Quick Take
Early spring baseball calls for bats that can handle the chill without compromising performance. This guide compares the Marucci Cat 7, Louisville Slugger Solo 618, and DeMarini Voodoo Balanced to find the ultimate cold-weather alloy bat.
Last weekend at a game, it was 38 degrees here in Northwest Ohio, or as we call it, “the start of Spring baseball.” As we remember and learn every year, it will be cold the first month or so of our season. With the cold weather comes the need for alloy bats to remain un-phased by the cold weather in terms of hitting. Cold weather lends to less than stellar performance out of a composite bat.
CAT 7 vs. 618 Solo vs. DeMarini Voodoo Balanced
Bat 1: Marucci Cat 7 30/22
Bat 2: Louisville Slugger Solo 618 31/21
Bat 3: DeMarini Voodoo Balanced 31/21
Look at an article about why you need more than one bat in your bag throughout the season.
Most players have a non-composite bat to use when the weather is cold (we recommend it). The real question that popped into my head was, which of our alloy bats is the best? I found out that it depends. Today, I will focus on three bats that I feel are indeed the top of the line in terms of alloy and some of the feedback we have received from our players over the past few weeks of games.
Hitters
Before we go on with the perspectives, I will inform you about the players. There are always questions about what bat for what size player. Here’s the layout for the 11-year-old players swinging the alloy battle sticks:
- #1: 5’6, slim, contact hitter
- #2: 5’2, slim, hard swinger, hits for high average
- #3: 5’4, medium build, hacker, swings for the fences
(See size chart)
Marucci Cat 7
Let’s start with the Marucci Cat 7 as the first bad. Playe 1 (who owns the bat) loves swinging the Cat 7. Being a contact hitter, the pop in this bat gives him a little extra drive in his hits, which is nice. He said that even though it is heavier than his other bats, it feels amazingly light and balanced. He had tried a composite -8 before, thought it was much too heavy, and had problems getting it through the zone on faster pitchers. This is not the case with the Cat 7. He will use this bat most of the season, even when the weather turns toward warmer times.
Player 2’s impression of that bat is that it is pretty nice, but it almost feels too light for him. He mentioned that it did feel light for the -8 size, but he likes a bat that feels more “solid,” like an Easton or Louisville Slugger (which he owns). He tried to use it for an at-bat, but he immediately said it was lightweight, which messed up his timing, so he returned to his other bat.
Player 3 took some warm-up swings with Cat 7 and said it felt nice, but it was too light for him to use in the game.
Overall Impression
I think the Cat 7 is a great bat. Unlike many other bats, it is much lighter than advertised and extremely well-balanced. I think this bat is a great way to start a player’s journey away from the traditional -10 as they approach the age of 10 or 11. The Cat 7 has one of the loudest pings you will ever hear come out of a bat. It is a head-turner when the ball gets crushed!
Louisville Slugger Solo 618
The Louisville Slugger Solo 618 was a recent acquisition of one of our hitters. Play 2 (who owns this bat) loves the look and the feel. It’s sturdy/solid feel makes you think this bat is a BBCOR designed for the big boys, not a USSSA bat. The layer moved up from using an Easton Beast and is not looking back. That out-of-the-wrapper has excellent sound and great pop. It i a one piece alloy, although LS claims it is a hybrid because of its composite end-cap. The ing is stiff, but overall, it’s a good choice.
Player 1’s impression of the Solo 618 is that the bat does feel nice, but it is a bit heavier than his Cat 7. He’d admit that it might be something he could swing with a slower pitcher, but he would not want to use it in a game where his at-bat was the deciding factor.
Player 3 really likes the bat, but he said it felt stiff for his monstrous swing.
Overall Impression
This bat is hot out of the wrapper. Some of our players were in Florida this past Winter for all-star games, and many of the kids were using the Solo 618, even in the warm Florida sun! This bat is nice and solid-feeling while being in a category of what I call durable. However, it might feel overwhelming for players who don’t necessarily have the strongest swing.
DeMarini Voodoo Balanced
The sound of this bat will confuse you at first. Is it composite because the sound coming off it sure sounds like it? This is one of my favorite bats for hitting infield and flying balls during practice. It’s a hybrid design that allows the player to benefit from the flexibility of a hybrid-handled bat. This bat has zero sting, which is good, as I have seen many rocket shots with this and the previous year’s model. The range of the bat, even though 2 3/4, is not that long and might cause some miss-hits during the game.
Player 1 believes the bat feels very heavy for his preferred swing. He d s loves how it makes contact and has a great sound when the ball is hit, but it still falls out of favor because it is a hybrid model. In his opinion, the downfall of this bat is that if you get jammed with a pitch, the ball dies because it is hitting off the composite shaft, not the alloy barrel. In a typical alloy bat, you could at least get some distance from the hit, even if it was off the handle area.
Player 3 loves this bat. He has a home run swing, and this bat allows him to whip through the strike zone with great speed. The results are apparent—he hits the ball hard and usually pretty far. This’s a great overall bat, but we found that some minor dents have appeared over the past few games, so please be aware before you go and buy it.
Overall Impression
The DeMarini Voodoo Balanced is a great bat that gets overlooked many times for Louisville Slugger, Marucci, or Easton alloys. DeMa ni has an enormous following in the composite space, but I think this bat is an up-and-comer and should get more press from DeMarini as a game-changing hybrid bat that can be used year-round with great results.
It’s All About the Cost and Weather
See our article on cold weather bat usage.
In the end, the actual decision is yours. As y can from the above real-world scenario, different bats for different kids. It comes down to personal preference and, of course, the cost of the bat mixed with your ability to afford it. Overall, I think the Cat 7 is still the king of alloy bats and can be used year-round without having the player carry multiple bats in their bag. The deal has been around for almost 2 years now and is proven. It will be hard for my son (Player 1) to put down the Cat 7 once the temperatures hit composite weather here in Ohio. Good luck this season, and I hope Mother Nature wakes up soon and realizes it’s baseball season!
