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Updated August 4, 2022
By Bat Digest
Our take on the best youth wood bats available in 2022.
After a lot of research, in game and cage testing, we think the Maple Sam Bat CD1 is the best youth wood bat. Players liked the solid feel and pro type custom options. Parents liked the reasonable price point for a bat that is just like the ones the pros use save, of course, the size.
We updated this list in July of 2022.
Certification: Wood
Sizes: 28, 29, 30
Barrel Size: 2 1/2
Drop: 7.5
Swing Weight: Mid+
Serial Number: Y62AUS21
Original Price: $50
Release Month: June 2022
We think the Rawlings Youth Preferred Y62 Ash Bat is the best youth wood bat. We like the price point and the drop of 7.5. That bat also looks excellent, and any kid wanting to whet their appetite with a wood bat at a young age should like it. You can find other more expensive wood bats for youth (like Victus). But, at a young age, we don’t see the value in upgrading your wood types as swing speeds and pitch speed don’t require high-quality wood to get max performance.
Certification: Wood
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Barrel Size: 2 1/2
Drop: 7
Swing Weight: Mid
Serial Number: VYRWBTATISJRBGY
Original Price: $130
Release Month:
If you want to spend the money, you can’t go wrong with the Victus Pro Reserve Youth wood bat in the TATIS JR birch wood. The bat is made for youth hitters and comes with a drop between 6 and 8 (You don’t get to choose, you get what you get). It uses a cup-barrelled end to bring down the swing weight. Despite its price, this bat is readily available and is the most popular youth wood bat.
Certification: Wood
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Barrel Size: 2 1/2
Drop: 6
Swing Weight: Mid+
Serial Number: WBL2442010
Original Price: $30
Release Month: January 2021
$30
Original Price
If you want a cheap youth wood bat, look no further than the Slugger Series 125 Maple wood bat. We found this on Dicks Sporting Goods for $30 at the time of this writing but located it elsewhere for almost double that price. In any case, check around in pricing for this bat. If you can find it for $30, then it is an easy choice as the best youth bat for cheap. It hits well, feels decent, and does what it is supposed to do. It also comes in a lot of different sizes.
Why We Love the 2023 Youth Player Preferred Y62 Ash
We think the Rawlings Youth Preferred Y62 Ash Bat is the best youth wood bat. We like the price point and the drop of 7.5. That bat also looks excellent, and any kid wanting to whet their appetite with a wood bat at a young age should like it. You can find other more expensive wood bats for youth (like Victus). But, at a young age, we don’t see the value in upgrading your wood types as swing speeds and pitch speed don’t require high-quality wood to get max performance.
Certification: Wood
Barrel Size: 2 1/2
Sizes: 28, 29, 30
Drop: 7.5
Serial Number: Y62AUS21
Release Month: June 2022
Related: Best Wood Bats
Why We Love the 2023 Pro Reserve Tatis JR Birch Youth
If you want to spend the money, you can’t go wrong with the Victus Pro Reserve Youth wood bat in the TATIS JR birch wood. The bat is made for youth hitters and comes with a drop between 6 and 8 (You don’t get to choose, you get what you get). It uses a cup-barrelled end to bring down the swing weight. Despite its price, this bat is readily available and is the most popular youth wood bat.
Certification: Wood
Barrel Size: 2 1/2
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Drop: 7
Serial Number: VYRWBTATISJRBGY
Release Month:
Related: Best Wood Bats
Why We Love the 2023 Youth Genuine Series 125 Maple
If you want a cheap youth wood bat, look no further than the Slugger Series 125 Maple wood bat. We found this on Dicks Sporting Goods for $30 at the time of this writing but located it elsewhere for almost double that price. In any case, check around in pricing for this bat. If you can find it for $30, then it is an easy choice as the best youth bat for cheap. It hits well, feels decent, and does what it is supposed to do. It also comes in a lot of different sizes.
Certification: Wood
Barrel Size: 2 1/2
Sizes: 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Drop: 6
Serial Number: WBL2442010
Release Month: January 2021
Related: Best Wood Bats
The drop, you should know, is the numerical difference between the weight of the bat in ounces and the length of the bat in inches. For example, a 30/20 is a drop 10. Most youth wood bats will come, for instance, in a 30/25. A total of 5 ounces or 25%, heavier than the player is accustomed to.
Single-piece wood bats are legal as a USA Bat.
Anything else must get the approval stamp. Meaning: Bamboo bats (not technically wood) and composite wood bats (bats made of multiple parts of wood) need specific approval by USA baseball to be legal.
USSSA has a less defined standard and says: “Must Be a Wood Bat.” Some might argue that a Bamboo bat is NOT a wood bat, and others might say a composite wood bat is also NOT a wood bat. But, we have never seen USSSA enforce that stringent of a definition.
There are several good reasons to buy a youth wood baseball bat. None of which, by the way, are because you think it performs as well as a good aluminum or composite wood bat. But, there are some legitimate reasons. Let us list at least a few of them.
For exact and scientific suggestions, look at our bat size chart.
However, wood bats rarely come in a light enough size for the average youth player. Most good wood youth bats are a drop 6 or 5. Some you can find in a drop 7.
In other words:
Wood bats are hard to size correctly for youth and since wood bats don’t possess the ability to control swing weight with a hollow barrel like composite and aluminum bats. It is impossible, for example, to find a 20-ounce bat, one of the more popular weights.
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