****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I get it—your 10U kid watches Bat Bros and thinks he needs the Hype Fire to hit bombs. Meanwhile, you’re looking at the price and wondering, What are we really paying for? Let me save you some trouble: skip the hype and go for the MARUCCI F5 BBCOR. Here’s why.The Hype Fire (HF) you see in all the videos is not the same bat your 10U or 12U player will be swinging. Even though the price is the same, the performance isn’t. The only "hot" versions of the HF are the -5 or -3. Want proof? Look at this year’s Little League World Series and check how many home runs were hit when they were handing out HF bats. The numbers were noticeably lower.The F5, on the other hand, is not far off from the top bats in its category, and you’ll save about $200. It’s a fantastic bat—durable, well-balanced, high quality, and yes, your kid will still be able to hit bombs. The exit velocity might be just 3 MPH lower than the top bats, but even Rapsodo reports a margin of error of +/- 2 MPH. No one will notice a difference of 2-3 MPH on a hit ball.Save your money for all the other gear players need nowadays: sliding mitts, ankle guards, beaded necklaces, Sutro sunglasses, and so on.If your kid needs a BBCOR bat for a quick season, pick this one up. The hardest part will be convincing them that even though it’s not the "cool" bat, it’s definitely the smarter choice.
