5 Best Composite Bats For 2024 & What to Know

In order to have confidence when you step into the box, you have to have confidence in the bat you swing. It may take time to find the right one, but once you do, your swing will flourish. Given how many different baseball bat and softball bat options are currently available, shopping for your next composite bat can be overwhelming. But rest assured, the Bat Experts at JustBats have created a list of the best composite bats to swing in 2024. These bats have been chosen based on:

• Performance
• Swing weight
• Player and parent reviews

Let’s jump into the category and discuss everything you need to know about the best composite bats available on the market today. 

Composite Baseball and Softball Bats

Composite bats aren’t like wood bats or alloy bats. While those traditional style of bats are made from one, uniform piece of wood or metal, composite bats are a combination of multiple materials. The three main components of a composite bat include:

1. Fiberglass
2. Resin
3. Small carbon fibers.

These three ingredients are used to create a unique trifecta of flexibility, strength, and durability to the final swing of the bat.

[Note: Composite bats will often require a break-in process. We recommend ~150 swings, rotating the barrel every 10-15 hits, before using your composite bat in a game.]

What are the benefits of Composite Bats?

The main benefits of using a composite bat include: reduced sting on mishits, a noticeably larger sweet spot, and a powerful trampoline effect on contact. 

1. Reduced Sting on Mishits: Composite bats are designed to absorb more of the impact energy from a ball, which reduces the vibration or "sting" felt in the hands of the hitter when they make contact away from the sweet spot. This can result in a more comfortable and less painful experience, especially for less experienced hitters who may not consistently hit the ball squarely.
2. Larger Sweet Spot: Composite bats often have a larger sweet spot compared to aluminum or wood bats. The composite material allows for more precise weight distribution and construction, enabling manufacturers to engineer bats with an expanded sweet spot. This means hitters have a greater margin for error when making contact with the ball, increasing the likelihood of productive swings.
3. Trampoline Effect: Composite bats are known for their "trampoline effect" upon contact with the ball. The material's flexibility allows it to compress upon impact and then spring back, propelling the ball with greater force. This can result in increased ball exit speed and longer distances on well-struck balls, providing hitters with more power potential.
4. Durability: While composite bats may be more susceptible to damage from extremely cold temperatures or repeated use in suboptimal conditions, they generally offer good durability when properly cared for. Unlike wood bats, composite bats are not prone to breaking or splintering upon contact with the ball, making them a long-lasting investment for players.

Best 2024 Composite Baseball and Softball Bats 

Here is a list of five composite bats (three for baseball and two for softball) that are worth your consideration for 2024. Below, you’ll find details on each bat’s features, along with some verified reviews that provide pros and cons of each composite bat. 

Best Composite Baseball Bats

2024 Easton Hype Fire -10 USSSA Bat

A youth baseball bat that’s gotten plenty of people talking is the Easton Hype Fire. The Thermo Composite Technology used in the barrel construction helps expand an already large sweet spot. The Opti-Flex handle provides a perfect balance between stiffness and flexibility. It also doesn’t hurt that the design is incredibly eye-catching and the ball jumps off the USSSA-approved barrel. To put it bluntly, the Easton Hype Fire is one of the best composite baseball bats for 2024.

Easton Hype Fire Product Reviews

Pros: Very good pop and very good feel

Cons: Get better durability

Pros: My son seems to pick up a lot of bat speed and the pop on this bat is very noticeable

Cons: Not sure how this bat is going to hold up so far so good about 100 swings in

Rawlings Icon BBCOR Baseball Bat

The Rawlings Icon BBCOR is one of the best BBCOR bats in 2024. The balanced swing weight coupled with a massive sweet spot make it one of the easiest bats for young BBCOR hitters to pick up and starting swinging.

In-Tense Carbon Composite materials create a seamless barrel design to maximize performance while maintaining optimal stiffness (power) throughout the profile. Meanwhile, Zero Loss Energy technology utilizes an innovative collar connection to eliminate both barrel drag and negative vibrations with each swing. Overall, we would recommend the Rawlings Icon to nearly any BBCOR swinging player in 2024.

Rawlings Icon BBCOR Reviews

Pros: Great pop out of the wrapper!! Sweet spot large and contact sounds and feels great! 

Cons: Grip is too thin. .5mm grip does the trick!

2024 Louisville Slugger Meta -10 USSSA Baseball Bat

The Louisville Slugger Meta revolutionized the composite bat industry with its introduction to the market a few years back. Since then, it has continue to push the boundaries on what we expect from our USSSA bats & BBCOR bats.

Boasting the largest composite barrel in baseball, the Meta is designed to offer a huge hitting surface and a vast sweet spot to any hitter that picks it up. The VCX2 connection piece enable independent movement between the barrel and handle to control vibrations and create an awesome feel on contact. With these models available in drop-10, drop-8, and drop-5 options, any USSSA baseball player will be able to find the Louisville Slugger Meta that works for them.

Best Composite Softball Bats

2024 Louisville Slugger Meta -11 Fastpitch Softball Bat

Much like the aforementioned baseball version, the 2024 Louisville Slugger Meta fastpitch bat has the softball community’s full attention. Hitters are able to maximize each swing with the highly-responsive composite barrel.

The Meta utilizes Gapped Wall Construction in a new design that results in improved durability and performance. It provides a balanced swing feel and a sound that stands out to players. There is also less vibration on contact thanks to a two-piece design that enables free-flowing movement between the barrel and handle. All these factors explain why so many hitters choose the Meta as their composite fastpitch bat of choice.

Louisville Slugger Meta Fastpitch Softball Bat Review

Pros: Great pop out of the wrapper. It’s outperforming my daughter 2023 cf that’s already broken in. Very happy with the purchase.

Cons: No negative comments yet!

2024 Louisville Slugger Xeno -11 Fastpitch Softball Bat

This two-piece, all-composite fastpitch bat boasts Dual-Disc S1ID Barrel Technology. The outer barrel flexes at contact until it contacts two discs within the bat. It allows the bat to perform right to the allowable level without eclipsing it. The IST technology used helps seamlessly meld its barrel to the handle. The X-Cap End Cap should improve both bat speed and bat control. 

This bat is great for young fastpitch hitters in need of a sophisticated bat. However, it’s also a solid choice for advanced players who want an ultra-lightweight feel in the batter’s box. 

How To Care For Your Composite Bat

You’ve put a lot of thought and effort into selecting the best composite baseball bat or composite softball bat for your needs. So, it’s only right that you’d try to extend the bat’s life as much as possible.

Here are some general bat care tips to keep in mind: 

1. Try and limit bat usage to just yourself, if possible. 
2. Whenever you’re done playing, clean the bat with a soft cloth to remove any dirt or debris that could cause damage. 
3. Avoid using it in extreme cold temperatures, but you can use them in colder weather if they’re stored in warm places.
4. With that in mind, don’t store your bats in extremely hot or cold areas. 
5. When practicing, stick to regulation baseballs or softballs.
6. To distribute the hitting surface evenly, rotate your bat ¼ turn with each swing. 

There are clear advantages of using composite bats compared to wooden and traditional aluminum bats. These include the powerful trampoline effect, a reduced vibration and sting, and a large sweet spot. When you’re shopping around for the perfect fit, keep things like length, weight, drop, barrel diameter, and certification stamps in mind. And once you have the bat you’ve been looking for, take care of it so it lasts as long as possible.

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We hope you enjoyed this breakdown of the best composite bats for baseball and softball players in 2024. If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact our team of Bat Experts via phone 866-321-2287, email at experts@justbats.com, or click here to live chat. We’re JustBats, and we’re with you from Click to Hit!