More times than not when a new edition of a baseball bat comes out, the changes from year to year are very miniscule. One main aspect that separates Marucci from the rest of the pack, is the fact that Marucci has a 2 year bat cycle instead of a one year cycle like most manufactures. This extra year allows Marucci’s R&D department to continue to make major improvements and upgrades to their bats, instead of just a graphical and appearance change. Let’s take a look at some of the new technological upgrades and improvements for the 2021 Cat 9 BBCOR baseball bat and what makes it even better than the Cat 8 bat from 2019.
The biggest and most notable difference for the Cat 9 drop 3 is the upgraded alloy material. Marucci has moved on from the AZ105 aluminum of the Cat 8, and has outfitted the Cat 9 with a new and approved AZR alloy. The AZR aluminum has the same strength and durability as the AZ105 alloy featured in the CAT8 and CAT8 Connect, however the AZR alloy has a more responsive microstructure for better performance across the entire sweetspot and barrel. In other words, hitting balls at the end of the barrel on the Cat 9 will be more forgiving this year than previous models.
The other major change for the Cat 9 series of bats is what Marucci is calling their Longitudinal Groove System or LGS. The LGS is a set of grooves that run longitudinally across the thickest wall section allowing for specific weight re-location and more flexibility at the sweet spot.
For the previous year we have seen the Cat 8’s popularity grow to be one of the top one-piece alloy BBCOR used at both the high school and college baseball scenes. With the advancements of a better alloy material in the AZR and upgrades to the fabrication process with the LGS, we see the Cat 9 to be a big upgrade from the Cat 8.
Want to see the difference for yourself? Come to any Better Baseball location in Marietta or Chamblee and swing them in one of our Hittrax Demo Stations. Compare exit velo and launch angle between the Cat 8 and the Cat 9.