We used our Rapsodo exit velocities to get a feel for how the Easton Ghost X compares to the Rawlings Quatro in the USABat versions. This comparison of the 31-inch drop 10 bats found a slight but not significant advantage for the Ghost X. Below, we explain several caveats to the data and the overall data charts we developed within the Rapsodo software to create legitimate scatter charts.

Also, you may want to read our barrel size comparisons on the Ghost and Quatro. You can find all those bat barrel-size rankings here.

Hitting Chart Data Ghost X vs Quatro

We set up our 2018 Easton Ghost X vs. Rawlings Quatro test data in an outdoor batting cage. The pitching machine was 50 feet away from the plate, and we used practice balls thrown at 55 miles per hour out of the machine. After 5 solid hits, we rotated between each bat with the same hitter until we reached 30 hits from each bat.

Read: A Vitally Important Note on Exit Speed Data

We hesitate to post-exit speed data because they are so easily misinterpreted. If we are going to pretend to be data scientists, let us first start with an honest assessment of what the data is telling us—not sweeping indictments of what it is not.

Important Notes:

1. Radar guns, even the very best, have a consistent plus or minus (+/-) error reading of no less than 1 mph. Although we have confidence in the Rapsodo machine, we do not think it any better than the best radar guns. That variation in the reading ultimately affects our confidence intervals in the data. It is impossible to tell what +/- error in Rapsodo ball flight is. We are hopeful it is narrow, but even a narrow one affects the confidence in our results.
2. Although we are trying our best to isolate bat performance, there are still many variables we are not controlling for in this ball exit speed test. Here are no less than some of them: natural changes in different baseballs of the same brand and make; the humidity; the fact impact speeds range dramatically in real life, yet we isolate the data around a single pitch and swing speed; player confidence in a certain feel and grip varies widely, yet we only use one hitter per bat to control for swing speed.
3. Total ball flight is a function of exit speeds, and launch angle is a function of hitting mechanics. Therefore, using the average total distance for one bat over another may be more a commentary on the hitter with that particular bat than on the barrel’s performance. We shy away from making too much of total distance, although that is what people tend to think is the most useful.

Easton Ghost X Exit Speeds

The Ghost X’s max exit speed for our particular hitter, ball type, and pitch speed was 67.0 mph.

Rawlings Quatro Exit Speeds

The max exit speed on the Rawlings Quatro for our particular hitter, ball type and pitch speed was 66.2 mph.

Easton Ghost X Spray Chart

The longest shot on the Ghost X was 208 feet as measured by the Rapsodo hitting device.

Rawlings Quatro Spray Chart

The longest shot on the Rawlings Quatro was 209 feet.

Conclusions

The conclusions we can draw from this analysis of the 2018 Easton Ghost X vs. Rawlings Quatro are straightforward. The two bats perform very close to identically for this hitter with this size bat in these circumstances, with a slight edge to the Ghost in terms of total ball exit speed. Whether the data here is significant is beyond our ability to tell without knowing how accurate the Rapsodo device is.

We think the hitter’s commentary in the video—that they preferred the feel of the Ghost a slight bit better on mishits—is also useful. But, in the end, that is simply subjective data.

In the end, we cannot conclude anything but that the bats are similar. We like how the Ghost has a bigger barrel and comes in more sizes than the Quatro. We also like the feel of mishits a little better. Add in the fact that it did improve upon exit speed—although likely not significantly—and we at least have a feel for which way to go. But your money is not ours, and we’ll leave that decision up to you.

USABat Comparisons

We fully expect the USABat versions of the Ghost and Quatro to compete for head to head-for the best spot in the USABat realm. It would be unfair to make sweeping generalizations about the different lengths of Ghost X and Quatro USAbat bats. That is, does the 32-inch Ghost X match up similarly to the Quatro in a 32-inch? We would hope the 31-inch is indicative of the other’s performances, but we won’t know for sure until we have captured the data.

BBCOR Bat Comparisons

We can say virtually nothing compared to this bat battle compared to the BBCOR versions of the same brand. How does the BBCOR Rawlings Quatro compare to the BBCOR Easton Ghost X? This comparison sheds no light on that question.

Big Barrel Bat Comparisons

As with the BBCOR versions of this bat, we can say virtually nothing about how this data translates to the Big Barrel versions of this Quatro and Ghost X. Until we gather the data, you’ll simply be left to gain some insight from our reviews and barrel sizes.