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Rawlings Velo Hybrid Balanced BBCOR Bat Review

HomeBlogsJack Perconte's blogRawlings Velo Hybrid Balanced BBCOR Bat Review
HomeBlogsJack Perconte's blogRawlings Velo Hybrid Balanced BBCOR Bat Review
Rawlings Velo Hybrid Balanced BBCOR Bat Review
Author: 
Jack Perconte

The Rawlings Velo bat is a baseball bat for high-school and collegiate level baseball players, but it is also a reasonably-enough priced bat to be used for intermediate minor league players.

It is a BBCOR certified bat meaning that it meets all of today's most up-to-date industry standards for high-school and collegiate play. A BBCOR certification is the only allowed bat certification in high school and collegiate play.

BBCOR stands for bat-ball coefficient of restitution. All BBCOR bats must have at least a -3 ratio of length to weight and a barrel diameter that does not exceed 2 5/8 inches. These regulations are in place to govern high school and collegiate play. There are other standards for general play of baseball in the U.S., such as the USABat standard and the United States Specialty Sports Association.

Rawlings has been producing sports equipment since 1887 and are largely considered as one of the top manufacturers of baseball gloves, bats, and other baseball equipment. Rawlings was even the first company to place webbing between the finger and thumb of a catching glove, creating the design that is most popular today.

Rawlings is now the official manufacturer of baseball equipment for the major leagues.

The Rawlings Velo Hybrid is a mid-high-level baseball bat that is packed full of advanced features yet comes at a reasonable price. The price is so reasonable, that the bat is often bought for intermediate little-league players. However, the features are so advanced, this bat is also common on the college-level field.

What Makes the Rawlings Velo Hybrid Unique

Rawlings has really created a special bat in the Rawlings Velo Hybrid. The bat contains the most acoustic alloy by volume of any BBCOR certified bat on the market today.

Acoustic alloy is the part of the bat that gives you a nice "Ping!" sound when you hit the ball.

While that is impressive, a nice sound alone does not constitute a good baseball bat. But don't be worried, the Rawlings Velo Hybrid is just as high-performing as it sounds.

The bat is constructed in one-piece of metal alloy. The metal is a specialized formula created by Rawlings but is primarily aluminum. Rawlings claims that the "acoustic alloy" of this bat "enhances the durability and is the loudest alloy on the market." They say, "the proof is in the ping!"

This technology is alleged to enhance durability, create explosive swing speed and be the loudest alloy on the market.

In addition to this specialized feature, the bat is built with a precision-measured laser-cut groove. This groove is intended to increase the flexibility of the bat and improve the "pop" of the ball. The groove is cut into a specialized area of the bat.

This technology is called Precision Laser pOp (precision-optimized-performance) 2.0 and is developed by Rawlings. The groove is not deep enough to affect durability, but removes enough weight to make this bat easy to swing, a rarity in bats with one-piece aluminum construction.

To be certain of the aluminum construction of your bat, the outside graphic wrap on the bat is transparent in one area. Rawlings calls this "tru-view" technology. It's a cool feature that will allow you to rest easy knowing your bat is solid all the way through.

There are other aspects of the construction of the bat that contribute to its efficiency. The end cap of the Rawlings Velo bat is made of a fiber-reinforced composite material that is light and balanced. The end cap is the only piece of this bat that is composite which is why it must technically be labelled a "hybrid" bat thought is primarily aluminum.

As it is commonly used, a "hybrid" bat refers to a bat with a fully-aluminum barrel and a handle comprised of a composite material - but you should not assign that meaning to the Rawlings Velo Hybrid bat. The "hybrid" tag is only used when referring to this bat because of the composite end cap.

There is an additional version of the Rawlings Velo Hybrid bat called the Rawling Velo Composite. This bat was introduced in 2015 and is comprised of a composite material. This bat has a -12 length to weight ratio and is constructed in two-pieces. There is very little noise associated with hits from this bat. Only a very specific type of player would need the composite version over the standard hybrid version.

The construction of the Rawlings Velo Hybrid bat released in 2017 is nearly identical to the 2016 edition and the subsequent 2018 model. 2015 and earlier model Velo bats had a different type of construction.

This end cap extends 2-3 inches inside the single-piece aluminum barrel. An end-cap setup like this shifts balance towards the hands and provides a lighter swing.

The Rawlings Velo is constructed with a -3

rel="noopener" target="_blank">length-to-weight ratio

. This means it is ready for regulated play at the high school or collegiate level.

This particular bat is very light. Rawlings designed it specifically with speed and balance in mind. The Rawlings Velo bat is a great fit for baseball players labelled as "contact hitters" because of its comfort and because of how easy it is to swing quite fast.

Pricing of the Rawlings Velo Hybrid Bat

The pricing of the Rawlings Velo Hybrid bat is fairly reasonable when compared to other similar bat models.

The 2018 edition of the Rawlings Velo bat retails for about $279, but last year's model has nearly the exact same specifics and retails for around $180. When critiquing price, you should also consider the brand provenance behind a bat manufactured by Rawlings.

Bat Digest, an online publication reviewing major bat models, goes as far as saying this: "There are no differences, aside from the color, between the 2017 and 2018 Rawlings VELO."

Rawlings provides equipment for major league and minor league baseball and has been producing baseball equipment longer than any other modern sports equipment manufacturer.

The pricing of this bat is reasonable for the quality it provides. Rawlings certainly has more expensive models but the improvement margin between the two will be minimal.

For example, Rawlings sells the 2018 Quatro BBCOR bat for no less than $315 retail. Statically, the bat is almost identical to the Velo. The only differences are minor design and construction material differences. For example, the Quatro incorporates carbon fiber into its alloy construction.

In terms of pricing, however, it is important to note that more affordable models by Rawlings will actually show a decrease in efficiency. For example, the BBR53-3 5150 by Rawlings. This particular bat retails for less than $100 but does not have specialized end-caps, advanced pop technology, and has reported issues of quality by several consumers.

Pricing is important in bats, but does not always indicate high quality. The Rawlings Velo Hybrid bat is an example of an affordable bat that has all the necessary traits to be considered "high-end" without becoming unnecessarily overpriced.

The Velo bat by Rawlings is sold with a 12-month manufacturer warranty.

Other Rawlings Velo Hybrid Bat Reviews

Others across the web who have reviewed the Rawlings Velo Hybrid bat have also sung it's praises in terms of features and affordability.

Bat Digest wrote a review of the 2017 Rawlings Velo Hybrid bat.

"We'd recommend the VELO to any player who prefers an aluminum barreled bat with its hot out of the wrapper functionality. That player, we would also suggest, should appreciatea light swing weight per barrel size"¦. As such, from little league to college ball the VELO is a very popular bat."

In the summer of last year, a verified purchaser remarked that they purchased the Velo as an interim bat while their Quatro was being replaced. If you recall, we previously mentioned that the Quatro was a "higher-end" model of bat by Rawlings but that there were only very minute differences between the two.

"I bought this for my son as a fill in because he cracked his Rawlings Quattro. We weren't sure how long it would take for the warranty replacement to arrive so the Velo was the replacement. He loves it. He received his new Quatro but continues to use the Velo. Great pop off the bat and he likes the balance of the bat. The price was great and shipping was fast. Overall we are very pleased with the purchase and performance."

A blog called 2018 Youth Bats named the Rawlings Velo as one of its Top-5 Fully Aluminum USA Bats for 2018 saying, "Definitely a bargain and worth the money."

When searching around the internet, it is hard to find any negative feedback about this bat. Across multiple sales sites, buyers are very content with their purchase of the Rawlings Velo BBCOR Hybrid bat.

How It Compares

The Rawlings Velo BBCOR Hybrid bat has several direct competitors but also has distinct differences from them.

One such bat is the Beast X Hybrid bat by Easton. The Easton Beast X Hybrid is significantly more costly than the Rawlings bat, but how does it compare?

The Easton bat is a two-piece bat, a deterrent for many. Additionally, many people claim the bat is too heavy, and it very well may be. There is no technology integrated to reduce the weight of the bat. It is a strong bat, but will be unusable for players of many levels.

The Beast X Hybrid is also not BBCOR certified.

The Axe Origin is quite comparable in price but what about features?

There are some features of the Rawlings Velo that are present also in the Axe Origin such as a light end cap and single-piece construction. However, overall the Origin is a lower-quality bat than the Rawlings Velo.

It is not BBCOR certified, nor does it have any kind of advanced technologies to improve performance. It is standard, but the Rawlings Velo is a superior bat.

The Rawlings Velo is really in a category of its own. There are no other comparable bats on the market that have both single-piece construction and a specialized, composite end-cap as was pointed out by Bat Digest.

"In the 2017 class, there is yet to be a truly similar constructed bat. There are single piece aluminum bats, but none with a composite end cap."

The most similar bat, in construction-terms at least, is the Boombah Cannon. Boombah is a direct to consumer company and as such their equipment will not be found in any major retailers, whether online or brick and mortar.

The Cannon by Boombah is a lightweight bat with a composite end-cap, much like the Rawlings Velo, but retails for around $250 "“ about $70 more than the Velo. Additionally, the Cannon is a two-piece bat making it less durable and much quieter.

What We Think

Overall, we think the Rawlings Velo Hybrid bat is a great investment for many different levels of player.

Though the bat is great for many levels, players looking to improve their swing strength, speed, balance, or pop will find serious benefits in upgrading to this bat.

Also, the price can't be beat considering the level of quality you'll experience in this bat. Like we mentioned, Rawlings is a top of the line producer of all types of baseball equipment "“ bats certainly included. Who else would you trust for your baseball needs other than the official supplier of bats for major league baseball?

If you're looking for an aluminum barreled, single-piece bat that will show off your skills to the whole crowd with an iconic, loud "Ping!" sound, then the Rawlings Velo is the bat for you. The Rawlings Velo will help shoot your balls high into the sky, regardless of the accuracy of your hit, and will allow you to swing harder than you thought you could while still maintaining control.

Coupons and Deals for the Rawlings BB7V-32/29 Velo Hybrid Comp Lite End Cap

The 2017 edition of the Rawlings Velo Hybrid BBCOR bat for high school and collegiate level play is for sale on Amazon for around $180. This bat is virtually the same as the newest model "“ the 2018 Rawlings Velo Hybrid but is a much better deal.

For more check our our post on the best 2023 USA Baseball Bats.

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About Jack Perconte

After playing major league baseball, Jack Perconte has taught baseball and softball since 1988 and offered valuable coaching training too. He has helped numerous youth players reach their potential, as well as having helped parents and coaches navigate their way through the challenging world of youth sports. Jack is one of the leading authorities in the areas of youth baseball training and coaching training advice.

All Jack Perconte articles are used with copyright permission.

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