Easton 2018 USA Baseball 2 1/4 S450 Youth Baseball Bat -12

Read whole review ...It is too bad bat regulations have changed, making us all having to buy new bats. My son was so happy with his orange composite bat, and had more years of enjoyment still to come. We were sceptical of the new USA bat standard because it feels like the bats are being "dumbed" down to a lower standard of quality. We decided to wait and not spend another $300 for a new composite bat, and buy the aluminum S450, just to see what an average priced, USA bat standard would look and feel like. Our gut feeling was accurate. This new bat is dull, with little pop, and doesn't have the awesome sound like the old BPF bats do. Make sure you hit the ball perfectly on the barrel too, or it will sting the hands pretty good. It is a bummer ... can we just go back to the good ol' days? My son is almost thinking to just use a wood bat, as the new USA aluminum standard is not good. Even an old aluminum Easton Cyclone bat we have had for a few years, performs better than this S450.Another poor performance from this S450 bat is, only after two rounds of buckets of balls on the field, it has developed a rattle in the bat head, end cap area. Also, the plastic cap end is off set at the end, one side is not smooth with the barrel. Wow, cheap quality or just the restrictions and regulations bat companies are having to follow? ... So sorry we can't write something positive about our experience with this USA bat. We are not happy with this bat and will be looking into sending it back, since it is still under warranty. Good luck with your experince finding an USA bat your child is happy using. We will continue to keep researching for a better chance of purchasing something my son will be happy with out on the field.:-)Update: End of Spring 2018 ...To be fair to Easton, upped the start rating from two stars, to four stars.Eastons customer service is top notch A+: Shortly after reporting the rattle in the bat head as you read above in this review, we contacted Easton's online warranty, and they were right on top of our concern, they sent a replacement within a few days. Our son used the new replacement bat through about half the season, without developing another rattle, and did get a home run with the new replacement. He is 13 and this bat is really light for him, but makes it easy for quick hands. The bat doesn't have the high pitched ring as some aluminum bats do, which is nice, it sounds more like a composite, but to be accurate, doesn't have the pop of a high priced composite. He ended up getting a different aluminum bat for his birthday, that has more pop, which he really likes, but this S450 was still used by some of his team mates without any issues.

I bought the 29" for my 10.5 year old son because it's the only -12 USA-approved bat that I'm able to find that doesn't cost $275+ (Easton Ghost), which is prohibitive for me, especially at this age level. The disadvantage this bat has to the Ghost is that it's got a 2 1/4" barrel, rather than a 2 5/8" barrel, so it's a slightly smaller sweet spot ostensibly. This doesn't seem to bother my son who is excelling with it. I can't comment on the fancy stuff like the quality of the metal, etc., or the weight problems with the shorter versions of this bat, but we did seem to get what we wanted. The ball seems to fly off the bat well though.Just be aware that the barrel is slightly smaller than some other bats from Easton. If that's not a concern for you and your player, then this bat is excellent value, especially in this inaugural year with the new bat rules where all the bat makers seem to be milking the market for every buck they can get.

Last season, my 8-year old son (he'll be 9 in 2018) used an S500 28/15 bat, which equates to a -13 ratio. This season, we intended to move him to a 29/16, but was advised by a representative at Easton that -13 bats would be limited to T-Ball Bats (26" and shorter). I was also advised that the S450 would be the closest model available to what we were using.We purchased both a 28/16 and a 29/17 to see which bat felt better to my son. He stated they both felt heavy, and for some reason the 16 oz bat felt heavier. I didn't think that was possible.So, I broke out my postal scale. Much to my surprise, the 16 oz bat weighed in at 18.7 ounces. The 17 ounce bat weighed in at 17.7 ounces. For comparison, I compared it to a model S300 28/16 bat we had handy. The bat weighed EXACTLY 16 ounces.See pictures for examples. I have an email in to Easton, but have not received a reply as of yet.UPDATE: Easton did reply. I was told they should weigh no more or no less than 1/2 an ounce from the stated weight. They were kind enough to offer an exchange on the bats at no extra cost. However, I encountered the same problem with the new bats I received from Easton. The 16 oz bat weighed around 18.6 ounces, and the 17 oz bat weighed 17.6I opted to keep the original bats, I will just have to keep the weight discrepancy in mind as we practice this winter and decide if I want to go with another brand. For what it's worth, the wrapping seems to weight .25 - .30 of an ounce, so the 29/17 bat is probably in specs. I'm just not sure if my son is ready to handle the extra length and weight of the bat yet. That will have to come down to personal preference I suppose.In a blind test, he said he was more comfortable with the 28/16 oz bat, even though closer to 18 oz. Keep in mind he's 8 going on 9 years old and weighs approximately 60 pounds. We'll see how it plays out.

We bought a 30 inch bat with a -12 drop and unlike other reviews ours is almost on the money. Weighed in at 18.4oz. Its a lot lighter than the big barrel bats which is why I chose it for my son. Most young kids don't have the strength to muscle around a big heavy bat correctly. They sacrifice good form for hits which wont benefit their game as they get older. It was disappointing having to leave behind his composite bat from last season for these new rules. This bat feels pretty solid but in this cold weather the sting of the aluminum is still present. I used the bat myself for some BP and I think it had a nice pop. I went yard a few times (little league field lol) and there were no dents or damage. My son says he feels comfortable with it so that's really what matters most. Lets see how it holds up for the season.

Loved the product. My son is very happy with the bat! Super fast shipping!

Perfect for my 6 year old who is a little smaller than the average. Most kids bigger than him often use this bat because their bats are too heavy. It has the USA stamp.

Had to purchase this bat as new bat rules went into effect but couldn’t be more happy with the results. My son loves the bat and he has been crushing the ball.

Product is great and is as described. Fantastic purchase