Best Bat for 10 Year Old

For the 2023 season, we think the best new bats for a 10-year-old, regardless of price, are the drop 10 USSSA Marucci CAT X Composite 30/20 or 29/19. Check the Easton ADV 360 drop 11 or 10 in a 30/19 if you need to go USA for a 10-year-old. We also like the DeMarini as the best bat for a 10-year-old fastpitch player. For the budget-conscious, our hitters like the Marucci F5.

We've hit just about every bat between 2023 and 2018. Youth USSSA, USA, and fastpitch bat, you name it, we've hit it. We collect the data, which drives our list of best bats for 10-year-olds. For 10-year-olds (and any age, for that matter), we've found that getting the proper bat size is more important than getting the *best* bat model. A poorly fitted-bat is the death of a promising hitting season. Here are our favorite bats for a 10-year-old.

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Best Bat for 10 Year Old

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What Bat Size for a 10 Year Old

For a 10-year-old, we think the right bat size is either a 29/19 or 30/20. That is 29 inches long and 19 ounces, or a 30-inch length of 20 ounces. We asked over 200 parents of 10-year-old players and found those two were the favorites by far. We also measured each player based on weight, height, skill level, and strength. We found that different physical metrics are not good indicators of the right-sized bat for a 10-year-old. See more details in the image below. Generally speaking, for the average 10-year-old, we’d recommend a 30-inch big barrel bat with a drop of 8, 9, or 10. (The drop is the numerical difference between the bat’s length in inches and its weight in ounces). Of course, this recommendation has several exceptions (such as if the league only allows smaller 2 1/4-inch barrels or if your player needs a VERY light bat). We even found that most 10-year-olds are pretty happy with their bat size. We think most 10U baseball players should go with a 29/19. If they are considerably stronger or already have experience with a 30/20, then go that route. Pay close attention to the swing weight of bats, too, and make sure if you do go the 30/20 way, you stay away from the ones with the end-loaded or heavy swing weights. In the end, we would not overthink it here. If you are unsure what size bat to get, go with the 29/19 and get to hit. More than likely, it's going to work just great. If you are looking at a drop 11 bat, then go with the 30/19. If there's a drop 12 you like out there, we say go with a 32/20. But, in most instances, we think drop 12 bats lose so much mass in the barrel they lack their drop 10 counterparts' performance. In other words, stay drop 10 if you can and drop 11 if you're really into a bat that only comes in that size (like the drop ADV 360 or Solo).

What is the Right Bat Size

The right bat size is more important than the right bat model. At 10, nothing could be worse than trying to hit a ball with a bat that is too heavy except for doing it with a bat that is too light. Bats without enough swing weight will wring the hands more often and won't produce enough power to be useful. Bats that are too heavy won't give players enough time to catch up to the pitch.

How Much To Spend

The amount of $$$ you spend on a bat should correlate with the number of games played and the amount of money you have. We suggest you spend no more than $10 per game played and no less than $5. A 20-game season means a budget of $200 at most and $100 at least. This is pricing for new bats only. Of course, these are all individual preferences and needs and demand will vary.

Bat Rumors

For 2021 most of the bats are already released. We do not expect any new bats to hit the shelves until later in July when the Little League World Series gets under way.