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By Bat Digest | Last Updated June 14, 2022
Although the 2020 Slugger Xeno is a twin of the 2019 version we still think it one of the best fastpitch bats. We almost get the feel the bat is trying to be phased out—as the price difference between the LXT and without any upgrades. But, in our universe, the Xeno still delivers as much quality, value and performance as any fastpitch bat on the 2020 market.
It is a stiff bat. You won’t get a ton of give like you might find in the 2020 LXT or 2020 Easton Ghost. But, that stiffness is directly correlated with power. And our hitters notice it evertime they swing the Xeno. It also didn’t have a drop 12 version so our youngest player preferred the lighter swing of the drop 12 LXT. Otherwise, our high school players liked the Xeno more than any bat.
If you prefer a stiffer connection in your fastpitch bat (like the LXT, Zen, Carbon, Ghost have too much give) then the Xeno will be your money maker. If you want a value bat in the performance space than this is it. It runs $50 than other top end bats and we’d put the 2020 Xeno up against anything on the market.
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| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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There are so many light swinging two piece composite fastpitch bats they are hard to keep track of. But, Xeno’s ultra stiff connection makes it unique in that sense.
If you are up for a two piece composite bat in the fastpitch space look for Mizuno’s Carbon, Easton’s Ghost Double Barrel and DeMarini’s CF Zen. Of course, if you want to stay in the same brand, the Slugger’s LXT is the most popular bat out there and comes in a drop 12.
Aside from the paintjob, we can not find any differences between the 2019 and 2020 Xeno. But, if you found a deal on the 2019 version of the bat when compared to the 2020 we’d lean towards the 2019.
Pretty standard stuff for 2020 Louisville Slugger Xeno. Expect the same stiff technology, standard LS Grip and lightweight end cap as the 2019 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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