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We’ve hit with every performance bat from 2015 through 2020. These are the Best Bat For 6 Year Old readily available that we’ve tested and measured.
By Brian September 20, 2020 11:12 am
The best bat for a 6 year old are those that come in the 14-ounce range. We also think it should be inexpensive. That makes the Easton Fuze 25/14 the best bat for 6 year olds.
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Another reasonable option, for all the same reasons the Fuze makes sense, is the Rawlings Quatro Pro in Tee Ball USA. This is the ideal bat for a 6 year old because of its weight and durability.
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Why spend more than $20 on a bat for a 6 year old? If that's your line of thinking, and it probably should be, then the Venom from Franklin Sports is your ticket to ride.
AmazonUpdate September 20: We updated this article with bats more readily available in September of 2019. We don’t spend too much time updating the 6 year old best bats because it doesn’t change very often. Although bats do come out annually, there is rarely a worthy shift in technology for 6 year olds. As such, we think our bat recommendations here, in September of 2019, will hold true for at least a year and we don’t expect to update this article until then.
We surveyed dozens of parents of 6 year olds about the size bat they use. The right size bat for most 6 year old is either a drop 12 26/14 or a drop 10 26/16. We suggest you stay in that range of 14 to 16 ounces regardless of what bat you get. If anything you need to be lighter as most of the survey respondants said their bat was too heavy for a 6 year old.
| Best Bat for 6 Year Old | Top Bat for 6 Year Old - Option 2 | Best $20 Option for 6 Year Old | |
| | | |
| Brand | 1. Easton | 2. Rawlings | 3. Franklin |
| Model | Fuze 360 | Quatro Pro | Venom |
| League | USA | USA | USA |
| Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.8/5 | 4.7/5/5 |
| Price | $$$ | $$$$ | $ |
| Year | 2020 | 2020 | 2020 |
| Type | Hybrid | Two Piece Composite | Single Piece Aluminum |
| Weight | Light | Light | Light |
| Barrel | Aluminum | Composite | Aluminum |
Every year new small tee ball bats come into the market from September through November. Those bats are usually reprints from previous years and there is no difference now. We don’t think there have been any improvements to 6 year olds bats since ever. So, there really isn’t much to wait for in terms of latest and greatest stuff.
We do note, however, there tends to be better times to buy T Ball bats. This occurs in the late July or August of the year they are released. Every so often a major vendor will blow out their inventory and unload some bats for 6 year olds in the 14 to 16 ounce range. But, other than that insight, there aren’t any bat rumors to report.
If you’re looking for the ‘best’ bat for a 6 year old then the Rawlings Quatro Pro or Easton Fuze. We think those bats will perform the best if you were seeing some pitch speeds from coaches or maybe even some pitching machine work. But, for most, we think the best bat for a 6 year old is Franklin Venom due to its durability and price. Don’t expect any great frills or outstanding performance. But, you can expect a long lasting bat with a number of sizing options that should fit any 6 year old.
Best Bat for 6 Year Old
Calling a certain bat the best for a 6 year old is quite the stretch. No doubt there are several options that should work. The single most important factor is it comes in a size they can wield. Based on our survey data the most likely bat size for any given 6 year old is a 14-ounce bat. That leaves a few options still—so then we pair it down by price and availability. The Easton Fuze Tee Ball bat at a 25/14 is the perfect little stick for any little tyke. The bat is aluminum and will last for a long time—probably long enough for their little brother to use it when they turn 6.
We aren’t going to extol the virtues of a simply made tee ball bat for a 6 year old. Rather, we admit there a lot of “best” bats for a 6 year old. The Easton Fuze in a 25/14 fits the bill, is priced right and should be widely available considering Easton’s market share.
MORE: 2020 Easton Fuze 360 ReviewTop Bat for 6 Year Old - Option 2
We like the 2020 Rawlings Quatro Pro in Tee Ball for a 6 year old because it ticks all the boxes the Fuze does. That is: it’s cheap; its comes in a 14-ounce; it is durable; it looks cool. Anyone selling a 6 year old hard on the virtues of composite or two piece designs with extended composite end caps is up in the night. What a 6 year old needs more than anything in a baseball bat is the ability to find the ball on a tee, during pitching machine or during some coach or kid pitch. The 2020 Rawlings Quatro Pro in Tee Ball does that just fine. At just shy of $50 you can expect to never pay any less for a new bat during the rest of your players baseball career.
MORE: 2020 Rawlings Quatro Pro ReviewBest $20 Option for 6 Year Old
We like the idea of brand name bats, sure. Although Franklin hasn’t been serious about baseball bats for a while how could they make a 14 ounce bat wrong? It’s made for young pitching machine, tee ball and coach pitch mainly and at a 26-inch drop 12 it will do the trick for most. (The drop, you should know if you’re going to get into this sport, is the numerical difference between the length of the bat in inches and the weight of the bat in ounces. So, a 26-inch drop 12 has a stated weight of 14-ounces).
Compared to any bat in the 14-ounce space the Franklin Venom gets rave reviews—mostly driven by the value buy with a $20 price point. It is, like the Fuze and Quatro Pro, an all aluminum bat rated for tee ball. It would probably do just fine in younger coach pitch leagues although it isn’t rated for hitting pitches. Still, we’ve rocked on a number of single piece aluminum tee ball bats (like this Venom) and they stay together better than bats 10 times its price.
MORE: Franklin Venom T Ball Bat ReviewsFew 6-year-old leagues have actual restrictions on bats. In fact, many of the Junior Big Barrel bats on the market are not rated for anything. Nor are tee-ball bats, generally speaking. These bats are built much more for a light swing than they are for wild performance.
That said, however, you should make sure there are no particular bat restrictions for the league you are playing in. Some, we have heard, don’t allow certain weight drops or 2 1/4 barrels. Most are anything goes. Check with your local league director or coach.
Pricing for bats, you may already know, can be ridiculous. There are some Junior Big Barrel bats pushing $250 while many others in the 6-year-old tee ball space are not much more than $20. Our general rule for bat budget is the “Rule of 7”. That is, take the number of games the child is playing and multiply it by $7.00. Do not spend more than that.
Bat sizing at age six should not be difficult. Few are really hitting for serious distance. We do have an honest bat sizing chart worth reviewing if you are ultra-concerned about the right size.
For 6-year-old kids, lighter is almost always better. Bat speed and bat control will mean much more for on base percentage than barrel size and weight distribution. Many bats come in weights as low as 11 and 12 ounces. Some Junior Big Barrel bats are as heavy as 15 or 16 ounces. When in doubt, choose the lighter swing.
Some leagues, even as young as 6, require the USA Bat stamp on their bats. If that is you, then make sure you look under the USA bat section of major retailers. We have a list of our favorite USA Bats here.