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2021 Louisville Slugger LXT Review

By Bat Digest | Last Updated June 14, 2022


The Louisville Slugger LXT 2021 is a two-piece composite bat with a big barrel and top-grade performance reviews. The fastpitch bat has dominated the space and, for 2021, comes in a drop 8 through drop 11. They upgraded the 2021 end cap as well as a new grip. Otherwise, it’s about the same bat—which is an excellent thing.


Price Check


2021 LXT Video

2021 LXT Video

2021 LXT Models


Our hitters like the semi-flexible handle, big barrel, and top-end performance. Although slappers could use it, it’s much more a middle power and base hitters bat. They thought the Slugger LXT for 2021 swung heavier than a bat like the CF but noticeably lighter than a bat like the Easton Ghost Advanced.

Fastpitch –8
Fastpitch –9
Fastpitch –10
Fastpitch –11

General Recomendations

The Louisville Slugger LXT 2021 is for middle power and base hitters types at all sport levels. The drop 8 and 9 serve the big-hitting high school and collegiate players well. The drop 10 and 11 are made for those who still need bat speed help but want at least a bit of gumption in their bats. Exit speeds are as good as they can get in the 1.20 ASA fastpitch approved bat world. Expect to get and pay the most for the 2021 LXT.

Model Recommendations

WBL2454010

Fastpitch Drop 8 Review

LXT Fastpitch Drop 8 Ratings (key)
2 4 4 2 4 4 4 5 3 5
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd

OVERALL/10
The Louisville Slugger LXT 2021 drop 8 is a two-piece composite bat built on a long tradition of fantastic and highly reviewed LXT bats. This year's version updates the endcap and grip but has that same big barrel and semi-flexible feel on hits. The drop 8 is made for big hitters and swings about 20% heavier than the drop 10 in a similar lenght.
Sizing: 33, 34-inch
Release Date: September 15, 2020
Serial: WBL2454010
Bat Type: Two Piece Composite
Barrel Size: 2 1/4
2021 DeMarini FNX
WBL2453010

Fastpitch Drop 9 Review

LXT Fastpitch Drop 9 Ratings (key)
2 4 4 2 4 4 4 5 4 5
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd

OVERALL/10
Slugger's LXT in a drop 9 for 2021 is a two-piece composite bat with a balanced swing. They changed up the end cap and a new grip when compared to the 2020. But, all in all, its the same big barrel, semi-flexible conenction piece on a light swinging two piece composite. It's one of the, if not THE, most popular fastpitch bat on the market.
Sizing: 32, 33, 34-inch
Release Date: September 15, 2020
Serial: WBL2453010
Bat Type: Two Piece Composite
Barrel Size: 2 1/4
WBL2452010

Fastpitch Drop 10 Review

LXT Fastpitch Drop 10 Ratings (key)
2 4 4 2 4 5 5 5 5 5
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd

OVERALL/10
The Drop 10 Louisville Slugger LXT for 2021 is the most popular version of the bat. It uses the same length barrel, balanced swing, and semi-flexible feel many are accustomed to. The 2021 LXT is a two-piece composite bat.
Sizing: 30, 31, 32, 33, 34-inch
Release Date: September 15, 2020
Serial: WBL2452010
Bat Type: Two Piece Composite
Barrel Size: 2 1/4
WBL2451010

Fastpitch Drop 11 Review

LXT Fastpitch Drop 11 Ratings (key)
2 4 4 2 4 4 5 5 5 5
MOI Tech Drb Flx Prof ReSl PlaRa ExVe Relv Dmnd

OVERALL/10
The drop 11 2021 Louisville Slugger LXT is a two-piece bat with a big barrel. Surprisingly, unlike the other drops of the 2021 LXT, the drop 11 swung heavier than other drop 11 fastpitch bats for 2021. It is a good 15% heavier swinging than a bat like the CF and, oddly enough, not very much lighter than the drop 10 as we measured. Both are within 2% of each other.
Sizing: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33-inch
Release Date: September 15, 2020
Serial: WBL2451010
Bat Type: Two Piece Composite
Barrel Size: 2 1/4

Comparable Bats

As we see it, every bat once to be like the LXT. It has dominated the two-piece composite bat for so long that it feels like every other bat is just trying to be like it. That includes bats like DeMarini’s CF, Easton’s Ghost Advanced (although end-loaded), Marucci’s Echo, Mizuno’s Power Carbon 2, and so on. The difference between fastpitch bats is slim, but the LXT still leads the pack.

Previous Models

Compared to the 2020 LXT, the LXT for 2021 has a different end cap and a new stock grip. Both marginal changes didn’t affect our player’s sense of the bat’s feel or performance. It is still a semi-stiff two-piece composite bat with a big barrel and balanced swing.

At least at the time of this writing, there will not be a drop 12 LXT for 2021. The 2020 version did come in a drop 12 but, maybe due to COVID and the lack of demand for sporting goods in general, the Slugger LXT for 2021 is only a drop 8 through drop 11.

Construction

Louisville Sluggers LXT 2021 is a two-piece composite bat with a long barrel and a generally balanced swing. The drop 11 doesn’t swing as light as you might expect, but the drop 8, 9, and 10 all swing with 5% of the average of fastpitch bats in their given length and drop class.

There is plenty of marketing jargon used to describe the LXT for 2021 (as there is for every bat on the planet). Here is what Slugger uses on the 2021: PBF technology (meaning a disc inside the barrel), VCX2 connective piece (which is an elastic plastic-type piece that goes between the handle and barrel to make it feel better on hits), the COPA end cap (an endcap), and an LS Comfort Grip because, apparently, they didn’t want to pay for the rights to stock it with Lizard Skin as they have in years past.

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.