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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.
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.
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.
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| 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
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| 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| MOI | Tech | Drb | Flx | Prof | ReSl | PlaRa | ExVe | Relv | Dmnd |
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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.
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.
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.
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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