Marucci CAT X Connect Bat
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Marucci CAT X Connect Baseball Bat
The Marucci CAT X Connect Baseball Bat, available in BBCOR and USSSA versions, features a two-piece hybrid design with an AZR alloy barrel and a stiff S-40 composite handle. Its Ring-Free barrel offers a large sweet spot for consistent power, while the 10 times stiffer S-40 handle ensures faster energy transfer and minimizes vibration. This design enhances performance and increases the chance of home runs.
Key features include:
| Two-Piece Hybrid Construction | Combines a power-loaded alloy barrel with a composite handle. |
| SDX LT Connection | Provides a stiffer feel while reducing vibration, offering better energy transfer and reducing the sting on mishits. |
| Power-Loaded Barrel | Engineered to optimize weight distribution, enhancing power potential without sacrificing swing speed. |
| Ergonomically Designed Knob | Promotes comfort and control, complementing the bat’s design to reduce hand fatigue and improve overall handling. |
| Micro-Perforated Soft-Touch Grip | Enhances comfort and tack, allowing for better control and reducing the likelihood of slippage during powerful swings. |
Top Competitors
The Select PWR boasts a one-piece, all-alloy design for a more traditional feel and potentially even more pop. DeMarini's The Goods goes with a full composite construction, creating the lightest swing weight of the three but with a potentially smaller sweet spot. Ultimately, the choice depends on preference: balanced power with a traditional feel (Select PWR), maximum power transfer with a two-piece design (CAT X Connect), or the lightest swing weight with a possible trade-off in sweet spot size (The Goods)
Progression of the CAT X Connect
The CAT X was released with considerable upgrades over the 2021 CAT 9 Connect. Here are the details:
- Released with the new AZR alloy for a more responsive microstructure.
- CAT9 features a 2nd Generation AV2 Anti-vibration knob and additional weight below the hands for better control.
- CAT9 Connect introduces the Outer-Locking System (OLS) for an even stiffer connection and virtually zero vibrations.
- CATX features AZR Alloy with new barrel profiles and an ergonomic, custom-shaped tapered handle.
- CATX introduces Liquid-Gel anti-vibration technology.
- CATX Connect and CATX Composite maintain the OLS and introduce S-40 composite handle for increased performance and energy transfer.
- Barrel profiles are reshaped for better balance, with a focus on data from the Baseball Performance Lab.
| 👍 Pros |
|---|
| It's an end-loaded bat, but it's very easy to swing. You have full control when going through the strike zone, no matter where the ball is over the plate. |
| The sweet spot is huge and covers almost the entire barrel of the bat, making the ball jump off the bat. |
| The ability to consistently barrel or square up on a pitch is better than any bat on the market. |
| 👎 Cons |
|---|
| The grip is slippery. Even with batting gloves on it’s hard to hold on to it. Easy fix with a lizard skin grip. |
| Bat knob fell off after 1st time using, no pop. |
| Used for one game and the knob sticker has come off already. |
The CATX Connect is a hybrid bat. It's a strong performer. It's top five in the hybrid market. Very easy to swing, very well balanced. There's a good nature to it; it doesn't dent. It's very durable. But it is an end-loaded bat and a two-piece hybrid, so it's more designed for the power hitter and for stronger players.
Tony Benz (Bat Seller)
