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Available both stock/untouched and Heat Rolled with Progressive Pressure - choose your preference during checkout!
The -9 is where the Kryo2 Empress stops being a bat you grow into and becomes a bat you have to earn! The Kryo2 Empress -9 (WL2700501) is the 2027 Louisville Slugger Kryo2 in the limited edition art nouveau Empress finish, and it puts one more ounce behind the swing than the Kryo2 Empress -10 at the same length while keeping the balanced swing weight that defines the Kryo2 line. That combination is rarer than it sounds! Plenty of fastpitch bats add mass by shifting weight toward the end cap, which makes a -9 swing heavy and slow; the Empress -9 adds the ounce without the end load, so a strong high school or college hitter gets more weight into the ball and still gets the barrel there on time. It’s offered in four sizes from 32 to 34 inches, including the 33.5 inch option, and the Empress graphics, with their mystical, lunar-inspired theme, set it apart from the standard Kryo2 in the rack.
Every ounce of a -9 has to pull its weight, and the Kryo2 technology makes sure it does. The Kryo2 GO-EX+ Barrel System uses new composite materials and a wider gap between the barrel’s two composite walls, which lets the outer wall flex at contact and rebound into the ball; for a stronger hitter swinging a heavier bat, that translates to a soft feel and a barrel that rewards a square hit with distance. The VTX Connection System lets the barrel and handle move independently so a jam shot or a ball off the end doesn’t sting the hands, and the XPND Performance End Cap is a patented design that acts as a pivot for the barrel to float on, improving feel toward the end of the barrel where a power hitter who gets extended tends to make contact. The balanced swing weight is what keeps a 24 ounce -9 manageable through the zone, and the premium LS Pro Comfort Grip adds tack and cushion for a secure hold without bulking up the handle. The barrel is 2-1/4 inches, the largest allowed per stamp. It’s approved for USA Softball (ASA), USSSA, NSA, ISA, and WBSC play, the USA Softball stamp is the one NFHS high school programs follow, and Louisville Slugger lists the Empress -9 among the Kryo2 Empress drops approved for college play. Available in 32"/23oz, 33"/24oz, 33.5"/24.5oz, and 34"/25oz, with a one year warranty from Louisville Slugger.
The hardest question in fastpitch bat fitting isn’t which brand, it’s whether a hitter is ready for the extra ounce, and that’s a question LongballBats.com has been answering since 2016 as the Bat Performance Experts. Our staff brings more than 100 years of combined baseball and softball experience to every fitting, we’ve had our hands on tens of thousands of bats, and we carry all four Kryo2 Empress drops (-8, -9, -10, and -11) alongside the standard 2027 Kryo2 and the Kryo ONE, so we can put the -9 next to the -10 and tell you which one belongs in your hitter’s hands instead of guessing. Tell us her height, weight, age, what she’s swinging now, and whether she’s driving the ball or still trying to catch up to it, and we’ll tell you straight whether this Empress -9 is the right step or whether the -10 still has another season in it. Call or email us and we’ll figure it out together!
- Model: Kryo2 Empress, -9 drop, WL2700501, a limited edition colorway of the 2027 Kryo2 fastpitch bat
- Brand: Louisville Slugger
- Sport: Fastpitch Softball
- Barrel Diameter: 2-1/4 inch, standard for fastpitch
- Certification: Approved for USA Softball (ASA), USSSA, NSA, ISA, and WBSC play; the USA Softball stamp is what NFHS high school programs follow
- College play: listed by Louisville Slugger among the Kryo2 Empress drops approved for college play (the Empress -11 is not); confirm against the current NCAA approved bat list
- Drop: -9, one ounce more than the -10 at the same length, for strong, experienced hitters
- Two-piece composite construction: separate barrel and handle for a soft feel and less vibration at contact
- Kryo2 GO-EX+ Barrel System: new composite materials and a wider gap between the barrel walls for a soft feel, loud contact, and strong energy transfer
- VTX Connection System: barrel and handle move independently to reduce sting on mishits
- XPND Performance End Cap: patented pivot design that improves feel toward the end of the barrel
- Premium LS Pro Comfort Grip: tack and cushion for comfort and control
- Swing Weight: Balanced, so the added ounce goes into the swing without an end-loaded feel
- Limited Edition Empress colorway: multicolor art nouveau graphics with a mystical, lunar theme
- Available sizes: 32"/23oz, 33"/24oz, 33.5"/24.5oz, 34"/25oz
- Warranty: one year manufacturer’s warranty from Louisville Slugger
- Year Released: 2026
- WBL42700102332, WBL42700102433, WBL4270010245335, WBL42700102534
- Adding our Heat Roll with Progressive Pressure to your order may cause decertification, check with the governing body of your league for clarification
Manufacturing tolerances, performance considerations, and grip weight may cause variations from the listed weight.
QUESTION: Should I order this bat stock/untouched or Heat Rolled with Progressive Pressure?
ANSWER: If you order your new bat Heat Rolled with Progressive Pressure, it will be delivered to you completely and evenly broken in. This process adds 20-40ft of distance to your solid hits, increases consistency, improves durability and adds 2-3 business days of lead time to your order. If you plan to use the bat in an official game or event, please verify the legality of our process with your league or sanctioning body before use. We (LongballBats.com) do not encourage the use of a Heat Rolled bat in any game or event where it is against the rules. Click here for details about our process!
QUESTION: What does the XPND Performance End Cap do, and does it matter on a -9?
ANSWER: The XPND end cap is a patented Louisville Slugger design that works as a pivot the barrel can float on, instead of a rigid plug that simply closes off the end of the bat. The point is feel. On most composite bats the response falls off as contact moves toward the end cap, so a ball hit three inches from the tip feels dead compared to one hit in the middle of the barrel. The XPND design lets the barrel keep working out toward the end, which widens the part of the bat that feels good at contact. It matters more on a -9 than on a lighter drop, because the hitters who swing a -9 are the ones getting fully extended and catching the ball out front, and a lot of that contact happens toward the end of the barrel. Combined with the GO-EX+ barrel’s wider wall gap, the end cap is a big part of why the Kryo2 Empress -9 feels forgiving for a bat with this much mass. You won’t see the end cap do anything; you’ll feel the barrel stay alive on contact you’d expect to be a dud.
QUESTION: Is the Kryo2 Empress -9 balanced or end-loaded, and what’s the difference?
ANSWER: Balanced, and that’s the whole reason it works as a -9! In fastpitch, the drop tells you the total weight (a 33 inch -9 weighs 24 ounces), but not where the weight sits. A balanced bat spreads it evenly from knob to end cap, so it swings close to its listed weight and stays easy to control. An end-loaded bat shifts weight toward the barrel end, which adds momentum at contact but makes the bat feel heavier than the number says and slower to get through the zone. Louisville Slugger kept the Kryo2 Empress -9 balanced, so a hitter moving up from the Kryo2 Empress -10 feels exactly one more ounce, not one ounce plus a load. That makes it a cleaner step for a hitter who wants more mass without changing how the bat moves! If you want the heaviest-feeling Empress, look at the -8, which carries another ounce on top of this one. If you want the extra weight to feel like extra weight and nothing else, the -9 is the right pick.
QUESTION: Should I move my hitter from the -10 to the -9?
ANSWER: Only if the -10 has started to feel light to her. The signs are consistent: she’s early on pitches she used to be on time for, she’s pulling balls she used to drive to center, she’s getting through the zone so fast her front side is flying open, or she’s a physically strong 16U, 18U, or college hitter who’s never had bat speed problems. If two or three of those are true, the Kryo2 Empress -9 gives her another ounce of mass behind the ball while the balanced swing keeps her mechanics intact. If the -10 still feels like a fair fight in the last at-bat of a doubleheader, stay there. Moving up too early costs bat speed, and bat speed is worth more than mass for almost every hitter under 16. One more note: because the -9 only comes in 32 to 34 inches, a hitter who should be swinging a 31 isn’t a -9 candidate yet regardless of strength. The Empress -10 goes down to 30 inches and is the right bat for her until she grows into the longer lengths.
QUESTION: How do I take care of a composite fastpitch bat, and is there a warranty?
ANSWER: Composite bats are durable when they’re used the way they’re designed and fragile when they’re not. Three rules cover most of it. First, keep it out of the cold: don’t hit with a composite bat when it’s below roughly 60 degrees Fahrenheit, because cold composite is stiff and brittle and that’s when cracks happen. Second, hit regulation leather softballs, never dimpled pitching machine balls or rubber cage balls, which are harder than game balls and will damage the barrel. Third, rotate the bat a quarter turn each swing so the barrel wears evenly instead of developing one soft spot. Louisville Slugger backs the Kryo2 Empress with a one year manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase.
