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<< Baseball Reviews

2022 Louisville Slugger Solo Review

By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022




The 2022 Louisville Slugger Solo is a single-piece bat with a light swing and reasonably sized barrel. It’s available in BBCOR, USA drop 11 and in USSSA in a drop 10, 8, and 5 and a JBB version. The original Solo (called the 617 Solo) in BBCOR hit the shelves for the 2017 season, while the USSSA and USA versions followed in 2018. The most popular and best-reviewed of the bunch is the drop 11 USA Solo, which serves the entry-level hitter that needs a light bat and can perform at the limit. The USSSA bat appeals to the smaller player who wants more bat speed than feel. The BBCOR 2022 Solo fits the smaller high school player who wants a stiff bat and needs a light swing.


Price Check

2022 Louisville Slugger Models


Our hitters like the nice grip, barrel size and light swing of the 2022 Louisville Slugger Solo. Although the USSSA version doesn’t get as much slobber, the BBCOR version for a smaller hitter is a homerun. USA in a drop 11 is a really, really good fit for the entry level player looking for a legit chance to make some noise given his strength limitations.

BBCOR
Buy It Amazon JustBats DSG Sideline
…/10
USA –11
Buy It Amazon JustBats DSG Sideline
…/10
USSSA –10
Amazon JustBats DSG Sideline
…/10
USSSA –8
Amazon JustBats DSG Sideline
…/10
USSSA –10
Amazon JustBats DSG Sideline
…/10
USSSA –5
Amazon JustBats DSG Sideline
…/10

General Recomendations

The 2022 Slugger Solo is for the smaller kid who wants a light swing and stiff-feeling bat. In BBCOR, those considering a Voodoo One or a more popular bat will do well with the Solo as an under-the-radar pick. The bat is a great value buy in USA leagues and consistently ranks as one of our favorite ‘for your money buys. USSSA bats swing light and don’t get great feedback compared to the two-piece composites that dominate the space, but they can be good picks for the entry-level travel player looking for a good performing bat with a light swing.

There are no changes, other than the graphics, between the 2022 and 2021 Solo lines. However, the drop 11 USA was not produced for 2021. Curse you COVID.

Model Recommendations

WTLBBS622B3

BBCOR Review

Solo BBCOR Ratings (key)
2 3 4 4 2 3 4 5 5 4
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd
…
OVERALL/10

Price It

Slugger Amazon SidelineSwap JustBats
The 2022 Louisville Slugger Solo in BBCOR is a single piece bat with a light swing and reasonably sized barrel. We think it feels and performs much like the 2022 Voodoo One which gets, for any number of hype level reason, way more pub in the social fear. It sounds duller than the Voodoo One, but it definitely hits the ball just as hard. The Solo in BBCOR hasn't changed much since its release in 2016/17, but it still packs a punch and is a great fit for the kid for one of the lightesting swinging single piece alloy bats on the market.
Sizing: 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34-inch
Release Date: October 27, 2021
Serial: WTLBBS622B3
Bat Type: Single Piece Alloy
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
WBL2537010

USA Drop 11 Review

Solo USA Drop 11 Ratings (key)
2 3 4 4 2 3 5 4 5 5
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd
…
OVERALL/10

Price It

Louisville Slugger Amazon SidelineSwap JustBats
The Solo in USA drop 10 for 2022 is a legit bat with a good-sized barrel that has been a fan favorite since USA's inception in 2018. The bat is light, has a less unreasonable price point, and comes in a huge swath of sizes to fit just about player. Performance-wise it does really well and clearly meets the USA standard. We don't think anyone will be writing home to grandma about the SOLO in USA for 2022 (it hasn't changed from 2021), but we do think you'll get a quality bat for reasonable price that will last and work well.
Sizing: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32-inch
Release Date: October 27, 2021
Serial: WBL2537010
Bat Type: Single Piece Alloy
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
WTLSLS6X1022

USSSA Drop 10 Review

Solo USSSA Drop 10 Ratings (key)
2 3 4 4 2 3 3 4 5 3
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd
…
OVERALL/10

Price It

Amazon SidelineSwap JustBats
The Drop 10 Solo is our highest-rated USSSA SOLO bat mainly due to its versatility. The bat comes in a huge range of sizes (26 through 31) and with a light swing weight and has a fit for basically any 7 through 11-year-old. The bat also performs admirably. Granted, most serious players like the feel of more expensive two-piece composites and, as such, tend to swing harder and with a bit more consistency. But, the right hitter---especially that entry-level comp and travel player looking for as much bat speed as possible that also doesn't want to break the bank.
Sizing: 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31-inch
Release Date: October 27, 2021
Serial: WTLSLS6X1022
Bat Type: Single Piece Alloy
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
WTLSLS6X0822

USSSA Drop 8 Review

Solo USSSA Drop 8 Ratings (key)
2 3 4 4 2 3 3 4 4 3
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd
…
OVERALL/10

Price It

Amazon SidelineSwap JustBats
The drop 8 Solo for 2022 is where it's at. If we had to choose a drop 8 but wanted to stay away from the two piece composite space in USSSA (not sure we'd ever want to, but go with us for a second) then we'd look for a bat with a lot of good historical feedback in a drop 8. The SOLO would fit that bill early and often. It's real competitors, if this is the space you're in, are the Vandal and the ALX. We'd give the edge to the Vandal, but the ALX and Solo are right there. We'd guess most cant tell a difference.
Sizing: 29, 30, 31, 32-inch
Release Date: October 27, 2021
Serial: WTLSLS6X0822
Bat Type: Single Piece Alloy
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
WBL2535010

USSSA Drop 10 Review

Solo JBB USSSA Drop 10 Ratings (key)
2 3 4 4 2 3 3 4 4 3
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd
…
OVERALL/10

Price It

Amazon SidelineSwap JustBats
The 2022 Solo also comes in a JBB or Junior Big Barrel version. In effect, this bat is made for coach pitch leagues in ages from 5 to 8. The bat is not rated for higher pitch speeds, which is why it is less expensive than the drop USSSA version of the bat. It could also work perfectly fine for that new t ball player just getting a feel for the game.
Sizing: 25, 26, 27, 28-inch
Release Date: October 27, 2021
Serial: WBL2535010
Bat Type: Single Piece Alloy
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
WTLSLS6B0522

USSSA Drop 5 Review

Solo USSSA Drop 5 Ratings (key)
2 3 4 4 2 3 3 4 3 3
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd
…
OVERALL/10

Price It

Amazon SidelineSwap JustBats
If you're a big hitter looking for the most a Slugger Solo can deliver than this bat should be on the short list. It's an endloaded single piece alloy with a massive drop 5 feel. The bat is stiff and packs a serious punch if you can square one up. However, this bat is not for the faint of heart. We thing the drop 8 or drop 10 are much more fitting than this bat, especially for the younger player looking for as much bat speed as they can muster. If you want a light swinging drop check out a bat like the Rawlings VELO. But, if you want big stiffness on a good bat, then the SOLO is your daddy.
Sizing: 30, 31, 32-inch
Release Date: October 27, 2021
Serial: WTLSLS6B0522
Bat Type: Single Piece Alloy
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
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Comparable Bats

There are very many single-piece alloy bats with a built-in light swing that compete well with the 2022 Louisville Slugger Solo.

Previous Models

There are no structural changes between the 2021 and 2022 Louisville Slugger Solo bats. The graphics are updated. But, note, for 2021 Slugger did not release a USA bat in the Solo drop 11. Instead, they continued to sell the 2020 version of the drop 11 through 2021. For 2022, there is a “new” (although unchanged) 2022 Slugger Solo USA drop 11.

Construction

  • SL Hyper™ Superlight AlloyIncredibly light-swinging and features a thinner wall design for improved performance
  • SPD™ Composite End Capreduces weight toward the end of the bat, allowing for increased swing speed.
  • Premium LS Pro Comfort Grip™Designed to give players added tack and cushion to improve feel and bat control through the zone
  • One-Piece ConstructionFor stiffer feel on contact and elite energy transfer
  • Ultra-Balanced Swing WeightExtremely light-swinging, for ultimate combination of speed and power

Marketing Writeup

Built for speed, 2022 Solo USSSA Baseball Bat from Louisville Slugger delivers maximum barrel control for young travel ballplayers. Contact hitters everywhere keep coming back to this bat for its easy-swinging profile, ultra-balanced swing weight, and great pop on contact. The premium SL Hyper™ alloy design offers a superlight swing to maximize barrel control, and the one-piece construction creates a stiff feel on contact. The lightweight SPD™ Composite End Cap pairs with the barrel’s thinner wall design to give young players a massive sweet spot and maximum plate coverage.

Overall Ratings

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.

Download our data.