Here’s the pitch: Easton’s latest release of the “DUB” (May 2nd), which by all accounts is going to be a solid bat, might ironically end up creating more confusion than excitement.

To be sure, Easton released the USSSA Hype to MAKO-level success two years ago this June. So impressive, in fact, they put on hold the release of their latest and most advanced double barrel technology. Now, two years later, Easton’s late-season DUB (the bat which was put on hold) now attempts to catch lightning twice. But there’s a glaring difference between this DUB release and the Hype circa 2023: Easton already has a great USSSA bat—the Hype.

That’s right. The major difference between the late-season DUB release for 2025 and the successful late-season Hype launch two years ago is that Easton didn’t previously have a standout USSSA bat. In fact, we’d bet it takes you a moment to remember the name of Easton’s prior USSSA bat (Spoiler: ADV 360).

What bat marketing people often miss is that consumers don’t want MORE choices; we want more confidence in our choice. Introducing the DUB right next to the (now discounted) Hype will create enough hesitation to make consumers glance sideways at competing bats like the Bonesaber, Zen, CAT, and ICON.

Think we’re wrong? We might be, but consider this:

The original Hype release coincided with another significant market misstep. Just months earlier, DeMarini abandoned the beloved CF Zen for the ZOA. We pointed out then—and it proved true—that this was a marketing blunder. Players adored the Zen, despite its glass-like durability. As DeMarini confidently tried dominating the market with both Zen and ZOA, Easton strategically released the Hype.

How did the ZOA fare? In a word: terribly. Despite being a really good bat, the ZOA flopped. As parents hemmed and hawed between the claimed differences between the ZOA and ZEN their child went and picked up the Hype and the ICON. Fast forward to today, DeMarini has abandoned the ZOA entirely, returning to—you guessed it—the Zen!

Does that story at all sound familiar?

(We called this one, by the way—leaving the Zen was a mistake, but the drum of social media calls to these markets so hard they can’t see the forest from trees. Alas, job security.)

History doesn’t necessarily repeat itself, but it often rhymes. After producing a Hype Fire that people love and consistently ranks in the top two USSSA bats for 24 months, Easton is introducing another “ZOA-like” experiment: the DUB. They’re tempting fate, and frankly, it feels like history is repeating.

But wait—I hear you say—the DUB has innovative Double Barrel technology, a lower-compression outer barrel, and a durable inner barrel. It’s a bigger sweet spot! Improved pop! A breakthrough!

Yawn. These are repackaged ideas from previous bats. Could it work in this context? Could the dub thread the needle between the ICON and Hype to fill some unseen need yet created by social media and clever marketing? Possibly. But it won’t necessarily outperform the Hype, which, at the time of writing, costs $200 less than the DUB.

In the end, the DUB might indeed be a good—even great—USSSA bat. It might fill some perceived niche between the ICON and Hype. But in reality, Easton’s attempt to catch lightning twice will confuse more parents than help them. It diminishes confidence in the choice, and this hesitation might derail Easton’s recent climb back to prominence in the USSSA market.