Rawlings 2021 Velo BBCOR Baseball Bat Series (-3) | High Performance Aluminum Alloy Bat for Youth & Adult Players | Perfect for League Games & Practice Sessions

This bat, is to the Louisville slugger, as the F22 Raptor is to the Wright "B" Flyer. Really, you only have to say one word to me and I'm sold. Carbon Fiber is pretty much my "Manchurian Candidate" activation code phrase, where upon hearing those words I'm compelled to seek out the goods, regardless of who or what gets in my way. And though I'm psychologically enamored with the material, I have to say I can feel what it does in this bat, which is move the CG towards your hands and away from the end of the bat.Serious. If there's a sporting goods store near you that will let you take a few air swings with this puppy, grab one up and take a proper stance, and swing through, tell me if you can't feel the CG difference in this bat. I could the first time I swung it. There's no way this doesn't add FPS at the end of your bat. The grip is perfectly narrow, and the grip tape they use on this thing is soft, spongy, and tacky. If this gets out of your hand, it's your fault. If you put some pine tar on this you won't be able to let go of it.And aesthetics. Aesthetics shouldn't even be part of this conversation. It's a baseball bat. It's like saying the new bear trap you bought has "panache and style". But here I go anyway. I would have no problem stripping my car down to bare metal and re-finishing it to match this bat. The gorgeous, dark, matte metallic blue of the body is to DIE for. And the "rainbow gold" trim with carbon fiber accents? Are you kidding me? I don't know what kind of groovy nano-pearlescent whatever on Earth it is they're putting in this gold paint that makes it color shift the way it does, but I would LOVE it if Rawlings would respond to this and tell us all what they're putting in this gold paint to make it color-shift the way it does. It's literally a full prism effect, red to indigo, and every color in between, in the gold paint.I'll do whatever you want for a gallon of that gold paint. Or the secret of where I can get it.Anything. If Amazon sells it? I'll buy it.In fact, the only problem I've found in my study of this bat is that it's too ridiculously pretty and I don't want to hit anything with it.It's perfect. The CG feels like it wants to crawl back into your hands, and the resulting velocity...mmm. The grip. The look. Except it's too pretty to hit things with. It makes me want to carry a DB (designated bat) any time I think the ball is getting too dirty. Hey, ump, can we get a new ball in here??? This is a $350 bat!If you build it (this bat), they will come (and buy it). I recommend buying it. Then put it over the mantle. Tell the grandkids about it. "If you bought this bat today in 2045, it'd cost a MILLION DOLLARS!" "Whoooa!" Yeah.I hope this helps SOMEONE decide to buy and appreciate this work of art.A superb bat; very nice quality. Highly recommended.The Good:-Hot face out of wrapper-Large sweet spot-Good balance-Good grip tape-Solid constructionThe Bad:-ExpensiveThe Bottom Line:I’ve been hitting off the tee with this 32” Rawlings Velo and wow it is hot right out of the wrapper. The -3 drop and 32” length gives me good balance through my swing. The bat is solidly constructed and has a large sweet spot. The downside to this bat is it is expensive but these type of bats are in the high end range. Overall, I would recommend this Rawlings Velo if your budget can handle it.My expectations for this bet are very high it feels so good in my hands and it has great weight distribution.I'm really disappointed that I've been carrying this bet in my vehicle for the last couple of weeks and every time I drive past the cages I stop but they haven't opened them yet.I'm not sure why they're so slow this year but I'm going to most certainly update this after I finally get to hit a couple of balls with it.As far as quality goes this is top of the line I love the gold on blue, a lot. There's a lot of detail, the top is a carbon fiber look.At this point I can tell you that it's definitely an awesome bat and as soon as I get to the cages I promise to update.This is an incredible bat for high school athletes. You may wonder what this bat that would make it so expensive and whether it is worth the additional price. If you are a high school baseball player, this bat is a tremendous choice and certainly warrants the high price tag.It is hot right out of the wrapper which means no break in period required. It is one of the most well balanced bats I have ever used. It sits well in your hand and makes for a very smooth swing. There is a large sweet spot and you get the satisfying crack of the bat even when you make a mistake and miss a bit. The grip is great and absorbs reverberation easily.I love this bat!This one will make a statement. We've been playing baseball for 9 years now. This was a bat he really wanted to use. Unfortunately it's an inch too short for him this year. The graphics and the prismatic properties of the bat are second to none. It has a unique aluminum-composite hybrid design. It gives it a lighter swing weight. The carbon composite endcap which is actually the last 2 inches of the barrel is something we've never seen. The grip is well done and tacky. This bat should make a splash this year in youth baseball.Rawlings is a top brand when it comes to high-performance bats. They give you more power, control, and accuracy. The construction gives you that perfect "crack" when the ball connects with the bat. When it comes down to it, I simply like the look. The metallic navy and golden highlights on this one makes it special. I highly recommend this bat.Thanks so much for taking the time to read this review. I hope the information that I've provided helps make your decision a little easier.Nothing like the pop of a new bat. Gone are the days of having to spend countless hours trying to break in your new bat. This guy is ready to go out of the plastic basically. It’s still a bit heavy for my boy but he’s seconds away from being able to handle it on a daily basis.