Aluminum Baseball Bats, Reviews
of the 2010 Models
It's interesting to look at aluminum baseball bats' place in amateur baseball today. Even with the recent surge and hype associated with the performance of composite bats, aluminum models have still remained a staple in the game today. With the future of composite bats today somewhat in question, you can still count on a good aluminum bat (metal bat) with a solid reputation to give you good performance, as well as durability.
Here I will give you a rundown of the 2010 models, along with a brief summary of their characteristics and price ranges. (All prices are adult model prices. Expect lower prices but similar variances for senior league/youth models). The first thing I'd like to do is give you an idea of what the best aluminum bat is on the market today. I also provide links to the products at Baseball Express, so you can check prices or purchase them if you wish. (I'll get small commission if you purchase after clicking on my links. You always have the option of not clicking my links).
Best Aluminum Bats
What is the best aluminum bat? Well, from the results of my survey and my research I'm actually going to give you 4 suggestions. Two of them are solid, affordable models, and the other two are a little more on the pricy side.
Louisville Omaha & Easton V12
As I mentioned, these two models are about the best bang you
are going to get for your buck. The Omaha has stood the test of time
and holds up to it's solid reputation of years past. The V12 is a
fairly
new model from Easton that was introduced in 2008. Both are all
aluminum, 1-piece designs. They will run you around $200 for the adult
models.
 Louisville Omaha Youth -13.5 Senior League -9.5 Adult -3 |
 Easton V12 Ozone Youth -13 Senior League -5 Adult -3 |
Louisville Exogrids
The Exogrid and the Air Exogrid are two other very solid performers in the aluminum bat market. They are going to cost you a little more though. The Exogrids are 1-piece, and are considered hybrid models that will run around $400 for the Air Exogrid, and $370 for the Exogrid.
 Louisville Air Exogrid Adult -3 |
 Louisville Exogrid Youth -11.5 Senior League -8.5 Adult -3 |
These 4 bats above are my suggestions for the best aluminum bats available to you today. Below I'll present to you the rest of the 2010 options. Many of which I would not hesitate to recommend either, and many that I probably would not recommend.
Anderson NanoTek
Anderson has made a bold move lately, by pricing their all aluminum, 1-piece 2010 NanoTek model right up there around the Exogrids and hot composite performers at the $400 mark. They claim that their NanoTek alloy performs as well as composites and has one of the largest sweet spots in the game today.
 Anderson NanoTek |
Reebok Vector-O
Continuing right where they left off last year, Reebok uses a bat with holes in it. They call these O-Ports and they are placed in between the handle and the barrel to reduce wind resistance and drag, therefore increasing bat speed. At this point, this bat has just not got enough use or developed any real sort of reputation to give you an honest review of it. The adult model runs at the $380 mark.
 Reebok Vector-O |
Marucci Cat 5
Having been a player in the wood bat game for a while, Marucci has joined the aluminum bat world with their Cat 5 model. It uses something called Albin Technology which is supposed to reduce vibration. It is a simple all aluminum, 1-piece design that will run you about $360.
 Marucci Cat 5 |
Easton SV12 Ozone 65, 90, & 95
The Easton SV12 models are hybrid, 2-piece models that use Easton's IMX composite technology for the handle, and the same V12 alloy used in the V12 bat mentioned above. These models are available in a flexible handle model (65) and two stiff handle models (90 & 95). They all run at the $300 mark, and any of these will not let you down as far as performance goes.
 Easton SV12 Ozone 65 |
 Easton SV12 Ozone 90 |
 Easton SV12 Ozone 95 |
|
Louisville H2 Hybrid
The H2 Hybrid from Louisville is obviously a hybrid model, but is also a 1-piece design that combines their ST+20 alloy with their 3x composite handle. It retails for $300 and gets mostly good reviews.
 Louisville H2 Hybrid |
DeMarini Voodoo Black, Vendetta, M2M, Vexxum
The first of the 2010 aluminum DeMarini models is the Voodoo Black. It is similar to last year's model in that it is a 2-piece hybrid model, using the Pitch Black composite handle, along with their SC4 aluminum alloy barrel. The Vendetta (not to be confused with the composite Vendetta C6) is another 2-piece hybrid model It uses DeMarini's Rails composite technology even though the barrel is made with the SC4 alloy. The Voodoo Black runs at $300 retail, while the Vendetta runs $250.
 DeMarini Voodoo Black |
 DeMarini Vendetta |
The M2M is a new model this year that is also a 2-piece model, but is all aluminum. It uses the new M2M (Metal 2 Metal) alloy for the handle and the barrel. It costs $230. The Vexxum is another 2-piece hybrid that uses C6 composite handle technology, along with the SC4 for the barrel, costing $200. All DeMarini models are 2-piece hybrids.
 DeMarini M2M |
 DeMarini Vexxum |
Miken Freak Hybrid
The Miken Freak Hybrid is obviously a hybrid model, 2-piece bat. It uses Miken's R900 aerospace-grade carbon fiber for the handle, combined with their alloy for the barrel. Cost = $300.
 Miken Freak Hybrid |
Rawlings 5150 Hybrid & 5150 Alloy
Rawlings is one of the companies that have actually come out with new models this year, called the 5150. Of this model, they have a composite, hybrid, and alloy designs. They are all 1-piece models that use the 5150 alloy (except the composite of course). The Hybrid runs at $300, while the Alloy runs at $200.
 Rawlings 5150 Hybrid |
 Rawlings 5150 Alloy |
Nike Aero Fuse Chrome, Aero Fuse III, & Torque
Nike has 3 aluminum bats for 2010, the first one being the Aero Fuse Chrome. It is a hybrid, 2-piece model that uses their Zr91 alloy. The Aero Fuse III is yet another version of the 2-piece, hybrid model, using the same technology as the Aero Chrome. Both of these models are $300 and get great reviews by many. They appear to be pretty solid options if you're looking for a 2-piece hybrid.
 Nike Aero Fuse Chrome |
 Nike Aero Fuse III |
The Aero Torque is an all aluminum 1-piece design, using the same Zr91 alloy throughout, and runs $250.
 Nike Aero Torque |
Mattingly Ripped
Last year Mattingly came out with a model the features V-Grip technology, in that the grip is shaped like a V. This is supposed to help with bat speed. This year's model is the same. Mattingly's all aluminum, 1-piece model is very affordable at $160.
 Mattingly Ripped |
So there you have it. Your 2010 aluminum baseball bats. I hope this helps you cut through some of the clutter and confusion when shopping for your bat this year.
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