Easton's late season release of a single piece composite bat with a monster barrel in the senior league space is a surprise. And with the loss of Combat due to business troubles, it is a very welcome surprise. Although Easton has not made this claim, we suspect this new Easton MAKO Beast Hyperlite is, at least in some measure, a response to the lack of single-piece composite bats on the market. The Hyperlite, in particular, is a limited size release. It represents the lightest swinging Easton bat in their 2017 line up.
Models Overview
Single piece bats tend to do a better job of delivering more power to the ball, but they come with hand sting problems. Most younger kids looking to make contact more consistently, appreciate the contact feel of a light swinging two-piece bat. Stronger hitters who appreciate good feedback on the hands to find the sweet spot, tend to prefer heavier swinging single piece bats, or at least two-piece bats with very stiff transitions.
Construction & Technology
The 2017 Easton MAKO Beast Hyperlite is a single-piece composite bat with an oversized barrel and a very light swing weight. It is the lightest swinging bat Easton produced for the 2017 season.
The composite in the bat is the same material used in the barrel of the MAKO Beast but, unlike the Beast, there is no connective piece joining the handle and barrel. In theory, this single-piece design gives more feedback directly on the hands, but also increases power directly to the ball. As a drop 12 bat, however, we don't expect many to be swinging this for power. The lack of transition components also contributes to a low swing weight.
Comparable Bats
Produced in 2017, the two other single piece composite bats are the 2017 Louisville Slugger Catalyst (See our 2017 Slugger Catalyst Review) and Dirty South's line of bats. Both bats boast an ultra-light swing weight with a big barrel.
From years past, of course, the Combat MAXUM was a worthy competitor and led the single-piece composite space. They are, as we note elsewhere, no longer.
Expert Recommendations
Our experience with bats like these is there are certain players who will really enjoy it, but it is not for everyone. In particular, the hitter who needs as much speed and barrel size as possible yet doesn't tend to see elite pitching will really like the Hyperlite. If the Hyperlite is released in other weight drops (like an 8) then our recommendation will change.
