We now turn our attention to Slugger's one piece composite, their only carry over from years past for the 2015 line, the 2015 Catalyst.
Models Overview
The Catalyst name has been used by Slugger in at least the last four years. Its genesis, as far as the Internets could tell us, was the one piece Louisville Slugger TPX Catalyst released in 2011. In 2012 the bat was released with a color up and hasn't looked back.
Construction & Technology
This bat is a full composite and will require several hits to break in. Manufacturers usually suggest 50 hits spread evenly across the barrel. We've found that those 50 hits need to be done by an adult as the power generated in a 9 year old just can't hack it hard enough to get worked in. Quite often, we've also found, that 200 hits is more like it.
We've hit with the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Slugger Catalyst bat in the Senior League level. We've found them all to be very similar in feel (because they are). These are very light weighted bats built for players trying to get as much barrel across the plate as possible without sacrificing swing speed.
Performance Comparison
As with the name, the bat itself hasn't changed much over the years either. This isn't a bad thing. The only change that we found, aside from the obvious color ups, was an increase in durability for the 2 1/4 barreled version between 2013 and 2014.
This year the Catalyst story is much the same with another slight improvement: The bottom hand of the grip has been expanded to increase grip contact. Although we admit it is a personal preference, we are fans of this expanded grip.
Overall grade: B+
Overall grade: B
Overall grade: C-
