Practice & Gear Bag · Guide

Youth baseball equipment checklist: what your kid actually needs for tee ball, coach pitch and Little League

The list, in the order you should buy it, with what the league usually supplies, the one thing to check on each item, and what you can skip the first season. Written for the parent who has never done this, and for the grandparent who offered to pay for it.

By Mike M.Updated September 2026Researched · every figure sourced

#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

Rawlings Sure Catch 11 in (Mike Trout) — Product photo from Amazon.

The list, in the order to buy it

#	Item	League supplies it?	The one thing to check	Size it here
1	Fielding glove	Almost never	Kid can close it with one hand; correct throwing hand (RHT = glove on the left hand)	Glove size chart
2	Cleats (molded)	Never	Molded studs, thumb's width at the toe, no metal before 13	Cleat sizing guide
3	Batting helmet	Often a shared team set	NOCSAE mark inside; fits without wobble; buy your own anyway	Helmet size chart
4	Bat	Often shared at tee ball and coach pitch	The stamp the league requires (USA for Little League); length by the hip test	Which stamp · Bat size chart
5	Cup and brief/sliding shorts	Never	Required from kid pitch on and for every catcher; youth size, garment with a pocket	Cups and sliding shorts
6	Pants, socks, belt, cap, jersey	Jersey and cap usually included in registration; pants/socks/belt usually not	Team color for pants (ask the coach: white, gray or the team color); a belt that matches	—
7	Bag	Never	Two bat sleeves, a fence hook, sized to the kid's back	Best youth bags
8	Batting gloves	Never	Optional; youth size; the kid will ask for them	See the picks below
9	Water bottle, sunscreen, a bucket to sit on	Never	The bucket is the tee ball parent's best purchase	—
Catcher	Catcher's set and mitt	Usually a team set at rec level	Torso length; NOCSAE chest protector; throat guard if required	Catcher's gear size chart

“League supplies it?” is the common pattern for rec leagues; ask yours. Travel teams typically supply nothing but the uniform.

What changes by level

Tee ball (4–6)

Glove, cleats (soccer cleats are fine; see the cleat question), a cap and jersey from the league, pants. Most tee ball teams share bats and helmets. If you buy a bat, it must carry the USA tee ball mark and the words “Only for use with approved tee balls” in a Little League program (tee ball bats). A cup is optional. Total: a glove, cleats, pants.

Coach pitch and machine pitch (6–8)

Add a helmet of your own (shared helmets do not fit and are sweaty), a cup, and, if the kid is hitting, a bat with the full USA mark (not the tee-ball-only mark). Batting gloves become a request.

Kid pitch, Little League Minors and Majors (8–12)

Everything on the list. The bat matters now: USA mark, 2 5/8 in barrel maximum, sized by the size chart. A face guard on the helmet is worth considering for the first year of kid pitch (face guard vs jaw guard). A bag with bat sleeves. If your kid catches, the team usually has a set; buy one when he catches every game.

Travel ball (USSSA)

A second bat with the USSSA 1.15 BPF stamp (USSSA bats), because the USA bat is accepted at USSSA events but hits like wood there and the USSSA bat is illegal in Little League. Molded cleats still; metal is a 13U conversation (molded vs metal).

Each item: what to check

Glove: the squeeze test, then the throwing hand. The number one return in youth baseball is a right-handed glove for a right-handed thrower (he needs RHT, which goes on the left hand). Rawlings' sizing table gives 8.5–10 in for tee ball and 10.25–11.5 in infield for ages 7–12.
Cleats: molded (Little League prohibits metal in Majors and below), a thumb's width at the toe. A half size up on New Balance, per the retailer.
Helmet: the NOCSAE mark inside, measured by head circumference, no wobble. Every helmet on our list is pre-drilled for a face guard.
Bat: the stamp first (USA for Little League Majors and below, per Little League's bat page), then length by the hip test, then drop. Photograph the stamp.
Cup: youth size, in a brief or sliding short with a pocket. It sticks out only when it is the wrong garment.
Pants: ask the coach the color before you buy; open-hem vs knicker is a team decision too. Buy two pairs; one is always wet.
Bag: a backpack the kid can carry: the Rawlings Youth Players backpack is 18.5 in tall with two bat sleeves and a fence hook. A catcher needs a bigger bag.
Batting gloves: youth sizes exist (Rawlings sells the Clout in T-Ball, youth and adult); leather palm for a kid who takes 100 swings a week.

What to skip the first season

A personal bat for tee ball. If the team has bats, use them; the kid will not know the difference.
A premium composite bat. A one-piece alloy USA bat hits the same certification. See alloy vs composite.
A catcher's set. Borrow the team's until the kid asks to catch every game.
Metal cleats. Not legal before 13 in Little League, and not the right choice at 13 either.
A pitching machine. A tee, a net and a bucket of balls do more for a 7-year-old (backyard setup).
Sunglasses, arm sleeves, eye black. The kid will lobby for these. They are not equipment.

Pants are the one line here that catches most parents twice, because the team names a color and a style and nothing else. Knicker or full length, open hem or elastic, and a size taken from a waist and an inseam rather than an age: the youth baseball pants guide runs the whole decision and names four pants that fit the brief.

Budgeting it

Every product we rank carries its current Amazon price on its card, so the pages linked here are where the live numbers are. What the shape of it looks like: a first season (glove, cleats, helmet, pants, cup) is entry-tier items from every category, and a kid-pitch season adds the bat, which is where the range opens up from a one-piece alloy to a composite flagship at several times the price. The season cost page walks through registration, travel and gear with the survey data that exists.

One pick per line

Our picks for this

One can't-go-wrong pick per line item (Little League Minors/Majors)

Each pick is the site's default for a kid-pitch rec season; the tee ball and travel variations are linked above. Every card quotes its size guidance and, for the bat and helmet, the certification, from the maker's page.

Best youth glove for 7–9
Rawlings Sure Catch 11 in (Mike Trout)
Ages 7–9, 11 in9.6/10
Glove: 11 in, real leather, Velcro strap, 10 break-in. The first-glove default for 7 to 9; the R9 for 10 and up.
$42.95Amazon
#ad · Price as of November 5, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Rawlings Sure Catch 11 in (Mike Trout)
Best value USA bat for 8–11
Rawlings Clout Ai USA (-10, 2026)
Ages 8–11 (-10)USA stamp8.9/10
Bat: USA mark, -10, one-piece alloy, 2 5/8 in barrel. Legal in Little League Majors and below.
$149.96Amazon
#ad · Price as of November 5, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Rawlings Clout Ai USA (-10, 2026)
Best youth batting helmet overall
Rawlings CoolFlo Max (Youth & T-Ball)
Youth and T-Ball sizesNOCSAE: check mark9.6/10
Helmet: Youth and T-Ball sizes, pre-drilled for a face guard.
$34.99Amazon
#ad · Price as of November 5, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Rawlings CoolFlo Max (Youth & T-Ball)
Best budget youth cleat overall
Under Armour Leadoff Low RM Jr.
Kids' sizes (retailer: Baseball, T-Ball)9.1/10
Cleats: rubber molded, synthetic upper with a toe cap, listed for Baseball and T-Ball.
$31.99Amazon
#ad · Price as of November 5, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Under Armour Leadoff Low RM Jr.
Best youth cup and brief
Shock Doctor Youth Core Brief with Bio-Flex 2.0 Cup
Youth sizes (maker)8.6/10
Cup: youth brief with an internal pocket and the Bio-Flex 2.0 cup.
$32.03Amazon
#ad · Price as of November 5, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Shock Doctor Youth Core Brief with Bio-Flex 2.0 Cup
Best youth baseball bag overall
Rawlings Youth Players Backpack
Ages 8–129.3/10
Bag: 18.5 in, two bat sleeves, fence hook.
$25.30Amazon
#ad · Price as of November 5, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Rawlings Youth Players Backpack
Best tee ball batting gloves
Rawlings Clout Batting Gloves (Youth & T-Ball)
T-Ball, youth and adult sizes (maker)9.1/10
Batting gloves (optional): sold in T-Ball, youth and adult sizes.
$24.40Amazon
#ad · Price as of November 5, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Rawlings Clout Batting Gloves (Youth & T-Ball)

One line on this list is worth its own page, because the grade of ball has to match the age and the machine: best bucket of baseballs.

How we picked these

Researched, certification-checked and sized for the age

Every pick on this page earns its place the same way: the certification is checked against the governing bodies' rules and the maker's stated stamp, so the gear is legal for the division it is bought for; sizing comes from the makers' own age, height and hand charts; the published specs (drop, barrel, construction, closure, cleat type) are read from the maker's page; and the patterns in verified buyer reviews sharpen the “best for” line on each card. Every figure links to where it came from, with the date.

Scores are editorial judgments built from that documented research, applied with the same weights to every product in a category, so the ranking is comparable top to bottom. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.

Questions parents ask

Frequently asked

What does my kid need for tee ball?

A glove that closes, cleats (soccer cleats are usually fine), pants, and the cap and jersey the league provides. Most teams share bats and helmets. A bat, if you buy one, needs the USA tee ball mark.

What does my kid need for Little League?

Glove, molded cleats, a helmet with the NOCSAE mark, a bat with the USA Baseball mark (Majors and below), a cup from kid pitch on, pants, socks, belt, and a bag. Catchers usually use the team set.

What equipment does the league provide?

Typically the jersey and cap, team bats and helmets at tee ball and coach pitch, and a catcher's set. Never a glove, cleats, pants or a cup. Ask your league; it varies.

Do I need to buy a bat for tee ball?

Not if the team has bats. If you buy one, it must carry the USA Baseball mark with the tee-ball-only text in Little League programs. See best tee ball bats.

When does a kid need a cup for baseball?

From the first season of kid pitch, and at any age if he catches; many leagues require it for catchers. Youth sizes, in a garment with a pocket.

What size glove for a 7-year-old starting baseball?

10.5 to 11 inches per Rawlings' youth table (10.25–11.5 in infield for ages 7–12), in a glove the kid can close with one hand. See the glove size chart.

Keep reading

Receipts

Sources

Certification rules come from the governing bodies' own pages (Little League, USA Baseball, USSSA, NOCSAE), sizes from the makers' published sizing charts, and specs from the maker's product page or the retailer listing named on each product. Every figure above links to the page it was read from, with the date. Amazon prices move often, so each buy button takes you to the current price. Read the full method.