Rawlings Clout AI 2026 (BBCOR) Review: Bat Lab Performance Testing + Ratings

The light design of the Clout AI made contact very easy. However not every hitter was satisfied with the quality of contact achieved on a consistent basis, earning this bat a 3.2/5 on contact.

The design had players divided as well at 3.1/5. Some loved the neon yellow color with the chrome/teal lettering, while others felt it was too flashy and “toy-like”. The knob shape was odd and the grip was skinny, explaining how it feels light in the hands and why the contact hitters were drawn to it.

As seen with the pop rating, the Clout AI is not designed for power, but can still bring the boom. Scoring a 3/5 on the sweet spot, the hitters felt contact was easy, but achieving optimized power required a precise swing.

The players gave Clout AI a 3.7/5 on balance, the highest it ranked on any player metric. Some loved the light feel that allowed for a fast swing, while others felt it was too light and did not offer enough resistance.

The Clout AI is a true contact bat, but it can still provide some pop. With a 3.3/5, It was not launching home runs with every swing, but could still drive the ball when squared up.

Scoring a 3.6/5 on control, this contact friendly bat earned high praise for how responsive it was during the swing. Contact hitters felt like they could direct the bat with ease and precision.

The Clout AI averaged 95.07 mph in exit velocity, with a top speed of 107.84 mph. Against the player baseline, it was nearly neutral at -0.1 mph, or -0.1%. The bat held its own in exit velocity but did not create a meaningful boost.

The tradeoffs of a lightweight contact bat can be seen in the distance. Average distance came in at 313.10 ft, with a respectable top drive of 419.9 ft. The bat finished 5.6ft below baseline, a 1.7% decline. This is not a bat meant to add distance to your swing, but on good contact it can still hit the ball far.

Sweet spot rate was the strongest part of the Clout AI’s profile. The bat averaged 53.7% and finished +1.06% above baseline. Because contact was easier with this bat, a higher percentage of balls were hit with a high launch angle. Even though this bat is not built for power, it can drive the ball well when good contact is made.

The Clout AI produced a 62.3% hard hit rate, with a slight decrease of -0.38% compared to the baseline. A lighter bat such as the Clout AI will generate less exit velocity. This is not a reflection of the bats contact capabilities, but a tradeoff for the lightweight design hitting the ball with slightly less force.

Consistent contact does not always equate to hard contact. Barreled rate was the biggest weakness in this test. The bat averaged 12.4%, decreasing by -6.64% below baseline. The data shows a bat that can generate contact- line drives and hard grounders- with ease, but will drive the ball hard and high less consistently.

The Clout AI averaged 75.2 mph in bat speed, with a top speed of 87.2 mph. Against the baseline, it showed an increase of +0.8 mph, or +1.1%. Players were able to move the bat through the zone faster, resulting in quick and sharp contact.

Peak hand speed averaged 21.7 mph, with a best mark of 25.3 mph. The bat finished slightly below baseline at -0.1 mph, or -0.6%. The light feel of the bat does not require the arms to put in more effort on the swing, encouraging a relaxed approach at the plate.

Time to contact averaged 0.142 seconds, with a best mark of 0.120 seconds. The bat improved slightly against baseline at -0.001 seconds, or -0.5%. The Clout AI could move through the zone quickly, allowing for hitters to make adjustments and hit the ball where it's pitched.