JCG posted:Assuming you're a buyer, here are two strategies we have used that have worked for us:
1 - To narrow down your choices, see what similar players in college and HS are swinging. IOW if your guy is masher see what mashers use. If he's a contact guy see what they use.
2 - find the bat that your kid really likes by swinging at the store and using a friend's in the cage. Whatever that is, within reason, buy last year's model. It will be almost the same bat with different paint job, and should save you 50% of the purchase price.
That's what we do every year for our HS team bat... follow which bat was hottest previous year and buy it one year old at 40-50% off.
While the gap has narrowed with BBCOR restrictions, there is still a difference in performance, as Mid pointed out.