As much as I like the Marucci CAT7 and Marucci CAT 8, I thought I would like the Marucci CAT 9 too.
But I cannot say I liked it as much as the last version. But still, this is one good bat for any young player. To explain that, I have decided to write the Marucci CAT 9 review.
First, What Does A Bat Mean To Me?
A bat is a tool to throw a ball. A baseball bat is the tool with which you hit a ball over the boundary of the diamond field.
I love wooden bats. They are the best. Many MLB players would agree with me. The classic feel of the baseball lies in the wooden bats.
But with time, there came composite bats. When I played in the AAA Leagues, they hit the market quite well. And till now, they do have a large share.
I must say, I like them too. But I did not like the aluminum alloy bats. Aluminum bats do not need breaking. They are made of one piece. The inside is not solid but rather hollow.
I never liked them until I tried the Marucci CAT7.
When I tried it first, I understood why most players nowadays like the alloy bats.
There are several engineering miracles embedded in the bat. The perks make them lighter, durable, and capable of hard-hitting.
Certainly, the Marucci CAT 7 changed my views about them. More happened when I tried the CAT 8. The 8 types of thickness with the large sweet spot mesmerized me.
So, with more eagerness, I wanted to try the CAT 8. I did expect great things from it.
What Did I Feel When I Played With Marucci CAT9?
The Marucci CAT9 was released in 2020. But I have tried it in January 2021. It was cold, so I tried it at our indoor training ground in the school.
As a coach of the high school team, I have got access. And the day was quite a good one for practicing.
Like the CAT 8, I have played around 6-70 balls with it till my hand started to feel sore.
At first, I felt that the hitting was more and more smooth with the balls being thrown at me.
And the hitting was much easier to throw the balls further away. Compared to the CAT7, and CAT8, the bat indeed felt lighter.
Besides, the vibration was much lower than CAT7. If I compare it to CAT8, the vibration was still lower, but not that much.
As a result, I understood that the sweet spot was larger than the other versions and the vibration distribution was better.
When the mishit happened, the sting was not that much, either. Same as the CAT 8.
Still, I prefer it to CAT7, but compared to CAT8, I think I like the CAT8 better.
So, technically, Marucci made the CAT8 and the CAT9 similar.
A little better performance, especially when you hit the ball, you can expect it to go further.
But without the vibration distribution and the hitting with a larger sweet spot, it almost felt the same as the CAT8.
After all the games, I decided to suggest the bat to my new players. Because I think it works well for the young players. And you can indeed expect better things from newer versions of any bat.
Then I looked into the technology Marucci used for building the CAT 9, and now I am going to tell you all about it.
The Alloy
The alloy is AZR alloy. It is different from the alloy used on CAT 8. It gives more durability and is lightweight to the bat.
Due to the usage of the alloy, the bat gets more variance in the thickness of the alloy.
As well the right-free technology is also used here for more sustainability in the field.
Altogether, the alloy gives the bat a larger sweet spot.
The Anti-Vibration Knob
Marucci gives a lot of time to designing their bats. The same goes for the Marucci CAT 9.
There is an anti-vibration knob on the handle.
When the ball hits the bat, it gives the vibration back. The barrel sends it to the handle. In contrast, the handle transfers it upward.
Due to an anti-vibration knob, as well as the alloy, the bat gives a more forgiving feel.
Besides, the mishit balls do not give as much sting.
Altogether, the bat does give a slightly better performance than the Marucci Cat 8.
The Grip
The grip is soft and smooth to handle. It is made out of perforated soft rubber.
For the grip, this is one of the best kind. Even people who like hard grips also like this grip.
It is a good removable taper. So, if you do not like it, you can remove it and replace it with a grip tape you like.
The removable taper and the knob perfectly fit together to reduce all kinds of vibrations the bat can take.
Balance
The barrel and handle balance is great.
The bat I have played with was a BBCOR drop 5. In every hit, the balance could be felt perfectly.
The same goes for the other versions of the bat.
CAT 9 comes in BBCOR, USSSA, and USA versions.
CAT9 Other Types
Besides the CAT9 original, Marucci has brought forth two other types of CAT9.
They are called the CAT 9 Composite and CAT 9 Connect.
Cat 9 Connect
The CAT9 Connect is a good addition to the Marucci bats line. It is a two-piece bat with a composite handle and an alloy bat.
The two pieces are connected with a system that is called Outer-Locking-System. The system allows the bat handle to be connected from the outside.
The bat has no dead spot and has an extended sweet spot for the best comfort needed for the hitters.
Due to the stiff composite handle and aluminum alloy barrel, the bat can indeed have a nice swing.
With the construction system, it is one of the best two-piece hybrid alloy bats out there.
Cat 9 Composite
On the other hand, the Marucci CAT 9 Connect Composite is a purely composite bat with good technology used for construction.
When it comes to the composite bat, Marucci again used the same outer-locking system.
It is an end-loaded bat with a carbon fiber body using an MDX or Multi-Directional Composite Barrel.
The balance in the middle ensures the best balance with medium MOI, or the Mass of Inertia, the balance of the density at a higher level.
Besides, the sting is low, and the sweet spot is expanded.
Among all the versions and types of Marucci CAT9, I love the composite one to the alloy bat. I have bought one for my own child last year.
Verdict
If I have not tried the Marucci CAT 7 and CAT 8, it can surely be said that I would blindly recommend this bat to anyone and everyone.
But compared to the DeMarini CF Zen or CAT 8, it just has some upgrades rather than giving a totally new experience.
So, if you have not tried any aluminum alloy bat or CAT 8 bat first, then this bat is perfect for you.
I hope the review was worth your time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cat 9 aluminum or composite?
Marucci CAT 9 is actually an aluminum alloy bat. The bat has great performance, similar to Marucci CAT 8 and CAT 7. But there is a composite version of those two. While the aluminum alloy version is a one-piece bat, the composite bat is made out of two pieces.
What is the Marucci Cat 9 made of?
Marucci CAT 9 is made out of aluminum alloy. Precisely, the aluminum alloy is called AZR alloy. This is a customized alloy and gives the bat high durability, strength, and better performance than the Marucci CAT 8. Right now, this is one of the best technologically advanced aluminum alloys used for baseball bats in the market.
Is composite better than aluminum?
My personal opinion is that a composite bat is always better to play with than any aluminum or wooden bat. Because of their one-piece construction, the aluminum bats always follow the same rule for strength distribution, similar to a wooden bat. But the composite bat’s design can have energy absorption and force more than any one-piece bat because all of them come with a two-piece construction.
Is Marucci Cat 9 better than Cat 8?
Because of the advanced alloy used on the body and the force distribution, the CAT 9 bat performs slightly better than the CAT 8 model. But that is indeed a very thin line. CAT 9 is one of the most advanced alloy bats in the market.
Conclusion
I have tried all the versions and types of the Marucci CAT 9.
While I prefer the composite version best, the alloy versions are the original ones and a little better than the alloy Marucci CAT 8 versions.
You can buy them for your loved ones. But I suggest letting them try to find out which version they like first.
More Resources
10 Best Bats for Youth Softball
7 Best Baseball Bat for Self Defense
Hello everyone. My name is Jason Butler, and I live in California, America. I was a professional AAA Minor League Baseball player. I lost my chance of playing MLB for injury issues, but I did not lose my love for baseball. I attended the coaching training program and am now working as a coach in a small school in San Diego.
I always love to share my experience and knowledge if that can help you. Play baseball, and stay fit.