The 2023 Rawlings ICON is a BBCOR, USSSA, and USA baseball bat that replaces the Rawlings Quatro Pro as the top-of-the-line offering from Rawlings. It is a two-piece composite with a massive barrel, generally lighter swing, and a flexible connection piece. Over the last few weeks, this bat has received a lot of press as some diamond in the rough. It's a great bat, sure. But don't fall for the idea that Rawlings somehow cracked a code no one else has solved. The bat is right for the right kind of hitter. Our advice is to ignore the hype.
Models Overview
Hitters who like a lot of plate coverage per swing weight might like the Rawlings ICON. The bat has a massive barrel and a light swing. The bat feels stiffer than the Quatro across all its versions, and we think that is an improvement. If you want the 'best' Rawlings offers in the baseball space, then this is the bat for you.
Construction & Technology
The 2023 Rawlings ICON uses an 'In/Tense Carbon Composite' for the barrel. This seamless barrel construction (think Combat Maxum) gives an absolutely massive barrel. The connection piece is stiffer than the Quatro, which we believe many will like. The bat swings light with a lot of its weight towards the hands.
Performance Comparison
This is the first year of the release of the Rawlings ICON. However, it seems evident that this is the replacement bat for the Rawlings Quatro Pro.
Comparable Bats
Big barrels on flexible-feeling two-piece composite bats are plentiful. Look closely at a bat like Marucci's CAT X Composite in USSSA or Louisville Slugger's META in BBCOR for a similar bat to the 2023 Rawlings Icon.
Expert Recommendations
We think the USSSA drop 10 is the best of the bunch (although the USA drop 10 is also getting great reviews). If you want a light swing and a huge barrel, then the BBCOR might work well for you too. As you get to heavier weights in the USSSA version of the 2023 Rawlings ICON, we think most hitters will rather prefer the CF or CAT X Composite, but the ICON could work.
