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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
After hitting with the 919 Prime from Slugger in four games and several hundred hits in the cage, among a few different players, this is our 2019 Louisville Slugger 919 Prime Review. Generally, the bat feels much like it did last year.
The two-piece composite with a smooth connection makes for a great feel on hits and mishits. We’d recommend it for hitters who want a bat with a balanced to light swing weight, a great feel on hits and mishits, as well as a smooth connection.
2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
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4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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The two peice composite bat space is no stranger to competition. Every serious bat company seems to make a really good one in this space. In terms of a similar swing weight and feel on contact look for the 2019 CF Zen and the 2019 Rawlings Quatro Pro. Each of those bats, like the 919, come in a number of sizes and leagues.
If you want to be crazy then Slugger sure would like to see you consider their Meta 9 Prime. New for 2019 this is the flagship bat of Slugger’s bat offering. It has some serious upgrades from the 919 Prime and worth a look. If you can believe it, it also costs more.
There are a few fundamental changes to the 2019 Prime when compared to the 2018 Prime.
The 919 Prime from Slugger is a two piece composite bat. Meaning, the bat’s barrel and handle are constructed separate and then put together post production. How a bat connects its handle to its barrel considerable affects its performance and feel. Slugger’s connection is know for a real great feel on both good and bad hits. It is not a terribly stiff connection. Which, of course, has its downsides too in that you might loose some power on off-center hits.
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.