--- title: "2026 DeMarini The Goods vs Rawlings ICON BBCOR: Same Price, Wrong Comparison" description: "The Goods hits bombs. The ICON suits more players and lasts longer. We break down both and pick a winner. BBCOR, $349.95, same price, very different bats." url: https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/bbcor-bats/2026-demarini-the-goods-vs-rawlings-icon-bbcor/ date: 2026-04-22 modified: 2026-04-23 author: "Mike" image: https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/wp-content/uploads/2026-DeMarini-The-Goods-vs-Rawlings-ICON-BBCOR-1.webp categories: ["BBCOR Bats"] type: post lang: en --- # 2026 DeMarini The Goods vs Rawlings ICON BBCOR: Same Price, Wrong Comparison **The short version: these bats aren't really competing with each other.** One is a pure power weapon for strong hitters who barrel it up and hit bombs. The other is a two-piece composite built for contact and versatile hitters who want feel, feedback reduction, and a big sweet spot. The mistake most hitters make is shopping for "the better bat" when the real question is "which one is built for how I actually swing." That said, we have a pick. Our scores are based on 6 independently weighted criteria, including 20% durability, which most ratings ignore. Sub-criteria are scored first; the total is a result, not a target. No manufacturer relationships. No paid placements. (/how-we-test-bats/) ![2026 DeMarini The Goods vs Rawlings ICON BBCOR side by side comparison](https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/wp-content/uploads/2026-DeMarini-The-Goods-vs-Rawlings-ICON-BBCOR-1.webp) (#numbers) (#differences) (#performance) (#durability) (#routing) (#verdicts) (#pick) (#alts) (#faq) ## Side-by-Side: The Numbers | | 2026 DeMarini The Goods BBCOR | 2026 Rawlings ICON BBCOR | | --- | --- | --- | | Construction | Two-piece hybrid X14 alloy barrel + composite handle | Two-piece full composite | | Swing Weight | End-loaded | Slightly loaded / balanced | | Player Type | Power hitter | Contact / Versatile | | TNPM Score | 7.2 / 10 | 7.6 / 10 | | Performance | 8.3 | 8.2 | | Durability | ⚠️ 6.0 — Handle Watch | ✅ 7.5 — Clean | | Feel | 7.4 | 7.9 | | Value | 6.7 | 6.9 | | MSRP | $349.95 | $349.95 | [→ Full Goods Review](https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/bbcor-bats/2026-demarini-the-goods-review/) [→ Full ICON Review](https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/bbcor-bats/2026-rawlings-icon-review/) ## What's Actually Different? The construction gap is the whole story. The Goods runs an X14 alloy barrel, a stiff and dense alloy that pops hot out of the wrapper with zero break-in. The ICON uses an In/Tense Carbon Composite barrel that needs a few hundred swings before it fully opens up, but delivers a wider sweet spot and dramatically softer feel on contact. Swing weight is just as different. The Goods is end-loaded, so the mass sits toward the barrel end and amplifies power for hitters who can control it. The ICON is slightly loaded but plays close to balanced; the barrel profile is wide, which forgives mishits without punishing bat speed. These are opposite design philosophies at the same price point. ![2026 DeMarini The Goods vs Rawlings ICON BBCOR construction comparison — hybrid alloy barrel vs full composite](https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Goods-vs-ICON-BBCOR-Construction-Comparison-1.webp) ## Performance Compared Pop — Winner: The Goods The X14 alloy barrel is one of the hottest in BBCOR right now and in our testing, exit velos are consistently higher on solid contact. If you hit bombs with The Goods, you'll know it immediately. The ICON's composite barrel is excellent, especially once it's broken in, but it's not built to maximize raw exit velocity the way a dense alloy barrel is. Sweet Spot & Accuracy — Winner: ICON The two-piece composite construction absorbs energy across a wider barrel surface, meaning off-center contact stays on the field instead of dying to the warning track. The Goods rewards perfect contact and punishes mishits; the ICON forgives them. For contact hitters who spray the field, that gap matters more than a few miles per hour of peak exit velo. In-Hand Feel — Winner: ICON The composite-to-composite connection keeps vibration off your hands, even on mishits in cold weather. The Goods' stiff 3FX connection is by design for power transfer, but hand sting on a bad swing is real. Players who care about feel in-hand will feel the difference in their first cage session. ## The Durability Gap Nobody Talks About ⚠️ The Goods — Handle Watch (Durability: 6.0) We've been tracking handle stress at the connection point across multiple players who've run this bat through a full season, and it's the same failure mode that showed up in 2025. DeMarini says they've reinforced it for 2026, and we're watching. But a cross-season pattern is a design flag, not a fluke. ✅ ICON — Clean (Durability: 7.5) The ICON fixed its 2025 end cap issue with a real structural change and not a glue fix, and the word coming back to us from players in the field is clean so far. This is a genuine upgrade from the 2025 model. At identical $349.95 MSRP, a durability difference of 7.5 vs 6.0 with 20% weight in our scoring is significant. That's why our overall scores flip from what most ratings show: ICON 7.6, The Goods 7.2. Other ratings on these bats run higher for The Goods because they underweight durability. ## Which One's Your Bat? #### ⚡ Power hitters Who consistently barrel it up, have above-average bat speed, and want maximum exit velocity on solid contact. **The Goods is your bat.** The pop is real. Just register the warranty before your first swing and understand the durability trade-off at $349.95. #### 🎯 Contact hitters Who value sweet spot size, hand comfort, and durability over peak exit velocity. **The ICON is your bat.** It's not a pushover on pop, but it's built to keep the barrel alive through a full season and keep bad swings from stinging. #### 🔄 Versatile hitters Who aren't sure whether they're power or contact. **The ICON is the safer call.** The end-loaded swing weight on The Goods exposes inconsistency. The ICON's wider sweet spot rewards it. #### 🚫 Eyeing The Goods for the pop hype — but not a natural power hitter Stop. Wrong construction, wrong swing weight, wrong bat for your game. The (/best-bbcor-bats-power-hitters/) list has what you're actually looking for. ## One-Line Verdicts ### 2026 DeMarini The Goods 7.2 / 10 It hits bombs, but register the warranty before the first swing. (https://wilson.aqpq.net/gRo2ZB) (https://amzn.to/4swvKNA) ### 2026 Rawlings ICON 7.6 / 10 The fixed 2026 ICON is finally the bat it was supposed to be. (https://amzn.to/4crJ8xK) ## My Pick (Author's Take) In my opinion, the decision shouldn't just come down to what player type these bats are for. Instead it should come down to who gets more value for that money across the broadest range of players. My pick is the **2026 Rawlings ICON**. The durability gap alone justifies it. A 7.5 vs 6.0 difference with 20% weight in our scoring is significant, and a bat that cracks at the handle mid-season isn't worth $349. The ICON suits more player types, that is contact and versatile hitters and not just pure power, the end cap is genuinely fixed for 2026, and the feel in-hand is better at this price. The Goods is a better bat when it lasts, but that's a real caveat and not a minor asterisk. If you're a true power hitter who barrels it up every swing and can handle the durability risk, The Goods is worth considering. For everyone else, and for the best combination of performance, feel, and durability at this price, grab the ICON. ## Alternatives Worth Considering ### 2025 Marucci CatX2 Connect BBCOR 7.8 For Contact Hitters Two-Piece Composite If the ICON isn't your style, the CatX2 Connect is the closest match: two-piece composite, contact-routed, wide sweet spot, no hand sting. It scores above both bats in this comparison. Worth a look at clearance pricing now that 2026 models are out. (https://amzn.to/catx2connect) (/bbcor-bats/2025-marucci-catx2-connect-review/) ### 2025 DeMarini The Goods BBCOR 7.0 Budget Power Pick Identical Core Tech Same X14 alloy barrel and end-loaded profile as the 2026. Core performance is unchanged. If you're a power hitter who wants The Goods' pop at clearance pricing, the 2025 saves you real money. The same handle concern applies, so register that warranty either way. (https://wilson.aqpq.net/gRo2ZB) ## Frequently Asked Questions Is the 2026 DeMarini The Goods good for contact hitters? No. The Goods is an end-loaded hybrid built for power hitters with strong bat speed. The alloy barrel and end-loaded swing weight actively punish inconsistent contact. Contact hitters should look at two-piece composites like the 2026 Rawlings ICON instead. Which 2026 BBCOR bat hits harder, The Goods or the ICON? The Goods generates higher peak exit velocities on solid contact. The X14 alloy barrel is one of the hottest in BBCOR right now. But the ICON's wider sweet spot means more consistent contact overall. It depends on whether you prioritize peak power or consistent barrel performance. Is the 2026 Rawlings ICON durable? Yes. The 2026 ICON addressed the end cap issue that affected the 2025 model with a real structural fix. We're tracking it with players in the field and the word coming back is clean. It currently sits at 7.5 durability in our scoring. Do The Goods and the ICON suit the same player type? No, and that's the core point of this comparison. The Goods is built for power hitters. The ICON is built for contact and versatile hitters. If you're comparing them as "two great BBCOR bats," you're asking the wrong question. The right question is which player type you actually are. (https://amzn.to/4crJ8xK) (https://wilson.aqpq.net/gRo2ZB)