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By Bat Digest | Last Updated November 17, 2022
We’ve hit with the 2021 Louisville Slugger Meta over 1,000 times. Compared to the 2020 version, there are very few changes. However, the sound of the bat, due to a new end cap, as well as a minor barrel restructuring gives it a different sound. No bat is anticipated, much like the 2021 Louisville Slugger Meta.
Expect a USSSA meta in a drop 10, 8, and 5 in October of 2020.
In June of 2020, Slugger releases the 33″ version of the 2021 Meta. This is mainly meant to replace the 2020 33″ which was made illegal. Expect to see the remaining sizes of the Meta in October, when Slugger releases the bulk of their BBCOR bats. You can check Slugger’s 2021 Meta page here for available sizing.
We’ve yet to speak to a high school ballplayer who didn’t love the Meta. Now, they may have liked something a bit better—like The Goods or the value buy like the Omaha. But, every player who swings the Meta loves it for its big barrel, balanced swing, and huge sweet spot. For three years running the bat has dominated best BBCOR bats lists for a reason. Of the few complaints, the largest is that it isn’t cheap and doesn’t come in non-BBCOR styles. As well, it is a light swinging bat so very much not made for big-time hitters. The Meta is the ideal bat for the average to above-average High School ballplayer.
We’d recommend the 2021 Meta to those who like a balanced swing and want the biggest barrel in the game. It also has a slightly stiff feel when compared to other two-piece composites (namely the Rawlings Quatro and CF). This more rigid feel, we think, is what sets it apart from other two-piece bats and gives it that extra pop at the plate.
If budget is no issue, you are an average to an above-average base-hitter type, and you’re looking for a new BBCOR bat you really can’t go wrong with the 2021 Meta. Of course, if you’re going to spend that much money, we suggest you make sure you buy from a certified vendor so that the warranty is intact for the full year.
| 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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| 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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In the BBCOR space, there are plenty of two-piece composite bats. However, few have come close to matching the hype surrounding the Meta. Our favorite two-piece composite bat for 2020 not named the Meta is Easton’s ADV 360. The ADV tends to a little stiffer connection like the Meta, while bats like the 2020 Quatro and CF have so much given it’s hard to generate the type of power you’d expect.
To make sure the 2021 Meta passed the ABI test that the 2020 Meta failed mid-season, Slugger redesigned the sleeve inside of the bat. Now, instead of a single sleeve, they split it into two smaller ones. These sleeves, we were told, are not performance governors. The 2021 Meta got the same exit velocity scores as the 2020 Meta in testing. Instead, it helps the 2021 Meta pass the ABI test (accelerated break-in test), which is where the 2020 version failed. In short, the ABI test measures if a composite bat will break before it exceeds the limit (it should break). The division of the single sleeve into two smaller ones solved the ABI test issue.
That said, the two sleeves also added more weight to the bat. But, to keep it within a similar swing weight, the 2021 Meta has a redesigned end cap. This new GT1 is the lightest end cap Slugger has ever put in a BBCOR bat.
We measured the swing weight of the ’20 and ’21 Meta in a 33″. We found the ’21 version to be 2% heavier. However, 2% is within the margin of error and manufacturer tolerance. Most cannot feel the difference between bats with a less than 5% swing weight. In other words, the difference between the 2021 and 2020 Meta swing weight is all but nothing.
The 2021 version updates to a lighter end cap and changes the sleeving inside the bat. Instead of one sleeve, it uses two smaller ones to pass the ABI test (which got it in illegal territory for during 2020). The double sleeves instead of the one single larger sleeve are on every size (31 through 34-inch) of the 2021 Meta.
The bat uses the same EKO Composite barrel material and 3FX Connection piece found since the 2018 version.
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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