Premier Performance Testing
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At GameChanger Bat Lab, we’re changing how athletes select baseball and softball bats. No guesswork. No hype. No subjectivity. Only real data, to help you select the right bat for you.
What is Bat Lab?
Our mission is simple
We help baseball and softball athletes find the best bat for their swing.
BUILT BY ATHLETES, FOR ATHLETES
GameChanger Bat Lab is a data-driven bat testing & recommendation platform built by baseball & softball athletes for baseball & softball athletes.
Game-like testing
Our testing methodology puts real athletes on the field, taking full-intent swings under game-like conditions.
REAL SWINGS, REAL DATA
We collect advanced sabre metrics from Trackman and Blast Motion to calculate ratings on how the bat actually performs.
THE BEST BAT FOR YOU
No guesswork. No hype. No subjectivity. Only real data, to help you select the best bat for you.
Why you can trust our ratings
GameChanger Bat Lab’s Rating Methodology takes the guesswork out of baseball and softball bat comparison shopping. Our ratings are calculated using data from the swings of middle school and high school-aged athletes.
The metrics we collect from Trackman and Blast Motion are then aggregated by our team of expert data scientists. No subjectivity. No manufacturer influence. Only real data, to help you select the best bat for you.
Sports Science Team
No Mfr. Influence
No sponsorships
The Bat Lab Dataset
100,000+ swings measured
How does Bat Lab test baseball bats?
Each bat receives a GameChanger Bat Lab rating on a 1–5 scale based on three components:
Trackman captures ball-flight data including exit velocity, distance, sweet spot rate, hard hit rate, and barreled rate.
Blast Motion captures swing mechanics including bat speed, peak hand speed, and time to contact. Player Opinion captures athlete feedback on feel, pop, sweet spot, control, balance.
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Every bat earns its score the same way
Identical pitch speed, certified hitters, 240 logged swings per bat — measured, not asserted.
Trust & methodology resources
Go as deep as you want. We only link to pages that are live today and add more as they launch.
How We Test
The full lab protocol — instruments, the step-by-step process, and how scores are weighted.
FAQ
Quick answers to what Bat Lab is, how testing works, and how to read the ratings.
The Bat Lab Dataset
Ratings are powered by our proprietary dataset, 100,000+ swings from hundreds of hitters tested nationwide.
Our Test Team
The hitters and sports scientists behind the data — who they are and how they're selected.
Editorial Standards
How ratings are decided, reviewed and updated — and what we will and won't do.
Independence & Disclosure
DSG sells the bats we rate. Exactly how we keep the ratings independent.
Research & Data
Deeper analyses from the lab — the findings behind our guidance.
Frequently asked questions
GameChanger Bat Lab is operated by GameChanger, a DICK’S Sporting Goods company. Bat Lab may link to DICK’S Sporting Goods product pages, and GameChanger and/or DICK’S Sporting Goods may receive revenue, referral value, or other business benefit from purchases made through those links. Bat Lab ratings are not pay-to-play. Bat manufacturers cannot pay to influence our ratings, and each bat is evaluated using the same testing methodology.
Bat Lab is different because our ratings are built on real athlete testing and instrumented data — not one person’s opinion. We use tools like TrackMan and Blast Motion to measure ball flight, swing metrics, and player feedback across bats, then turn those inputs into clear ratings and recommendations. That helps players, parents, and coaches compare bats more objectively and find the right bat for their swing.
BBCOR bats are tested by high school and college-aged baseball players. USSSA bats are tested by baseball players aged 10u to 13u. Softball bats are tested by high school, collegiate, and professional softball players. The data collected reflects real swings from real athletes competing at the levels these bats are designed to serve.
We host multiple Bat Lab bat testing events each year, throughout the country. Email BatLab@gc.com with the subject: “Bat Lab Testing Inquiry + [Your Age] + [Bat Drop]” for more information.
