Bats · Guide

Youth bat size chart: what size bat does my kid need, by age, height and weight

The chart every bat maker publishes and every bat aisle hides. Length by age, length by height and weight, the drop that goes with each, and two 30-second tests you can do in the store. Then one certified pick per age band.

By Mike M.Updated September 2026Sourced · gear tested by us: 0

#adReader-supported: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never decides a pick. How we pick · Disclosure

A rolled tape measure on a vintage wooden table in warm light — Illustrative stock photo. It does not show a specific product on this page.

The quick answer by age

Age	Length	Drop	Stamp (see the explainer)
5–6 (tee ball)	24–26 in	-12 / -13 tee ball bat	USA tee ball mark
6–7 (coach pitch)	26 in	-13 / -12	USA (or USSSA in a USSSA league)
8–9	26–28 in	-12 / -10	USA or USSSA per league
10	28–29 in	-10	USA or USSSA per league
11–12	30–31 in	-10, then -8	USA or USSSA per league
13	31–32 in	-8 (USSSA max) or -5	USA/BBCOR (LL Intermediate), USSSA 13U
14	31–32 in	-3	BBCOR (USSSA 14U nationals, high school)

Lengths from the Rawlings “Determine Your Bat Length by Your Age” table. Drops are our compilation of what the makers sell at each age and what the leagues allow; see drop weight explained.

Length by age (the maker's table)

Rawlings publishes this table on every bat page, and Easton (the same company) uses the same one. It is a starting point, not a rule: a big 9-year-old swings a 10-year-old's bat.

Age	Bat length
5–7 years	24–26 in
8–9 years	26–28 in
10 years	28–29 in
11–12 years	30–31 in
13–14 years	31–32 in
15–16 years	32–33 in
17+ years	34 in

Length by height and weight

The better table. Find the kid's height across the top and weight down the side; the cell is the length. Compiled from the same Rawlings sizing table (the maker's grid is larger; this is the youth portion).

Weight \ Height	36–40 in	41–45 in	46–48 in	49–52 in	53–56 in	57–60 in	61–64 in
60 lb or less	26	27	28	29	29	—	—
61–70 lb	27	27	28	29	30	30	—
71–80 lb	—	28	28	29	30	30	31
81–90 lb	—	28	29	29	30	30	31
91–100 lb	—	28	29	30	30	31	31

Inches. Dashes are cells the maker's table leaves blank. Source: Rawlings bat sizing table (linked in Sources).

Which drop goes with which length

Length decides reach; drop decides whether the kid can get the barrel around. The two move together: makers sell -12 and -13 bats in short lengths only, and -5 and -3 bats in long lengths only. Rule of thumb from what the makers offer: a 26–27 inch bat is a -12 or -13; 28–29 is a -10 (or -11); 30–31 is -10 or -8; 31–32 is -8 or -5 for a 13-year-old and -3 for BBCOR. A 28 inch -10 weighs 18 ounces; the same bat at -8 weighs 20; at -5, 23. Details on bat drop weight explained.

Two tests you can do in the store

The hip test (length). Stand the bat on its knob next to the kid's leg. The end of the barrel should reach the hip. Reaching the ribs is too long; below the hip is too short. This is the single most useful check.
The arm test (weight). Kid holds the bat by the knob, arm straight out to the side, parallel to the ground. If he can hold it 20–30 seconds without the barrel drooping, the weight is fine. If it droops in ten, go a lighter drop, not a shorter bat.

Mistakes parents make

Buying to grow into. A bat two inches long is a season of late swings and a kid who thinks he cannot hit.
Buying the drop the older brother swings. A -8 in an 8-year-old's hands is a -8 he cannot get around.
Sizing from the box. “Ages 8–10” on a box is marketing. Use the height/weight table and the two tests.
Forgetting the stamp. The right size with the wrong certification gets pulled. Read USA vs USSSA vs BBCOR first.
Trusting the drop as a weight. Rawlings prints a note on its bat pages: because of manufacturing tolerances, grip tape and decals, the drop “should not be relied upon to calculate the actual weight of this bat as sold.” If weight matters (13U -8 rules), weigh it.

One pick per age band

Our picks for this

One certified USA bat per age band

Chosen from the site's rankings: each carries the USA Baseball mark per the maker's spec page. Use the tests above to confirm the length; every one is sold in several lengths.

Stock photo
Best -13 USA bat for coach pitch
Easton Speed Comp USA (-13, 2027)
Ages 6–7 (-13)USA stamp8.4/10
Ages 6–7: a -13 with the full USA mark and a 2 5/8 in barrel, in 26–28 in. For the kid moving from tee ball to coach pitch.
Check price · Amazon
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Easton Speed Comp USA (-13, 2027)
Stock photo
Best -12 USA bat for 7–9
Rawlings Threat USA (-12, 2026)
Ages 7–9 (-12)USA stamp8.3/10
Ages 7–9: a -12 composite with a 2 5/8 in barrel. Sold in the 26–29 in lengths that match the 8–9 row of the age table.
Check price · Amazon
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Rawlings Threat USA (-12, 2026)
Stock photo
Best value USA bat for 8–11
Rawlings Clout Ai USA (-10, 2026)
Ages 8–11 (-10)USA stamp8.5/10
Ages 9–11: the -10 alloy for a 28–30 in kid on a rec budget. No break-in, cold-tolerant.
Check price · Amazon
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Rawlings Clout Ai USA (-10, 2026)
Stock photo
Best USA bat overall
Rawlings Icon USA (2026)
Ages 7–13 (-12 through -5)USA stamp8.6/10
Ages 9–13: sold in -12, -10, -8 and -5, so one model line covers the 28 in kid and the 32 in kid.
Check price · Amazon
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Rawlings Icon USA (2026)

How we picked these

Gear we claim to have tested: 0

Plenty of sites say they swung every bat on the list in a lab. We don't say that, and we say so on every page. What we do instead: check each bat against the governing bodies' certification rules and the maker's stated stamp; compile sizing from the makers' own age, height and hand charts; read the published specs (drop, barrel, construction, closure, cleat type); and read the complaint patterns in retailer reviews for the “skip it if” line. Every figure links to where it came from.

Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not test results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.

Questions parents ask

Frequently asked

What size bat for a 7-year-old?

Usually 26 to 27 inches at -12 or -13 (Rawlings' table gives 24–26 in for ages 5–7 and 26–28 for 8–9; a 7-year-old sits at the boundary). Do the hip test.

What size bat for an 8-year-old?

26 to 28 inches per the age table, at -12 or -10. A 27 inch -12 or 28 inch -10 is the common answer.

What size bat for a 10-year-old?

28 to 29 inches, almost always at -10. Check the height/weight table: a 53–56 inch, 71–80 lb 10-year-old is a 30.

What size bat for a 12-year-old?

30 to 31 inches. Drop -10 for a smaller 12-year-old in Majors, -8 for a strong one or for a 13U USSSA player, -5 if moving to Intermediate where BBCOR is also allowed.

What size bat for a 13-year-old?

31 to 32 inches. USSSA 13U caps the drop at -8; Little League Intermediate/Junior accept USA (any drop) or BBCOR (-3). Read the BBCOR transition before buying a -5.

What bat size for a kid by height?

Use the height/weight table above: a 46–48 inch kid is a 28; 49–52 is a 29; 53–56 is a 29–30 depending on weight; 57–60 is a 30–31.

Keep reading

Receipts

Sources

We don't claim to have swung, worn or tested this gear, and we don't pretend to. Gear we claim to have tested: 0. Certification rules come from the governing bodies' own pages (Little League, USA Baseball, USSSA, NOCSAE), sizes from the makers' sizing charts, and specs from the maker's product page or the retailer listing named on each product. Amazon prices change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read the full method.