Shopping for a good baseball bat is a fun experience but one that can quickly become tedious. The reason is that so many options are available and every company offers “the best” according to them. So, I want to make it easier for you by giving you a list of the nine best baseball bat brands.
9 Best baseball bat brands:
- Louisville Slugger (Best overall)
- DeMarini (Best composite bats)
- Victus (Best newcomer brand)
- Easton (Best hybrid bats)
- Rawlings (Best prices)
- Axe Bats (One of The best USA bats)
- Marucci (Best all-rounder)
- And more …
1. Louisville Slugger
The Louisville slugger has a long and rich history. It started as a company that made equipment for churning butter and has since become one of the most famous baseball bat brands.
The brand is so prevalent in baseball that they even have a Kentucky-based museum hosting events and some of the most iconic baseball equipment ever made on display. In addition, the museum is a great place to take the family.
Their baseball bats are made with some of the best timber in the United States, such as northern white ash and maple. However, Louisville slugger also makes some of the market’s best composite and aluminum bats.
The most popular bats from Louisville slugger are their BBCOR bats which are made from alloy or composite. Each category or certification has selections from different series; the most popular is the Omaha and the Meta series bats.
The bats are extremely popular in youth baseball as they are relatively inexpensive but offer a premium experience. Most of the youth baseball bats are made from ash or maple. However, you do get a few composite bats in the range.
If you are outside of the United States, Louisville slugger has distributors in most parts of the world, and the bats are available to purchase online or in your country’s major retail shops.
Pros
- Bats for all ages
- Great for all skill levels
- Best overall brand
- Excellent customer service
- The museum is great
Cons
- Bats feel hard
2. DeMarini
DeMarini Is another company owned by Wilson. They are incredibly similar to Louisville Slugger, and even their website looks the same; however, it is a standalone baseball company that sells its own products and has its own factory. The most significant difference between Louisville slugger and DeMarini is their age.
While Louisville slugger was founded in the late 1800s, DeMarini is relatively new, established only in 1989 in Hillsboro, OR, where the headquarters still are.
The company spends a lot of money researching and developing to see how they can improve their already incredible bats every year. The primary type of material they use is composite, which is made from carbon and alloy. With that said, let’s take a look at what DeMarini offers:
- Wooden bats (Typically maple wood)
- Alloy
- Aluminum
- Composite (carbon and alloy)
Now, companies like DeMarini don’t just use alloy or aluminum. Instead, you can expect to find double alloy walls for the barrel, bats with carbon handles, and alloy bases that maximize energy transfer from bat to ball.
The two most popular certifications the company focuses on are USSSA and BBCOR. In addition, however, you can find BPF and USA Baseball bats. So, the company caters to both amateurs and advanced athletes.
Pros
- Wide range of gear
- Excellent composite bats
- Relatively inexpensive
Cons
- Minimal kids range
3. Victus
Victus is a subsidiary of Marucci Sports, a company we will feature later in this article. The company was founded by Jared Smith and Ryan Engroff in a garage in New Jersey, Blackwood, in 2012. The company has seen a meteoric rise within a decade thanks to its quality, design, power, and durability.
While they have a wide selection of bats available from their Grid series, Show series, limited editions, and even custom designs, two bats stand out, both available for the BBCOR and USSSA Certifications; these two bats are:
- The Nox
- The Vandal
Most bats available from the company are hybrids meaning they are made from more than one material. For example, the vandal and the Knox are hybrid bats made from a “carbon composite handle and military-grade aluminum barrel.”
One thing that stands out with their bats, regardless of the range, is the sweet spot. Compared with other bats, it is a large sweet spot that delivers a good energy transfer from bat to ball.
Victus sponsor many Major League Baseball players, and it is estimated that around 30% of MLB players are currently using their bats. Some of the most notable names are Fernando Tatis Jr, J-Rod, Alex Bohm, and many more.
The brand also offers a wealth of services. For example, they offer a bat fitting if you are unsure of your size. This is especially useful for teenagers who are relatively new to the sport. Also, every bat comes with a warranty.
Pros
- The Pro reserve bats are excellent
- Book a bat fitting
- The hybrid build is top-notch
Cons
- Doesn’t cater to all certifications
4. Easton
Jas. D. Easton founded the company in 1922; however, they didn’t focus on baseball until much later. Instead, the brand focused on making archery equipment. It wasn’t until 1969 that Easton developed its baseball and softball departments.
Rawlings has recently bought out the brand, but they still operate out of Thousand Oaks, CA, and still make their equipment. So you can think of Easton as being independent of its parent company.
The company offers a wide selection of baseball equipment and bats. In terms of certification, here is what you can expect to get from the company:
- USA Baseball
- BBCOR
- USSSA Baseball
- All Association
- USSSA Slowpitch
- Senior Softball
Their composite bats are by far the favorite. Not only are they super light, but they are durable as well. The sweet spot on these bats, like the ADV360, Ghost, and Alpha, are some of the best on the market. You can almost feel a slight pop when the ball comes off the sweet spot, which is very satisfying.
Easton may not be the most popular, but they have been around for a long time and specialize in delivering high-quality bats at affordable prices. If you are a beginner, I highly recommend getting one.
Pros
- Covers most certifications
- Large sweet spot on all bats
- Caters to all ages and skill levels
- Great value for money
Cons
- Not the cheapest
5. Rawlings
Rawlings is another company on this list that is over a century old. It was founded back in 1887 by the Rawlings family. The brand does not only focus on baseball. Instead, they focus on various sports, including fishing, tennis, and even guns. The headquarters are in St. Louis, MO, where it was founded.
Rawlings casts a large net on the market. They sell bats for as little as $15, and some go up to around $500. So, whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, you should find what you are looking for through Rawlings.
The company also covers quite a wide range of certifications. However, they do not cover BBCOR, which is a bit of a shame.
While their baseball bats are excellent, they don’t focus on composite bats or hybrids. Instead, you can expect to find alloy, ash, and maple baseball bats.
If you are a casual player and are in the market for a new bat to take to your local field on the weekends or looking for a bat for your kids, Rawlings offers unbeatable prices for excellent quality bats.
Pros
- Has a massive selection of bats
- Traditional feel
- Unbeatable pricing
Cons
- No hybrid or composite bats
6. Axe Bats
Firstly, the Axe Avenge Pro is one of the best baseball bats on the market for USSSA professional baseball. The barrel is large, and the carbon handle allows you to transfer every bit of energy from your swing to the barrel.
Axe Bats USA was founded in 1990 by Bruce Leinert. The bat was born from inspiration rather than the desire to make money solely. That could be what makes these bats so unique and worthy of a place on this list, amongst other things.
The company does focus on a few different types of bats and certifications. However, they’re all about selling the Avenge Pro, and their website features the bat almost everywhere.
The composite material used to make the stick makes this bat durable and lightweight, with a great sweet spot. In addition, the signature Axe handle compliments how your arm swings naturally.
Finally, much research and development have gone into the end-cap, designed to help you transfer as much energy into the barrel as possible.
Pros
- Great BBCOR and USSSA bats
- Intelligent design
- Well priced
- The HyperWhip end cap
Cons
- Not the most comprehensive selection
7. Marucci
Marucci is a massive baseball brand whose bats are well-known for being balanced. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, where its headquarters still reside.
Marucci still holds a record for the most used bats in the MLB. Throughout the years, they have sponsored some of the best baseball players in the United States of America, including Carlos Correa. Other big names like David Ortiz and Anthony Rizzo have used the bats in the past.
The company uses maple for wooden bats; their professional models are handcrafted. They also offer a wide range of metal bats, the favorite being their CATX Composite or the CAT9 Composite.
Each bat is designed with a longer-than-usual barrel, creating a wide sweet spot, which is perfect for professional players and beginners who don’t know where the sweet spot typically is yet.
Overall, the company doesn’t spend too many resources in one department; instead, they carefully develop and design each bat to perform regardless of its price, making Marucci so special.
Pros
- Good selection of bats
- Each bat has a wide sweet spot
- Great for all skill levels
- Custom bats
Cons
- Cluttered website
8. Barnett
Barnett could be perfect for you if you are a beginner and don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a baseball bat. The company was established in 1991 in France, but it does have offices in the USA.
The brand does not only focus on baseball. They focus on a wide range of sports, including their corresponding apparel.
With Barnett, you are not getting anything too fancy. Instead, you can buy a baseball bat with a glove and ball for $50. Alternatively, you can buy a wooden bat for between $30 and $50.
That said, the bats are durable and perform relatively well. The bats are made from high-quality maple. There are also different variants to choose from. For example, the BBWO-3 is best suited for kids and the youth, while the BB-6 offers excellent value for money for adults and high school kids.
Pros
- High-quality maple wood construction
- Excellent for beginners and casual players
- Well priced
Cons
- Not for advanced players
9. Kotionok
Kotionok bats are some of the best budget bats on the market. They are also widely available through major retailers such as Walmart and Amazon. Unfortunately, there is not much to say about these bats except that they are great for casual baseball players and kids.
The bats are straightforward and don’t try and do anything fancy. Instead, they focus on practicality. So whether going for the aluminum or wooden bats, you will still have a good time and won’t be held back by your equipment.
Most of their baseball bats go for around $25, and there are a few to choose from. However, the bat that typically stands out is their wooden bat made from solid Beech wood.
Other than that, the bats come in various colors, including a bright pink, which looks pretty cool.
Pros
- The bats are straightforward
- Great for kids and casual players
- Multiple colors to choose from
- the solid Beechwood bat looks incredible
Cons
- Budget bat