Spending much on a bat for an 8-year-old is rarely justifiable; they outgrow it and bat type barely matters. Kids need consistent contact and swing. Our top pick: Marucci’s 2024 F5, light with a big barrel. For more spend, consider Easton’s 28-inch USA ADV 360 or Hype in USSSA. For fastpitch, Marucci has an alloy DMND that’s worth a look.
It’s hard to justify spending a lot of money on a bat for an 8-year-old. They will grow out of it quickly. As well, it turns out that the bat doesn’t make much of a difference at this age (as long it’s the right size). Kids aren’t seeing pitch speeds and don’t have swing speeds nearly high enough to engage the barrel. What they need, really, is the ability to make consistent contact and execute a consistent swing. With that in mind, our favorite bat for an 8-year-old is Marucci’s 2024 F5. It’s a single-piece bat with a light swing and a big barrel that won’t break the bank. If you want to spend more then Easton has a fantastic lineup for the smaller kid in the 28-inch range of the USA ADV 360 or Hype in USSSA drop 10.
Updated February 8, 2024
In September of 2023 we began testing most of the 2023 and 2024 bats. That data collection process, while ongoing throughout the 2024 season and this article will be updated accordingly. Check our best USSSA, USA, and Fastpitch articles for the most up-to-date rankings.
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What is the Right Bat Size
After surveying over 200 parents of 8-year-old players, we found that the proper bat size for an 8-year-old is, on average, 28 inches and 18 ounces (28/18). The second most common is 29-inches and 19 ounces, followed very closely by a 27/17. We suggest the right size bat for most 8U players to be a 28/18. The chart below shows the 8U market in more detail. (Click here for more information on the chart).
Much like all the other ages we surveyed for the proper bat size, we found that attributes like height, weight, strength, and skill didn’t predict bat size for 8-year-olds very well. In other words, bat fitting in the traditional height/weight chart seems otherwise pointless. Most hitters choose what everyone else in their age group has chosen. For the 8-year-old bunch that coalesces around a 27 – 29-inch bat weighing 17 to 19 ounces. When in doubt, we suggest you go with the 27/17. If you’ve played before, then go with a 28/18. We’d only recommend a 29/19 for those who really know what they are doing and have tried the bat out before.
Also, in the 8-year-old world, drop 11 and drop 12’s work well too. (Drops are the numerical difference between the length of the bat in inches and the bat’s weight in ounces. So, for example, a 28-inch drop of 10 bats has a stated weight of 18 ounces). We mention a few of our favorite drop 11 and drop 12 bats below.
How We Rate Bats
We hit every bat we rate. Most of our hits come from players who might use the bat in a game. Over the past 5 years, we have swung every performance bat made by every serious manufacturer. Also, track theexit speeds, measure thebarrel sizes,and collect reader feedback about bats. We don’t sell bats and aren’t interested in doing so. We are an independent bat review site out to #spitonthehype, as we like to say.
