Disclaimer: This site uses affiliate links. Learn More.
By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
Louisville Slugger’s 2021 Meta PWR is a two-piece hybrid bat with an end-load. The bat replaces the 2020 bat with the same name and is only changed by the colorway from blue to red. Our bigger hitters like heavier bats with an aluminum barrel and a stiffer feel. The Select PWR checks those boxes. Players looking for something like The Goods but aren’t interested in that will find solace because many college players swing the Select.
Our hitters like the end-loaded barrel, stiffer connection, and aluminum barrel of the 2021 Select PWR. Bigger hitters preferred the bat, where our average to light swinging kinds preferred bats like the META or Rawlings Quatro.
We recommend the 2021 Louisville Slugger Select PWR to big hitters who want an aluminum barrel on a two-piece bat. The bat has not changed from the 2020 version so, unless you’re in love with the red colorway, we suggest you go with the 2020 if you can find it with a warranty from a legit seller. The 2020 version also has good ratings on its durability. So, buying this bat used is a go if you can find it for the right price. We’d put a used strike price (no warranty and a season of use) in the $145 and under range.
5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
---|
The most comparable bat is DeMarini’s The Goods. Another similar bat is the Victus Nox although the Nox does swing lighter than either The Goods or the Select PWR.
There are no differences between the 2020 Select PWR and the 2021 Select PWR. The 2021 is a reprint with a different color.
There is no shame in that. Bat companies do this all the time.
The 2021 Louisville Slugger Select PWR has an alloy barrel and a composite handle with a Slugger-specific grip. Slugger refers to this alloy barrel as the EXD with the idea that it extends the length of the barrel’s sweet spot. The end cap is named the PWR End Cap that is unique to the Select PWR in Slugger’s BBCOR lineup. The balance of the bat is towards the endcap and it does swing heavy—but not crazy heavy.
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.