must be in the wrong career field.

F5 is fine for 8-12U. It's not the best but who cares. Sounds like you're falling into the Keep Up With Jones phase which is hard to escape in youth baseball. Use the cheapest, 'decent' bat that fits the specs in your organization. I will say 7th grade may be a little different but it can't be much.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Ben Jenkins is the Warstic MSU guy. They're based out of Dallas. Ian Kinsler played for the Rangers and Jack White from the White Stripes are Ben's partners.

Kinsler got beat out at Arizona State by Dustin Pedroia after Juco and finally landed at Missouri. When playing for the Rangers he had a reputation as being a real a-hole as well, but thats just scuttlebutt.. Ben is good people though.

In a side note, if you like Vodka. Ben was one of the founders of Western Son Vodka which is now owned by a fellow dawg.

Love me some Western Son. I started buying it at the urging of the liquor store owner as a cheaper replacement for Tito's, and it hasn't disappointed.

I was already feeling bad about not buying local with Cathead, so this makes me feel better buying with a former dawg. I remember Ben back on those mid-90s teams.

 

[graddawg]

Thanks. Good luck to yours, too. Aside from that one rec year joke of a team, this is his first time of organized baseball. Everybody else on the team been playing since T ball I think so he's badly behind the curve. My hope is he's at least good enough to not be picked on and actually get a little time on the field.

I'm not sure where your kids plays, but his teammates sound like entitled little ********. My son also loves baseball and has been playing consistently since t-ball, but the kids he plays with are like brothers, and their parents are like family to us. I simply cannot fathom teammates making fun of someone's equipment. If my son ever does that he may never play again as long as he relies on me to foot the bill. Good natured ribbing sure, but that sounds awful.

Good luck, and I hope your son finds his groove and dominates.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I'm not sure where your kids plays, but his teammates sound like entitled little ********. My son also loves baseball and has been playing consistently since t-ball, but the kids he plays with are like brothers, and their parents are like family to us. I simply cannot fathom teammates making fun of someone's equipment. If my son ever does that he may never play again as long as he relies on me to foot the bill. Good natured ribbing sure, but that sounds awful.

Sounds like the coaches are into that sheep culture too, and enable it.

That's why I think we're going to concentrate on football, basketball and golf once we get through 12U (6th grade). The first two sports actually pay YOU, not the other way around. And I bet there is a better chance of money in golf than baseball as well.

I love college baseball, I really do. But I think even pro baseball is going to decline in popularity 20 years from now. Kids just think it's boring. I'm in on all the travel stuff, it's driven by parents. There are a few hardcore kids, but the majority are only there because it's something to do.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

A while back I had some questions regarding baseball bats that many of you were kind enough to answer. I now have one more. We ended up getting my son a Marucci F5 to use on his 7th grade team, but the coach told him it was too end loaded and causing his swing mechanics to be off and recommended a more balanced bat. After some research and him trying one out another boy had, looks like we may go with a Louisville Slugger Meta. Here's my question. I can get a 2021 model for $250, 2022 for around $400, and the 2023 is $500. Do bats have a shelf life or is an unused 2021 model just as good as an unused 2023? From what I've read the bats had no significant design changes other than the graphics, so would he be ok with a 2021 model or would he need the 2022 or 2023?

With the Meta not being very old model wise and having seen several break, get the newest model you can. They're great bats. But the older models are like the first make of cars. You don't want them.

 

[beachbumdawg]

With the Meta not being very old model wise and having seen several break, get the newest model you can. They're great bats. But the older models are like the first make of cars. You don't want them.

Why? the BBCORs are tanks and way more durable than Utrip bats

the best meta you can buy right now is the 2019 red meta and it’s not fragile at all

 

[hatfieldms]

I'm not sure where your kids plays, but his teammates sound like entitled little ********. My son also loves baseball and has been playing consistently since t-ball, but the kids he plays with are like brothers, and their parents are like family to us. I simply cannot fathom teammates making fun of someone's equipment. If my son ever does that he may never play again as long as he relies on me to foot the bill. Good natured ribbing sure, but that sounds awful.

Good luck, and I hope your son finds his groove and dominates.

Yep. I hear my son do that and he will spend the next few practices running. Luckily our team is a group of kids who have all become really good friends and are all great to each other.

 

[Bulldog45]

I remember when Easton was just a twinkle in the eye of Bombats.

Easter Bunny brought me my first Bombat and that was my brand ever since. I hated Easton.

 

[Bulldog45]

So, I’ve obviously been out of little league baseball loop for a long time. Just in case mine wants to play Rec ball this year, where are these type bats sold at? Definitely not at Hibbit which is what’s local to me.

Not sure which ones you’re talking about but if it’s the black magic and green one you can go to the Easton website and buy them from there…but the black magic is $280 and the green one is $250.