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Updated August 4, 2022
By Bat Digest
Nine years old is a tough time to find the perfect bat. On one hand your player is growing and won’t need a bat for too long, on another many 9 year olds are starting to take baseball pretty seriously and the right bat can make all the difference for that travel ball or all star team. Yet, still, spending a small fortune on a top end bat that will last much longer than he will is a tough call.
We suggest, if you’re very serious about baseball and fastpitch at 9, you go for the best on this list. Then, look to sell your bat in the secondary market come next season (or whenever they grow out of it). If you’re playing rec and just figureing things out we suggest you stick with the less expensive options as it won’t matter that much. If your child just needs a bat for this year and you want to give them a legitimate option then go for the less expensive ones.
With the vast majority of 2020 bats hit with we updated this article to reflect the best bats we found for 9 year olds. We also added information from our bat size chart survey data.
Certification: USA
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Mid
Serial Number: MSBF5310USA
Original Price: $100
Release Month: September 2021
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Light
Serial Number: MSBCCP910
Original Price: $350
Release Month: October 2020
We are huge fans of the Marucci CAT Connect in a drop 10 for USSSA. The bat has a huge barrel, great feel and everyone who swings it really likes it. Of course we also like bats like the META and CF in the drop 10 space, but if we were forced to choose one drop 10 at this very moment, the CAT 9 Composite just feels right.
Certification: USA
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Mid
Serial Number: YBB22ADV10
Original Price: $350
Release Month: October 2021
Although there are plenty of great less expensive options, if you want the creme de la creme of USA bats for 2022, then the drop 10 USA Easton Ghost ADV is the winner, winner, chicken dinner. The bat has a fantastic feel, huge barrel, and top-end exit speeds. Those who want the bat in the USA that feels the most like a USSSA bat should find a home for an ADV 360 drop 10 from 2022.
Certification: USSSA
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Light+
Serial Number: L148K
Original Price: $399
Release Month: May 2022
We like the Axe Avenge Pro, but so does our 9-year-old. This is their favorite bat, and it does feel great, so we must at least put it somewhere on this list. You can’t go wrong with a few bats, and this is one.
Certification: USA
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Drop: 10
Swing Weight: Mid+
Serial Number: YBB22MX10
Original Price: $280
Release Month: October 2021
We think the best drop 10 USA Bat is Easton’s Maxum Ultra. Granted, it’s a single-piece bat so you can expect more feedback in the hands-on mishits, but the full composite design does have some forgiveness over a single-piece bat like a SOLO or Vandal (that we also like in the drop 10 space). We shy away from the Easton ADV 360 not because we don’t like it but because we both want to change it up a bit and are slightly concerned about the durability issues in the ADV 360. In any case, our favorite drop 10 baseball bat currently is the Easton Maxum Ultra.
Why We Love the 2021 CAT 9 Composite
We are huge fans of the Marucci CAT Connect in a drop 10 for USSSA. The bat has a huge barrel, great feel and everyone who swings it really likes it. Of course we also like bats like the META and CF in the drop 10 space, but if we were forced to choose one drop 10 at this very moment, the CAT 9 Composite just feels right.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31
Drop: 10
Serial Number: MSBCCP910
Release Month: October 2020
Related: Best USSSA Bats
Why We Love the 2022 F5
Certification: USA
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Drop: 10
Serial Number: MSBF5310USA
Release Month: September 2021
Related: Best USA Bats
Why We Love the 2022 ADV 360
Although there are plenty of great less expensive options, if you want the creme de la creme of USA bats for 2022, then the drop 10 USA Easton Ghost ADV is the winner, winner, chicken dinner. The bat has a fantastic feel, huge barrel, and top-end exit speeds. Those who want the bat in the USA that feels the most like a USSSA bat should find a home for an ADV 360 drop 10 from 2022.
Certification: USA
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
Drop: 10
Serial Number: YBB22ADV10
Release Month: October 2021
Related: Best USA Bats
Why We Love the 2023 Avenge Pro
We like the Axe Avenge Pro, but so does our 9-year-old. This is their favorite bat, and it does feel great, so we must at least put it somewhere on this list. You can’t go wrong with a few bats, and this is one.
Certification: USSSA
Barrel Size: 2 3/4
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Drop: 10
Serial Number: L148K
Release Month: May 2022
Related: Best USSSA Bats
Why We Love the 2022 Maxum Ultra
We think the best drop 10 USA Bat is Easton’s Maxum Ultra. Granted, it’s a single-piece bat so you can expect more feedback in the hands-on mishits, but the full composite design does have some forgiveness over a single-piece bat like a SOLO or Vandal (that we also like in the drop 10 space). We shy away from the Easton ADV 360 not because we don’t like it but because we both want to change it up a bit and are slightly concerned about the durability issues in the ADV 360. In any case, our favorite drop 10 baseball bat currently is the Easton Maxum Ultra.
Certification: USA
Barrel Size: 2 5/8
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Drop: 10
Serial Number: YBB22MX10
Release Month: October 2021
Related: Best USA Bats
For 9-year-olds we like to use the Rule of 10. This rule states that the maximum amount of money you should spend on a baseball bat for your 9U is 10 multiplied by the number of games he or she will play. For example, if you are scheduled to play 15 games this year (a lot for a 9U, then spending a maximum of $150 on a bat is a pretty good limit. Of course, you can spend less if you find a better deal or simply want to limit your budget.
Before spending real money on a baseball bat, you need to know what restrictions apply in your league. At 8 years old, most have very few rules, but there are some who restrict the diameter of the barrel to 2 5/8 or even 2 1/4. As well, many require special stamping (like BPF 1.15 to print on the bats).
Choose the following performance baseball bat for your 9-year-old based on price (below) and barrel length (see below chart). Other things to consider are below the chart. Best Bat for 8-Year-Old Criteria
As there are a number of good bats made for 9-year-olds, league and swing type will be the most important factors in determining which one to select. As we show below, there is a range of bats in different price points worth considering.
One bat that should be on the list is DeMarini’s JBB 2 3/4 CF Zen*. We think the bat is outstanding in terms of pop and balance, but enough complaints on the durability make us hesitate at least a little bit. If it comes with a warranty, we say go for it. Otherwise, the following three bats are well worth a good look.
*After writing the above paragraph, the CF Zen JBB drop 10 has been banned by USSSA.
We have hit with every bat in every category. As well, we have had long conversations with industry insiders and major vendors about each bat. That experience, combined with thousands of hours researching and writing about bats and actually playing week in and week out, give us some insight into the best bat for a 9-year-old.
We write about all our rankings in our best bats articles.
The average 9U should be swinging an 18 ounce bat. There are two measurements in a baseball bat: the DROP and the LENGTH. The recommended drop is stated in the chart above. The length is dependent upon your child’s height and strength. Generally speaking, there are few 9 year olds who should be swinging anything more than a 29 inch bat. Some can swing a 30 inch. The only real way to tell is to try it out. But on the whole, we’d suggest the average 9 year old get a 29 inch bat. If he’s much bigger than average then go 30.
See our full bat size chart here.
Here’s the full chart of 9 year old bat size responses.
Most 2020 bats are released and we’ve hit with them. We don’t expect any big surprises to occur in the bat space in the short run. Of course, as always, expect big manufacturers to come up with some limited edition or colorways as the holidays get closer for 2019. But, aside from that, there shouldn’t be considerable changes in the best bat for 9U through the 2020 season. Expect most changes to occur during the late summer of 2020.
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