Easton Xl3 2 5/8" Big Barrel (-8) Baseball Bat

UPDATE October 2016: The bat performed well until the end cap cracked and popped off. I filled out the online form on the Easton website, and sent the bat back to Easton per their instructions. Within a couple of weeks, they sent me a new 2017 version of the bat with no hassles at all. In looking at some reviews for other sizes of this bat and other websites, it appears that the end cap cracking and coming off is a problem for the 2016 bat. However the replacement with the new model was easy enough, and was as good an outcome as we could expect. Thanks.We purchased this bat in the 30 inch -8 bat for a medium sized 12.3 yr old boy in the summer, primarily for 13u going into the fall. It has been an easy and seamless transition from mostly -10 bats. This was the size up replacement for a bat that was difficult to replace, an Easton S3 that has been his choice bat for more than a couple of years despite an endless string of hot new short lived composite bats over the years. He began using the XL3 immediately with great success. He hit his longest homerun ever, roughly 260 ft., in his first tournament with this bat, and is consistently driving the ball with this bat. The bat has very good balance, and pop, which are likely to be consistant and durable for as long as he needs to use this size and weight of bat. He has always preferred aluminum bats, and he has won me over to that point of view despite my regular offerings of high dollar composites over the years. In my direct experience with more than a dozen composites and several aluminum bats, the aluminum bats are much more durable, and therefore much more consistent and reliable for players than composites for normal rough and tumble youth baseball. I have come to believe that unless you take very significant efforts to care for composite bats, any advantage they may offer is quickly eliminated, likely measurable in days or weeks, by the normal use and abuse that kid bats take with just very normal use. So many kids become frustrated and struggle with compromised composite bats, that were great in the beginning, but have quickly accumulated fatal damage which is unknown, unacknowledged, and not visible or obvious to normal observation. Unfortunately, the insanely high prices paid, denial, half measures, and hope, do not prevented rapid, performance destroying damage to composite bats. So what can cause enough damage to a composite bat to render it at least inferior very quickly? Using it when the bat is not warm, a point of maximum denial. Using it fresh out of the bag after a cool night in the car, or on just a coolish spring or fall day. Using it when it is too warm. Used fresh out of the bag after a hot stay in the car, or in the direct sun. Kids sitting on the gear bag with bat(s) and gear in it. Normal rough handling of the gear bag, or any stacking. Hitting cage balls with the bat. Hitting heavy balls with the bat. Routine moderate impact with hard surfaces, such as concrete, compacted soil, metal poles or tubing, or other bats. Acceleration of all of these factors by sharing of the latest flash in the pan composite bat. For most people, the things that quickly ruin composite bats are just the unavoidable normal activity of baseball. Most of these items are irrelavant for quality aluminum bats unless taken to extremes. Thanks.

This is a great bat. Felt like my child needed to go from a -10 to a -8 for this travel season. I believe it is more end loaded but with the thinner handle and large barrel it really swings through the zone nicely. His other 2 bats are a Marucci Cat 8 - and Quattro Pro -10. Both of those are 2 3/4 and this was 2 5/8. I think that could help to swing it faster. Also we found the Cat 8 to be an awesome bat - but felt like it lacked some line drive power - it’s like a ping - with not a ton of backbone but had pop. This Easton bat had all of it. Sound. Pop. Power. No sting. Just as good if not better than Quattro Pro. My kid had very good results with it out of wrapper and if you are considering going up a bit of weight this could be good. Alloy is very good quality as is bat finish, end cap and stock grip.

All around good alloy bat. Half of my son's teammates end up using the bat even though they have DeMarini's and Marruci's.

This bat has amazing pop and my twins have been hitting numerous homeruns with it, however, the barrel is soft and causing indentations to it. Came back to website to see if I can return it and it only had a 30 day return policy through Amazon. Wish I had bought it from Justbats.com as they warranty for a year.

I am sorry to say but this product should teach Easton what not to do. The materials are solid all but the end cap at the top of the bat. It came apart during normal use and it is not useful once its dislodged. Would not recommend.

Excelente, muy satisfecho, todos los del equipo lo quieren usar. Valió la pena, lo recomiendo 100 %. La marca Easton nunca me ha quedado mal, he comprado unos 9 o 10 bates para 2 hijos y por lo menos 8 han tenido el rendimiento esperado.

Excelente bate para jugadores jóvenes adolescentes, el bate en verdad se siente super balanceado.Excellent bat for youth players, super balanced.

Great bat! Good pop, but not quite as much as the newest DeMarini VooDoo.