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2018 Rawlings Quatro BBCOR Bat Review

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2018 Rawlings Quatro BBCOR Bat Review

Price: BBCOR $400, USA (-10) $300

The 2018 Quatro is the only composite bat in this year’s Rawlings lineup. It’s an ultra-balanced four-piece bat that boasts a meaty barrel and little to no vibration on mishits.

The Look

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The 2017 Quatro earned the nickname “The Glowstick” for its full neon yellow paint job. This year’s 2018 Quatro kept the neon but toned it down a little bit.

The handle is entirely black with the exception of the neon accents on the grip.

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The barrel is mostly neon but also includes silver and black. The paint has a little shine to it, but isn’t glossy. Most of the silver lines are slightly raised and provide a little texture. The barrel also features Rawlings’ Tru-View Technology, which reveals a section of the unfinished black composite underneath the paint. It doesn’t add anything in terms of performance, but it’s kind of cool to see the actual material the bat is made of.

The new lightweight end cap looks pretty awesome too.

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I prefer this look compared to last year’s model. The black makes the bat look more powerful and ties it all together.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Knob/Handle/Grip

The handle is extremely thin and has a very slight taper into the knob. The grip is phenomenal and can be found on all Rawlings bats. It provides grip points in the form of an indented repeating pattern of ‘P’ shapes. These indentations allow your hands to dig into the grip and give you great control.

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The knob is a traditional shape and is narrower than most competitors. We liked this feature because a lot of hitters prefer to grip the bat as far down on the handle as they can, sometimes even gripping the knob itself. Generally speaking, the more your bottom hand rubs against the knob, the more prone to injury it is. This narrower knob minimizes contact with your bottom hand, and helps to protect it from injury.

Feel/Swing Weight

The Quatro is a balanced bat with one of the lowest swing weights out there. Rawlings added a lighter endcap to this year’s model, but it isn’t noticeably different because the Quatro is such a light bat to begin with. This lightness paired with a long, meaty barrel makes this bat very attractive for a lot of hitters. The barrel is longer than any other BBCOR we tested, keeping a 2 ⅝” diameter nearly 9” from the endcap. The next closest was the Adidas Aeroburner Comp, which was nearly a quarter-inch shorter. There are a lot of big barreled bats with low swing weights on the market, and the Quatro is near the top in both categories.

Performance

The 2018 Quatro performed incredibly in testing. Even though the composite hadn’t been fully broken in, the ball came off the barrel at a good velocity. The bat feels extremely “whippy” during the swing and very soft at contact. This softness is caused by the whip during the swing in addition to the softer composite providing the ‘trampoline effect’ on the ball. While a lot of bats rely on their two-piece construction to kill vibration, the Quatro went a step further and added a silicone infused collar at the connection between the handle and barrel. This gives the Quatro an oh-so-smooth feel with basically no vibration. Because of that, the bat is ideal for players who have hit with composites their entire life and hate excessive hand vibration on mishits. In terms of sound, the bat was surprisingly “ping-ey” for a two-piece composite with heavy vibration dampening.

The one knock against the Quatro is its durability. Because it’s a four piece bat, it is very prone to breakage inside the barrel. I know six players who swing a Quatro on a consistent basis, and they have broken five of them combined. On the plus side,they have zero complaints about the bat’s performance when it’s intact and Rawlings has replaced every single one they’ve broken.

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Conclusion

The Quatro offers one of the largest barrels out there with a very light swing weight. While its durability is a concern, Rawlings has proven they won’t hesitate to replace your bat. It should definitely be in consideration for hitters who want the light, soft feel of a two-piece composite. 

Get it at JustBats.com.

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