USA & USSSA Bat Suggestions for 8 Year Old

My [son] plays USA ball in the spring and USSSA in the fall. He is 8 years old, 4′-4″ and 60 pounds. He has played every year since 4, started taking hitting lessons 1 year ago and is a solid contact hitter put with good pop, hits to the fence…in the park hrs every season.

He used a Rawlings 5150 -11 last year as a 7-year-old. Price isn’t an issue. More interested in the best bats. Thank you.

~Chet

This is adapted from our advice section.

Chet,

Here are some related articles you might find helpful.

• Best Bat for 8 Year Old
• Best USSSA Bat
• Best USA Bat
• Bat Size Chart

If you want the best for a USA and USSSA league then we suggest you buy two bats. That might sound ridiculous to some, but maximizing performance in each league will require a bat fit for the specific requirements.

As well, timing does matter here. If your boy is not playing in a USSSA league until fall we would wait until then to buy the bat. More durability data will be out by then and you’ll likely find a better price in the late summer on bats that aren’t at full retail price in the early spring. As well, a full season will change a lot.

In other words, buy a USA Bat now and a USSSA bat in late summer.

Sizing

At 60 pounds and a good to great player with good experience we’d go for a 31/21. The drop 10 range is where the best youth bats are made and a 21 ounce bat should give him plenty of bat dexterity at 60 pounds.

A slightly crazy, but not that crazy idea, would be a 29 inch drop 8 (29/21) bat. A 29/21 generally swings lighter than a 31/21 because its center of mass is more towards the hands.

On second thought, the drop 8 option is tempting, we really think he’ll like the 31 inch better and a more safe choice. And at 8u a drop 10 is much more common. (Although, again, we’d love to hear feedback from him swinging a drop 8 like the Marucci CAT 8.)

USA Option

Price Check: Amazon

For this spring we’d take a real close look at the new Ghost X Evolution. We know the Ghost X from 2018 was a dog. It’d drop 10 felt weird on even good hits. But, this year, we really think they dialed something in. If price is not a concern, you might also take a close look at the Rawlings Quatro. Both of those bats we’d suggest in a 31/21.

Price Check: Amazon

Our favorite bat for USA in 2019 is DeMarini’s Voodoo. But, we like that bat in part for its many sizing options (like a drop 5) and the more reasonable price point. If you only need one for a smaller hitter in the drop 10 space then go with the Ghost X Evolution for 2019. Here, too, use a 31/21.

USSSA Option

In terms of overall performance in the USSSA Space we used go with the CF Zen. (You can see it featured on our best bat for 8 year olds page as well as our best USSSA Bat).

Price Check: Amazon

More than a few have complained about the CF Zen USSSA’s durability. It does, indeed, have an incidence of cracking. But, the payoff between performance and breaking is sometimes razor thin. DeMarini, apparently, has taken the stance they’d rather have a bat that was for sure hot and might break than that of one that might be hot but probably won’t break. If pricing isn’t an issue then the latter approach makes more sense. Like the above bats, the 31/21 is the place to be with this one.

Thanks and good luck!