Youth Baseball Bat Review: The Bat That Won Our Season
Let me take you on a little journey – one that involves a lot of trial swings, a little frustration, and a surprising realization that sometimes, it's not the stats or the brand but the feel of the bat that makes all the difference.
The Starting Lineup (Bats We Tried)
For this season, my son was locked into using USA-certified bats for little league. That narrowed the field but still left plenty of contenders. Here's the roster of bats we cycled through:
Rawlings RX9
Rawlings RX9 USA Youth Bat (-9)
This was the bat that started the journey. It was a solid entry point with good balance, but it definitely had a lot of sting. The real selling point was the sleek blue design, which caught his eye immediately. Despite the sting, the look kept him using it for a while until we found something better.
Easton Speed
Easton Sports A 2022 Speed (-13) 29"
His first fully composite bat. It was light and had a really cool sound, but he just couldn't generate the distance he wanted. It felt like a bat that might have been perfect a year earlier, but at this point, it didn't give him the power he needed.
2022 DeMarini The Goods
2022 DeMarini The Goods (-10) 20 oz 30" (Silver)
A solid bat on paper, but compared to the blue version, it just felt more dead. Same specs, but something about the way the ball came off the barrel didn't inspire confidence. It quickly got passed over in favor of the 2023 model.
Marucci CAT Connect
Marucci CAT Connect 29" (-11)
A great bat with a sharp design, but ultimately nothing stood out to make it special. It became a solid workhorse in the dugout – frequently used but never the most popular. It was the kind of bat that felt like it should've had more fans, but for whatever reason, players (my son included) often passed it by.
Axe Elite One
Axe Elite One USA (-10) 29"
The axe handle was exciting, and the fact that Mookie Betts uses one definitely added to the appeal. But the bat felt end-heavy, and the loud "tink" sound off the barrel was noticeable, even to me. It wasn't just my son being picky – the sound really stood out. It eventually ended up in my personal pile of bats, where a teammate later picked it up and loved it.
The Plot Twist: Enter the 2023 DeMarini The Goods
2023 DeMarini The Goods - The Winner
And then came the 2023 DeMarini The Goods (-10) 20 oz 30" in blue. This bat changed everything.
What made this bat special wasn't just the specs – it was the complete package. The blue colorway wasn't just aesthetically pleasing; there was something about the way this particular model performed that set it apart from its silver 2022 predecessor.
The difference was immediately noticeable. Better pop off the barrel, more consistent contact, and most importantly, it gave my son the confidence he needed at the plate.
Now, after a full season of many, many hits, it's super scarred up and he loves it even more than he did at the start. It really became his best friend and sidekick. Not to mention, other kids definitely noticed that shiny fancy blue barrel – and more than a few, I'm sure, said, "Oh no, not him again..."
Understanding Bat Feel: The Technical Side
Added taper to help his grip
The sting right was key.
One of the biggest factors in bat performance is how it handles mishits. The taper design – how the bat transitions from barrel to handle – plays a huge role in whether you feel sting in your hands on off-center contact.
The 2023 DeMarini The Goods got an improved taper design thanks to our added taper and a sting ring that significantly reduced hand sting compared to many other bats we tried. This meant my son could focus on his swing without worrying about painful vibrations from mishits.
The Secret Sauce: Handle Customization
Here's where things got interesting. After he settled on the Blue DeMarini, we did a little tweaking.
Once we had the bat, we made some small but impactful tweaks that made all the difference. But first, let's talk about what makes a bat the right choice in the first place.
Our Customization Setup
- Grip aids that fit on your thumb are really great to help reduce the sting. Just get a couple and keep 'em in your bag. They make youth sizes but kids grow out of them quick.
- Bat Wrap – We went with thicker grip tape. This not only made the handle more comfortable but gave the bat a weightier feel in his hands, boosting his confidence.
- Bat Sting Ring – We added a bat sting ring to reduce sting and make the handle a little give on those big swings. If your kid has ever come off a swing rubbing his hands, you'll know exactly why this matters. *Pro-tip: get a bunch, they wear out and get loose.
- Handle Taper – Under the grip tape, we added a Bat Taper. This extra step gave the bat a natural tapering feel, which not only improved comfort but also helped reduce vibration on contact.
Why Feels Beats Data
Now, I could throw stats at you about alloy vs. composite or barrel diameter vs. drop weight, but here's the thing – none of that mattered. My son swung both DeMarini bats, and the blue one won for one reason: he liked how it felt.
Baseball, especially for kids, is about confidence. When he steps into the batter's box, that bat becomes an extension of him. If he's comfortable, he swings harder. If he swings harder, he's got a better shot at getting on base. And in the end, isn't that what we're all after? It's not about finding the bat with the best specs; it's about finding the bat that makes them feel unstoppable.
Why Buying Used Was a Win
I'll admit, buying all these bats new would've been a serious hit to the wallet. Luckily, we grabbed most of these used. There's a whole market of lightly-used bats from kids who barely played a season, and it saved us hundreds. Plus, it let my son try out a bunch of options without pressure. He got to swing them, make his own decision, and in the end, that's worth more than any bat review I could've read.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Once we found "the bat," everything clicked. My son's confidence soared, his swing became more aggressive, and the results followed. The 2023 DeMarini The Goods became his go-to bat for the rest of the season.
What we learned is that bat selection isn't just about specifications on paper. It's about:
- Feel and comfort – How the bat feels in the hands
- Confidence factor – Does the player feel good stepping into the box?
- Performance consistency – Reliable results swing after swing
- Reduced sting – Less hand discomfort on mishits
- Visual appeal – Sometimes the look matters more than we admit
Lessons from the Bat Box
Key Takeaways for Parents
- Let them choose – Give them options, but let them decide what feels right
- Customize – A bat wrap, choke ring, or handle taper can transform a bat and make it truly theirs
- Try used – It's easier on your wallet and opens the door to experimentation
- Pay attention to your player's feedback – They know how the bat feels better than anyone
- Color and aesthetics matter – If a player feels good about how their bat looks, it affects their confidence
- Year-to-year improvements are real – Manufacturers do make meaningful updates between model years
- Feel trumps specifications – A bat that feels right will perform better than one that just looks good on paper
Final Thoughts
Finding the right bat is a journey, not a destination. What worked for us this season might not work next season as my son grows and develops. But the process taught us both valuable lessons about the importance of equipment that builds confidence and performs consistently.
The 2023 DeMarini The Goods wasn't just a bat – it became a tool that helped unlock my son's potential at the plate. Sometimes, that's all the difference you need to turn a good season into a great one.
Next time you're looking for a bat, remember this: sometimes, the best bat isn't the one with the highest rating – it's the one they don't want to put down.
It's all about finding the magic in the mundane. And if nothing else, at least we had fun trying them all out.