baseball equipment recommendations

Selecting the right equipment for your son or daughter is important to ensure they have a positive experience playing baseball. However, with so many options at various price points it can be difficult to know what to buy. Below is a list of approved and recommended glove and bat options we have seen kids have success with over the years. It’s always smart to shop around as often sites will have sales on equipment that other sites aren’t offering. See the list of sites at the bottom to find the best deals.

Bats

Little League requires all bats must have the USA bat stamp, which they have determined ensures safer play for 12 and under athletes. There is a maximum barrel size of 2-5/8. If you would like to confirm if your bat is approved, please check here: https://usabat.com/ *All wood bats are approved for Little League and Pony play without needing the USA stamp.

Bat Length

An easy way to determine the correct bat length for your athlete is to place the knob of the bat at the center line of their chest and extend one arm. The end of the bat should align with the tips of their fingers. See image:

Bat Weight

We recommend you pick a drop -8 through -12 bat weight. The word DROP simply means its weight in ounces subtracted from its length. For example: 28” / 18oz is often referred to as simply a 28 Drop 10.

Bat Recommendations

Below is a list of bats at different price points that we have seen perform well. We recommend a 2-5/8 barrel size.. the maximum allowable by Little League / Pony. And a reminder it must have the USA bat stamp.

Under $100

Rawlings 5150

Louisville Slugger Omaha

Louisville Slugger Solo 619

Louisville Slugger Prime 919

Easton Beast Speed

AXE Element

Over $100

DeMARINI CF

Louisville Slugger Solo 619, 919

Easton ADV1

Easton Ghost X

Marucci CAT

AXE Avenge

Gloves

Finding the right sized glove that isn’t too difficult to break in is important. This will improve the athlete’s ability to field balls and have more confidence when catching.

Rawlings R9 Series

Rawlings Select Pro Lite *younger players

Mizuno Prospect Select Series

Mizuno Prospect w/ PowerClose *younger players

Wilson A500