Difference in Senior and Junior League Bats

[Edge]

I have been trying to find the difference between Jr and Sr. league baseball bats for a time now and having very little luck in it.

My son has a 26/16 Combat Portent 2 5/8 and a 28/16 Easton Mako 2 3/4 bat. From the best I can tell the only thing I can come up with is that his Combat is a senior league bat because its a -10 and not a -12. At the Coach Pitch age group does one hold an advantage over the other? Last fall he was regularly putting the ball into shallow outfield grass with the Combat but in practice this year his hits didn't seem to have the life behind them and his coaches and I noticed he was hitting a bit harder with the bigger Mako. We switched him to full time use of the Mako.

I was just wondering if a Junior league bat has benefit over a senior league bat at his age group or if they are the same, just with a lesser weight drop(and if they are the same how is a 28/16 Mako a $150 bat and a 28/18 Mako a $350 bat?)

[bbrages]

I believe the "Junior" big barrels are intended for coach pitch and are often sold with a disclaimer such as,

The 2014 Louisville Slugger Assault (YBAS14-RX) has a 2 3/4" barrel diameter. It has a -10 length to weight ratio. It is intended for T-Ball and Coach Pitch leagues for players 5 to 9 years of age.

This 2014 Louisville Slugger Assault (YBAS14-RX) Junior Big Barrel bat may experience denting when hitting pitch speeds around 40 mph. This bat may offer good durability for your league with that pitch speed, but it's hard to say for sure. If you do run into denting, you will be covered through the manufacturer's 12 month warranty.

I'm not sure if this denting is a real problem. Maybe it's just smart marketing - price segmentation.

[daque]

I believe the "Junior" big barrels are intended for coach pitch and are often sold with a disclaimer such as,

The 2014 Louisville Slugger Assault (YBAS14-RX) has a 2 3/4" barrel diameter. It has a -10 length to weight ratio. It is intended for T-Ball and Coach Pitch leagues for players 5 to 9 years of age.

This 2014 Louisville Slugger Assault (YBAS14-RX) Junior Big Barrel bat may experience denting when hitting pitch speeds around 40 mph. This bat may offer good durability for your league with that pitch speed, but it's hard to say for sure. If you do run into denting, you will be covered through the manufacturer's 12 month warranty.

I'm not sure if this denting is a real problem. Maybe it's just smart marketing - price segmentation.

What does the disclaimer say for a whiffle ball bat?

[chief2791]

What does the disclaimer say for a whiffle ball bat?

Not intended for use on umpires with inconsistent strike zones?

[allenb]

I believe the "Junior" big barrels are intended for coach pitch and are often sold with a disclaimer such as,

The 2014 Louisville Slugger Assault (YBAS14-RX) has a 2 3/4" barrel diameter. It has a -10 length to weight ratio. It is intended for T-Ball and Coach Pitch leagues for players 5 to 9 years of age.

This 2014 Louisville Slugger Assault (YBAS14-RX) Junior Big Barrel bat may experience denting when hitting pitch speeds around 40 mph. This bat may offer good durability for your league with that pitch speed, but it's hard to say for sure. If you do run into denting, you will be covered through the manufacturer's 12 month warranty.

I'm not sure if this denting is a real problem. Maybe it's just smart marketing - price segmentation.

The junior big barrel is for coach pitch and is illegal to use in tournament play. It may or may not be caught by the umpires or opposing team.

http://www.justbats.com/bat-resource-guide/frequently-asked-questions/coach-pitch/rules/

[bbrages]

The junior big barrel is for coach pitch and is illegal to use in tournament play. It may or may not be caught by the umpires or opposing team.

http://www.justbats.com/bat-resource...h-pitch/rules/

I'm thinking a "Junior Big Barrel" is the same bat that was formerly known as a Coach Pitch bat, but the name has been changed to skirt rules such as the one quoted in your link.

[Edge]

So is there any sort of advantage of using a Junior Big Barrel bat in coaches pitch or is it just possibly more sensitive to harder thrown balls? I have noticed that the Mako can be very forgiving in that I've watched small 6 year old's check swing balls to deep infield/shallow outfield spots. I'm not sure if that is just because the Mako is a pretty hot bat or because the Coach Pitch bat may be at more of an advantage with lesser velocity. With the Combat being a senior league bat I feel like he may seem like its less forgiving to a bad swing or bad contact.

Could it be that they are not allowed in tournament play because they are hotter than a typical bat but at the same time aren't they all supposed to have the BPF rating stamp?

[reagansdaddy]

The one advantage for the Eastons would be that the Junior bat is in a -12 rather than a -10. However, I'd love for someone to answer what other advantages there are and if there are any (besides a lower price) for the LS models which are both a -10.

[allenb]

The one advantage for the Eastons would be that the Junior bat is in a -12 rather than a -10. However, I'd love for someone to answer what other advantages there are and if there are any (besides a lower price) for the LS models which are both a -10.

I believe the difference is the weighting. They put more weight in the handle so the barrel has thinner walls, faster swing speeds, and more denting.