News & Information

CATX vs. CAT9

What the difference between the CAT9 Composite and the CATX Composite?

While the CAT9 Composite and CATX Composite barrel is built using the same high performing MDX composite construction and features the same OLS Connection, the CATX Composite features a new S-40 Composite handle that is ~8-10% stiffer than the previous handle, which allows for faster energy transfer from player to ball at contact. The CATX Composite bat line also features a slightly more balanced design (on average a .25” lower balance point) with lower MOI’s than the CAT9 Composite, allowing players to swing faster and more efficiently. The CATX Composite also features new custom-sized handle tapers for every weight drop, providing a more ergonomic fit, allowing for more bat control.

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What is the difference between the CAT9 Connect and the CATX Connect?

The CATX Connect BBCOR features a completely re-shaped barrel profile that offers a slightly more balanced design (on average a .5” lower balance point) with a wider sweet spot and more forgiving barrel. The CATX Connect Senior League bats feature a bigger overall barrel diameter, closer to the maximum allowable limit. On average, the increase in diameter is ~2.5mm which allows for a more flexible barrel, generating higher performance. Both the CATX Connect BBCOR and CATX Connect Senior League models feature our new S-40 Composite handle that is ~8-10% stiffer than the previous handle, which allows for faster energy transfer from player to ball at contact. The CATX Connect also features new custom-sized handle tapers for every weight drop, providing a more ergonomic fit, allowing for more bat control.

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What is the difference between the CAT9 and the CATX?

The CATX BBCOR features a completely re-shaped barrel profile that offers a much more balanced design (on average a 1” lower balance point) with a wider sweet spot and more forgiving barrel. The CATX Senior League bats feature a bigger overall barrel diameter, closer to the maximum allowable limit. On average, the increase in diameter is ~2.5mm which allows for a more flexible barrel, generating higher performance. Both the CATX BBCOR and CATX Senior League bats feature our new Liquid-Gel dampening knob. This new design features a precise amount of liquid-gel situated into the knob of the bat meant to absorb vibrations and sting faster and more efficiently than all previous AV2 knobs. The CATX also features new custom-sized handle tapers for every weight drop (excluding JBB), providing a more ergonomic fit, allowing for more bat control.

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A2K vs. A2000, what's the difference? Meet the details that separate the two pro caliber Wilson® baseball glove models.

The Wilson® A2K® and A2000® are the preferred baseball gloves of elite professional players. While Mookie Betts, Juan Soto and José Abreu take the field with A2K glove patterns, other professional players like Tim Anderson, Ke’Bryan Hayes and José Ramírez opt for A2000 gloves. Both the A2K and A2000 meet the demands of professional baseball, but key differences set these two Wilson® glove models apart. Ryan Smith, the lead ball glove designer and product line manager for Wilson Baseball and Softball, said players should know three main differences between A2K and A2000 gloves when choosing a new gamer.

So, what is the difference between A2K and A2000?

“The three biggest differences are craftsmanship, leather quality and the double palm construction found in the A2K,” Smith said.

Glove Craftsmanship: A2K vs. A2000

Both A2K and A2000 ball gloves are formed with an extreme attention to detail, but the two glove models are made through different processes. Premium A2K baseball gloves are made entirely in Japan, formed to the perfect shape by expert glove craftsmen.

“Being made in Japan, the A2K is made by craftsmen who have been making ball gloves for decades,” Smith said.

From start to finish, Pro Stock ball gloves require about 18 hours of labor, Smith said. Craftsmen select leather hides, cut the pieces, then assemble and form the glove. Once a glove is assembled, craftsmen inspect and shape each glove to meet the needs of ball players. Skilled glove craftsmen in Japan dedicate time to perfectly shape A2K baseball gloves, resulting in a flawless final product.

Materials: Pro Stock® Select vs. Pro Stock® Leather

Glove craftsmen make A2K and A2000 ball gloves from pro caliber leather, materials beloved by top players in baseball. A2000 gloves feature Pro Stock® leather while A2K gloves feature flawless Pro Stock® Select leather.

“Leather is so important,” said Wilson Master Glove Craftsman Shigeaki Aso. “A really important thing is a certain level of softness is needed. A certain level of stretchiness is needed. Our Pro Stock leather is perfect for that.”

The leather used in A2K and A2000 gloves is derived from the same material, but Pro Stock Select leather is finely inspected for perfection. When choosing leather hides, craftsmen ensure only unblemished cuts are selected for use in A2K ball gloves. Through this triple-sorting process, Pro Stock hides are inspected at least three times before being approved for A2K gloves.  

“The leather used in A2K ball gloves is triple sorted,” Smith said. “It’s the best of the best leather. It’s flawless with the tightest grains.”

Only the top 5% of leather hides are selected for use in A2K ball gloves. All other Pro Stock leather hides are used to make A2000 ball gloves.

GLOVE DESIGN: DOUBLE PALM CONSTRUCTION

Double Palm Construction separates the A2K from every other ball glove available. To complete an A2K, glove craftsmen insert a thin layer of leather between the palm of the glove and its ultra-soft interior palm liner. This piece of leather matches the shape of the palm to stabilize the pocket of the glove.

“Double Palm Construction is a thin piece of leather between the palm and the liner,” Smith said. “It’s there to help keep the shape of the palm and the pocket, and it helps in the forming and shaping process.”

When players break in a new A2K and shape the glove to their preferences, Double Palm Construction ensures that the glove keeps its shape for its entire lifespan. This extra layer of leather maintains the shape of the pocket, allowing for more consistent performance on the field.

Select Your A2K or A2000

Both A2K and A2000 baseball gloves are engineered to meet the needs of elite baseball players. With premium details like Pro Stock Select leather, Double Palm Construction and expert craftsmanship, A2K gloves stand out for their flawlessness. To find the ideal baseball glove, explore the full collection on Wilson.com.

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SHOP WILSON A2000's

Originally Posted on Wilson.com

Learn about the 2024 Louisville Slugger Meta softball bat technology and improved durability.

Designed for all types of softball players – whether you’re setting the table at the top of the order, clearing the bases from the cleanup spot or turning over the lineup from the 9-hole – the 2024 Louisville Slugger Meta Fastpitch Bat offers enhanced durability along with the high-end performance hitters crave. New upgrades for 2024 improve durability while maintaining great feel and excellent performance, according to Jeremy Yim, Louisville Slugger’s Senior Manager for Research & Development.

“The barrel is responsive, and the cantilevered inner wall design still gives it one of the largest sweet spots in the game,” Yim said. “In exit velocity comparisons, the 2024 Meta continues to be one of the top performers across a wide variety of players.”

Updated Internal Structure

New for 2024, Louisville Slugger modified the Meta Fastpitch Bat with extra internal safeguards, solidifying the barrel structure without sacrificing feel or performance.

While fortifying the bat’s internal structure, Louisville Slugger engineers maintained key components of the MASH™ Composite Barrel to keep its signature sound and performance. The low-compression gapped wall barrel is constructed with a cantilevered design to offer a balanced feel with a recognizable sound on contact.

“The sound is very similar to the current model and was not affected too much by our changes,” Yim said. “The loud sound is driven by the ball impacting the outer wall, and then the outer wall crashing into the inner wall.”

Thanks to its gapped wall design, the Meta Fastpitch Bat delivers strong results right away, and repeated use in batting practice and games helps the composite barrel achieve peak performance.

Among all 2024 Louisville Slugger fastpitch bats – including the Meta, Xeno and LXT – the Meta is the only bat with a gapped wall barrel to create a distinct sound and flexible feel through the swing.

The 2024 Louisville Slugger Meta FP is a two-piece composite fastpitch softball bat with an XTV™ Connection System allowing for independent movement of the barrel and handle. Meta’s two-piece construction helps absorb vibration on contact, mitigating hand sting while offering players the responsiveness needed to adjust their swing.

Louisville Slugger’s F2X™ End Cap appears atop the MASH Composite Barrel. Flush with the end of the barrel, this transparent end cap design maximizes the bat’s profile without sacrificing swing speed or control.

Who Should Swing Meta

Available in a variety of lengths across four distinct weight drops, there is a Meta Fastpitch Bat for nearly every high school, travel ball and college softball player. Hitters can choose from (-11), (-10), (-9) and (-8) weight drops – and each version of Meta offers a balanced swing weight. While elite slappers and younger high school hitters may prefer the lighter Meta (-11) for total barrel control, softball’s strongest players can rely on the heavier Meta (-8) for dominant performance and home run swings.

“The Meta Fastpitch Bat is very versatile and swung by a variety of players,” Yim said. “It is especially suited for players that can benefit from the larger sweet-spot and more flexible, vibration-dampening connection.”

All models of the Meta Fastpitch Bat deliver an easy-swinging profile with a touch of weight targeted toward the end of the barrel. This weight distribution helps to create a balanced swing while also empowering players to drive the ball for base hits.

“Given the opportunity, everyone should try out the 2024 Meta Fastpitch Bat to see if the sound and feel fits their swing,” Yim said.

SHOP 2024 META Fastpitch Bat

Originally Posted on Slugger.com

The Marucci gloves you love, in designs you can’t help but talk about.

He may be Marucci’s Fielding Glove Designer and Developer Eric Walbridge by day, but by night the creativity of Glove Cowboy knows no bounds. What started years ago as reinventing the Marucci glove lines has morphed into an after-hours, passion obsession-project, creating gloves the glove world hasn’t seen ... until now.

Intentionally uncomplicated, deliberately unrepeated, make-you-stop-and-stare [gloves].

The Marucci NightShift Collection aims to leave a mark on the glove scene, not just a mark in the leather. Familiar, but different. Accessible, but limited. 

“I’m a man of the people – I’m here to give them what they want: a Marucci glove + no rules. Okay, maybe that’s just what I want ... either way ... the NightShift is a relaxed approach to an uptight market. These are more than custom-colored gloves – these are untold stories, pop culture references and untethered inspiration distilled into the product I love. Oh, and they catch things!”

      – Eric Walbridge aka Glove Cowboy

“Designing gloves is my passion, but designing these gloves is an outlet, a duty, a compulsion I can’t not explore. The NightShift Collection is from me, to the world, after hours. Hours when I’m more creative. It knows no bounds and will completely change from one drop to the next. This glove might not be for you, but maybe the next one is. And in that case, we’ll see you next time.”

      – Eric Walbridge aka Glove Cowboy

Shop New Limited Edition Marucci NightShift Gloves

Learn about the design process behind the Louisville Slugger Atlas Baseball Bat.

Re-imagined for explosive performance, the Atlas BBCOR Baseball Bat from Louisville Slugger offers an expanded sweet spot and decreased vibration, game-altering characteristics in a one-piece alloy bat. To create the final Atlas BBCOR Bat, Louisville Slugger engineers developed an innovative bat design process – optimization through digital simulation.

BASEBALL BAT OPTIMIZATION THROUGH DIGITAL SIMULATION

The barrel profile and wall thickness of the Atlas Evoke Alloy Barrel was driven by thousands of computer simulations modeled  to mimic the BBCOR certification test. These simulations mirrored how different barrel profiles would perform in a true baseball environment, allowing engineers to test thousands of designs in a matter of weeks instead of years.

“We literally did thousands and thousands of design iterations using the computer to come up with the optimum performance profile for each bat length,” said Louisville Slugger Director of Engineering James Earley. “What this computer simulation did for us, is that it accurately mimics the BBCOR performance canon test.”

Through thousands of computer simulations, Louisville Slugger engineers can discover unexpected designs and reduce the bat design timeline. Engineers then build samples of the best designs for further real world testing.  

“It takes a week or two to get new samples rather than a month or two,” Earley said. “It’s like the design process on steroids.”

“It’s an intersection of really advanced computer modeling along with traditional playtesting,” said Louisville Slugger Product Manager Joe Cmelik.

Through traditional play testing, the Louisville Slugger research and development team further refined the thousands of digital designs into the final Atlas barrel profile – the Evoke Alloy Barrel with a massive sweet spot and peak alloy performance.

“We were able to manipulate the wall profile so that every spot on the barrel has great performance,” Earley said.

The optimized wall thickness across the barrel ensures Atlas delivers elite performance and solid feel, no matter where players hit the ball.

THE RESULTS – EXPANDED SWEET SPOT AND PEAK PERFORMANCE

Thousands of computer simulations identified the highest performing wall thickness in each spot along the Evoke Alloy Barrel. To create this optimal wall thickness and expand the barrel’s sweet spot, the production process uses automated lathes that are programmed to machine the barrel from the inside, resulting in an ideal barrel profile.

The final iteration of the Evoke Alloy Barrel offers a balanced swing weight while packing an enormous punch, ensuring all types of players can be a threat at the plate.

VIBRATION DAMPENING

Unlike other one-piece alloy designs, the Atlas BBCOR Bat includes technology to mitigate vibration and prevent players from getting rung up on a mis-hit. Located between the top of the handle and the base of the Evoke Alloy Barrel, a honeycomb-shaped Tuned Mass Damper absorbs vibration on contact.

As vibrations pass from the barrel to the handle, the Tuned Mass Damper prevents them from reaching a player’s hands. With this innovation, players get an unbelievable feel with every swing – no matter where they make contact.

A SPD™-GEN2 End Cap is the finishing touch on the Atlas, designed to complement the Evoke Alloy Barrel for unmatched performance and feel. The premium LS PRO Comfort Grip™ offers a perfect mix of tack and cushion, ensuring all players can take advantage of the balanced yet potent swing weight.