Baseball season is just around the corner, and I am ecstatic. With the season comes the purchase of equipment and lots of money spent. 

You may be wondering what is so particular about a baseball bat exactly? Don’t you just need a metal or wood stick, and that’s all? Wrong. 

*These bats will all be part of the BBCOR certification (able to be used for high school and college play)*

Coming in at number five, we have the 2021 Victus Nox. Victus is primarily known for its wooden bats, but the company hit it out of the park with this two-piece hybrid technology. The bat is light, considering that it can be used for power hitting. While the Nox doesn’t have the most pop off the bat compared to others, it makes up for it in the sweet spot and barrel control. This is an excellent bat if you are a versatile hitter or don’t know if you are a power or contact hitter. However, the catch for this bat is its whopping price of $400. Two-piece hybrid bats are also known for durability issues. This bat seems to be better about durability, but keep these doubts in mind if you plan on using Victuses for the long stretch of high school.

For my number four pick, I have chosen the 2021 Stinger Nuke. This is the bat I primarily use myself, so you may be confused about why it is not number one. Different bats are better for other people, and I love a bat that feels heavy at the end to generate more power. Someone who may want a lighter-weight bat may turn away from this bat, however. This bat has incredible power and a rather large sweet spot. As stated before, this bat can be heavy and hard to control. This is a one-piece aluminum bat; however, durability is excellent. Another great pro to this bat is the price at a relieving $230 instead of the Nox’s $400. I have put my favorite bat at only number four because of how outstanding these following three bats are. 

On to number three, I have picked the 2022 Louisville Slugger two-piece hybrid. This bat is very similar to the Stinger Nuke in terms of the sweet spot, with just a little less pop off of the bat. However, it is lighter than the Nuke by a reasonable amount. As with most two-piece hybrids, durability is up for discussion; nevertheless, the overall performance of this bat is stellar. While it is more applicable to a more potent hitter, a more diminutive guy could still make the most out of a 32-inch version of this bat. On the field, this bat is incredible, but in stores, it can put a dent in your wallet at $400—an excellent bat for any level of a baseball player.

Next, we have the notorious 2022 DeMarini, commonly referred to as “The Goods.” DeMarini played it safe this year by not changing too much from its dominant 2021 version. This bat has one of the best, if not the best, sweet spots in the whole BBCOR game with lots of power generating behind it. The bat comes rather heavy to balance this bat’s incredible power and sweet spot. This bat is only beneficial to stronger players unless you purchase the 32-inch size. This bat has so much going for it, but there have been reports of the connector piece breaking with this bat. Another con comes with the same price as most two-piece alloys at $400. If you are a strong being and can whip this thing around, you are in a good position this season with this bat. 

My number one bat, the 2022 DeMarini Voodoo One, comes as no surprise to baseball bat fans. This slugger is a one-piece alloy with nearly no changes from last year’s 2021 model. When you have a bat as dominant as the Voodoo One, no other brand can compete against you. DeMarini does just that by creating a light-swinging, contact-hitter bat with sneaky power. While it does not have the maximized power of “The Goods,” it has nearly the same type of sweet spot, has way fewer durability issues, and is as light as a toothpick. For any hitter, this bat is your ace of spades. You cannot go wrong with a bat of this caliber, and it has a better price than “The Goods” at $350. 

This is just my opinion on some of the bats I’ve seen through videos and some of my favorites that I have tried. Knowing that baseball is an investment, I hope this can assist you in finding your next bat for this spring.