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By Bat Digest | Last Updated February 8, 2023
The 2022 Meta is an underrated bat in BBCOR and USSSA. It comes in a lot of sizes and our hitting team found it to perform as well as the CF–although the stiffer feel in the Meta didn’t get as good feedback.
Our hitters like the stiffer feel of the Meta when compared to other BBCOR and USSSA two-piece composites. The big barrel, great sound, and top-end performance make it a popular bat among our testers.
The bat isn’t cheap, and the mystique of the 2022 (and 2021) versions of the bats falls short of the 2019 and 2020 BBCOR, which were world-class. Overall, this is a better-received bat than the Slugger Prime series and in BBCOR the META is a real win. USSSA 2022 Meta versions fall behind the CF in terms of overall prowess, but we are fans nonetheless.
| 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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There are plenty of two-piece composite bats on the market that competes with the Meta. The big barrel and light swing in with a smooth smash made possible by the two-piece connection are bats like DeMarini’s CF and ZOA as well as Slugger’s Prime, Marucci’s CAT 9 Connect, Easton’s Hype and the Rawlings Quatro.
There are no changes between the BBCOR or USSSA versions of the 2022 Meta compared to 2021. It is, effectively, the same bat with different graphics along all its USSSA and BBCOR version.
The 2022 Louisville Slugger Meta comes in a normal version and, in BBCOR at least, a PWR version. The PWR version is the same as the BBCOR version of the bat but with added swing weight. Generally, expect the same “EKO” composite, “VCX2” connection piece, GT1 end cap, and balanced swing weight on the non-PWR vesions. Those features (and marketing names for bat pieces) have not changed from the 2021 version. Here is the marketing writeup of the bat:
Built for power, the 2022 Meta from Louisville Slugger is back for more. The game-changing EKO™ composite barrel delivers a sound unlike anything in the game, delivering the perfect balance of performance and feel. The three-piece construction is centered around our patented 3FX™ Connection System that gives you a stiff feel on contact that pairs perfectly with this bat’s monstrous sweet spot. We maximized the barrel length with the Premium GT1™ End Cap, putting the finishing touches on one of our highest-performing bats ever.
The overall rating uses seven different weighted metrics to determine our overall score. Half of total rating comes from the player and our exit speed tests (Player Rating: 25%, Performance: 25%).The other categories are Relevance (20%), Demand (10%), Durability (10%), Resell Score (5%), and Tech Specs (5%).
*: When a bat is denoted by a star (*) it is a preliminary rating. Expect it to be updated as we learn more about the bat and gather more data.
(PlaRa) Player Rating: We measure player rating from user reviews. Those users include our own hitters that we test at the lab as well as reviews we find online.
(ExVe) Performance: Performance measures the exit speeds and distances we capture in our hitting lab with HitTrax using these bats.
(Relv) Relevance: We measure the number of sizes and the MOI of the bat. Bats with a wider range of options get a better score.
(Dmnd) Demand: Demand is measured by consumer sentiment and the buzz around the bat.
(Drb) Durability: A bat’s durability is measured by user reviews as well as feedback from manufacturers.
(ReSl) Resell Score: Based on the price the bats go for used. Higher prices mean greater user demand which means, generally, a better bat. A resell value closer to its original price means a higher score.
(Tech) Tech Specs: We rate the bat on its technological advancements from previous years and compared to the industry at large. This is our chance to reward companies who are trying to innovate.
MOI
MOI or Mass Moment of Inertia is a measurement of bat swing weight. This quantifies how difficult it is to swing a bat. The industry often refers to this as things like End Load or Balanced but those words have been overused to the point of meaninglessness. We measure the actual swing weights of each bat we test using the industry-standard pendulum period, balance point, and scale weight. You can read more about that here.
Price
The price is the original MSRP price of the bat.
Type
The types of bats are single-piece alloy (SPA), two-piece composite (TPC), single-piece composite (SPC), hybrid (Hyb.), and wood (Wood). Hybrid bats are made of composite handles and alloy barrles.
Date
The estimated date the bat began distribution.
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