When looking for a new BBCOR bat for the 2012 season you will find that there are two main styles of metal with 3 main construction styles: one piece alloy, one piece Composite, and two piece/hybrid. The different metals and methods of building will affect performance aspects as well as price. There are two main types of construction: one piece or two pieces, one piece being a solid one metal bat or two pieces consisting of a separate barrel and handle put together above the grips. The two piece bat can be 2 pieces of like metals or 2 different metals. Two piece bats made up of Alloys and composites are called hybrids.
1. One Piece Alloy
The solid alloy bats will typically be the most cost effective. Alloy bats need no break-in. They hit great off the gates. They are great for durability and price. Alloy metals do weight more than composites resulting in smaller sweet spots. Alloys are also known to have heavy vibration leading to hand stings on miss hits. These bats have been known to under perform in cold weather. Below are some nice 2012 BBCOR One piece alloy bats.
2. One piece Composite
With higher manufacturing costs composite bats are generally priced higher than aluminum bats. Composites weigh less than aluminum allowing more surface area resulting in a larger sweet spot. With a short break in period the composite bats tend to keep there pop a bit longer than alloys. While Composites tend to keep performance levels in cold weather they have been known to crack if cold enough. Below are some nice 2012 BBCOR One piece alloy bats.
3. Two piece/ hybrid
The final major construction type would be the two piece bat. This consists of a separate barrel and handle that is connected above the grip line. Some science suggests that you get more of a trampoline effect due to the two piece structure. This effect adds speed to a ball as it leaves the bat resulting in more pop. What makes a two-piece a hybrid is when you have an aluminum barrel with a composite handle or visa versa. The benefits to a composite handle would be less vibration and weight while the composite barrel will result in more surface area for the barrel. Some feel the heavier/harder alloy handle mixed with a lighter composite barrel really makes for a nice bat balance. Remember if you are a fan of the two piece design but want all one metal you can do that too. Below are some nice 2012 two piece and hybrid designs.
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