Methodology
How we pick
The rubrics, the weights, which league rules and sizing charts we cite, how a spec gets onto a card, and the claims we withhold. Every product card on the site links here.
By Mike M. · Updated September 2026
What we rank on
Three things decide whether a piece of youth gear is right: whether it carries the certification the league requires (the wrong stamp is a bat the kid cannot use; an uncertified helmet is not protection), whether it fits the age band it is being bought for (a glove a 6-year-old cannot close is not a glove), and whether the price buys anything a kid at that age can use. Those are the axes the site's brief named, and the axes a parent buying for one season actually shops on. Each category adds the one or two things that matter for it: sting for bats, ease of close for gloves, face-guard compatibility for helmets, cushioning for cleats, stability for tees.
The rubrics and their weights
Each product is scored 0 to 10 on each metric; the overall score is the weighted mean, computed by the same code that renders the card, so a page can never show an overall that disagrees with its parts. Every product in a category uses the same weights, so an 8.1 bat and another 8.1 bat mean the same thing.
Bats: USA, USSSA, BBCOR, tee ball and fastpitch
| Metric | Weight |
|---|---|
| Certification fit for the league | 30% |
| Swing weight for the age | 25% |
| Sting and forgiveness (as described by the maker) | 15% |
| Durability reputation (cited reports) | 15% |
| Value | 15% |
Fielding gloves and catcher's mitts
| Metric | Weight |
|---|---|
| Size fit for the age | 30% |
| Ease of close for small hands | 25% |
| Leather and build quality | 15% |
| Break-in effort | 15% |
| Value | 15% |
Batting helmets, catcher's sets and cups
| Metric | Weight |
|---|---|
| Certification (NOCSAE / SEI) | 35% |
| Fit range for the age | 25% |
| Ventilation and comfort | 15% |
| Face-guard compatibility | 10% |
| Value | 15% |
Cleats and turf shoes
| Metric | Weight |
|---|---|
| Fit and closure for kids | 30% |
| Cushioning | 20% |
| Traction type for the age | 20% |
| Durability | 15% |
| Value | 15% |
Tees, nets, pitching machines, bags, batting gloves, glove care and practice balls
| Metric | Weight |
|---|---|
| Setup time | 20% |
| Stability | 25% |
| Portability | 15% |
| Durability | 20% |
| Value | 20% |
What each score is built from
- Certification fit. The stamp or standard the maker prints on the product page, checked against the governing body's rule for the division the product is recommended for. A bat quoted with the right stamp for its age band scores 9–10; a bat whose listing does not print the stamps scores lower and the card says to check the barrel. Helmets and chest protectors score on the NOCSAE/SEI statement quoted from the maker.
- Size and swing-weight fit for the age. The maker's own age guidance where it exists (Rawlings and Easton print age groups on most youth products), the maker's sizing table where it doesn't, and a named retailer's chart as the fallback. A -12 bat recommended for 7-year-olds scores high on fit; the same bat on a 12-year-old's page would not.
- Sting, ease of close, ventilation, cushioning, stability. The category-specific metric, scored from the construction the maker describes: two-piece composite vs one-piece alloy, heel cutout and strap closure vs laced wrist, named midsole vs unnamed foam, weighted steel base vs composite. These are editorial judgments compiled from published specs, not our measurements, and the card says so.
- Durability reputation. The warranty term and construction the maker publishes, plus cited reports where a named source has one. We do not own the gear and do not claim to have worn it out.
- Value. What the maker's list price on the day we read it buys for a kid at that age: a starter alloy bat that will be outgrown in a season scores high on value; a flagship composite for a 7-year-old scores low. The list price is used only for this judgment and is never displayed as “the price”; the displayed price is always “Check price on Amazon” until a live feed exists.
The rules we cite, and why
We do not make the rules and we do not paraphrase them from memory. Every rule statement on this site is quoted from the governing body's own page, with the date it was read, and rules pages carry a “league rules as of” note:
- Little League bat rules: the USA Baseball mark requirement by division, the 2 5/8 in barrel, and the softball rule (33 in, 2 1/4 in, BPF 1.20). Source.
- Little League bat rules, softball text: Rule 1.10 as printed for the softball divisions. Source.
- Little League league-age and divisions pages: which ages play which division in baseball and softball. Source.
- Little League on metal spikes: the help-center answer on where metal cleats are and are not permitted. Source.
- USA Baseball USABat FAQ and approved lists: what the USA stamp means, the tee-ball marking, and the approved bat and tee ball lists. Source.
- NOCSAE: the helmet standard and the ND200 chest-protector standard against commotio cordis. Source.
- BaseballMonkey's league-legality and 14U summaries: a retailer's league-by-league summary of which stamp is legal in 2026, including the USSSA 14U BBCOR change. Source.
The sizing charts we cite
Sizing on this site comes from published tables, reproduced with attribution, never from a rule of thumb we invented. Where the maker publishes one we use the maker's; where it doesn't, a named retailer's:
- Rawlings glove size table: glove inches by age and position, printed on Rawlings glove pages. Source.
- Rawlings helmet size tables: hat-size ranges for T-Ball, Youth, Junior and Senior shells. Source.
- Rawlings chest-protector size table: torso length by set size. Source.
- BaseballMonkey fastpitch bat size chart: bat length by height and weight, and three measuring methods. Source.
- BaseballMonkey fastpitch glove guide: glove size by age and position, and the deeper-pocket difference. Source.
- BaseballMonkey New Balance cleat listing: youth cleat size chart and the retailer's run-small note. Source.
How a spec gets onto a card
We read the maker's product page, quote the certification, sizes, construction and warranty as written, link it, and record the date. Where the maker blocks automated reading (Wilson, Nike, New Balance, DeMarini, Louisville Slugger, Under Armour and adidas all do), we say which retailer listing we used instead and the card carries fewer specs as a result. A spec with no source does not ship: the site's build fails if a product carries a figure without a link. Specs change between model years, so every card carries the date, and readers who spot a change can tell us.
What we refuse to claim
- Gear we claim to have tested: none. Every page says so.
- We do not print Amazon prices, star ratings or review counts. Buy buttons read “Check price on Amazon” until a live, dated price feed exists; if one is added, prices older than 48 hours disappear automatically.
- We do not publish a self-authored review rating in structured data. The visible score is editorial content; it is never marked up as a product rating.
- We do not invent a spec, a stamp or a size a source doesn't give us. A dash or “not printed on the listing” means exactly that.
- We do not give medical advice. The heel-pain page cites KidsHealth and says what a pediatric source recommends; it is not a diagnosis.
How a product gets removed
A product leaves a ranking when the maker stops listing it, when its certification is withdrawn from the governing body's approved list, when it can't be sourced to a maker or retailer page, when the Amazon search its button points to stops returning it, or when a reader shows us a figure we printed is wrong and we can't re-verify it. Changes are logged on the page.
Commissions and rankings
The site earns Amazon Associates commissions on qualifying purchases. The rubric is fixed before a product is scored, the scores are published with their weights, and a product's commission rate is not an input to any of them. See the editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.