Best Baseball Bat For 8 Year Old (Updated Guide 2023)
Youth baseball can be one of the brightest memories for a baseball player as they get older. Making sure that they have the right equipment is a very important part of making those memories.
Setting up a young player for success at the plate starts with choosing the right youth baseball bat. This is especially critical for eight year olds.
These little leaguers are starting to transition from tee ball or coach pitch to machine pitch or possibly kid pitch in certain leagues.
I have been fortunate to coach many eight year olds over the past several years. In this article I’ll be going into depth on recommended bat sizes, bat compositions, prices and everything in between.
What size baseball bat for 8 year old?
If you’re in the market for a new baseball bat for your 8 year old. The first question you may ask yourself is, “What is the best size bat for an 8 year old.”
After coaching many different teams and against hundreds of other kids. The best bat size for an 8 year old is 28″-18 ounces.
However, if your child is slightly above or below average height and weight for their age, can effect this decision. Read on to figure out how to determine which size is the best for your child.
Bat length and weight is the most critical part of the process for picking the right youth baseball bat. You can buy the most expensive bat on the market or one that has the latest and greatest technology. But, if you get the sizing wrong, it won’t matter.
Bat Length
Lets start with bat length. Finding the right length of the bat is important and considered easier than bat weight. There are two concerns when it comes to bat length, being too short or too long.
Too short and the player will be hitting a lot of baseballs off the end cap. This is because they just can’t reach far enough.
On the other end of the spectrum, a baseball bat thats too long puts more weight further away from the hands. This makes a bat feel and swing heavier. Leading to many players being late at contact or getting jammed often.
Here is a quick reference on bat length.
Bat Weight
Bat weight is definitely the more critical of the two deciding factors when it comes to picking the right size youth baseball bat. You want a good balance of not too light and not too heavy.
What I mean by this is, you want the bat to be light enough where your player can have good bat speed, but heavy enough to overcome the momentum of a pitched baseball.
This is where bat drop comes into play.
Bat drop is defined by the difference between the weight and the length of a baseball bat. Youth baseball bats can be found regularly with a -10 or -12 drop, even upwards of -13.5.
You might be thinking, “I’ll get the lightest bat and little Johnny will be able to swing his bat very fast and hit the ball even farther.”
That sounds good in theory, but I would recommend not going any less than 17 ounces and even thats pushing it. At this weight or lighter you start getting into the bat being too light.
Yes, he may be able to swing the bat fast, but there isn’t enough energy in the bat to overcome a pitched baseball. What ends up happening is the bat will deflect off the baseball instead of driving through it.
You will be better off to sacrifice a small amount of swing speed for a couple extra ounces.
How do I measure a bat for an 8 year old?
Measuring for a baseball bat can be done in a couple different ways.
- Use last seasons bat as a guide.
- Use a Chart (see above).
First, if you already have a bat from last season then it is recommended that you never move up more than one inch at a time.
Doing so will often cause too much of an increase in size and the bat will become too long or too heavy. This will normally cause a drastic change in a players swing. Leading to the possible development of bad habits from over compensation.
What are baseball bat regulations?
Over the years there have been different organizations assembled in order to make a the game safer for youth players. They develop different regulations on equipment, especially over baseball bats.
These standards regulate how fast a baseball comes off a baseball bat. Some of these standards you may have even heard before, such as USA, USSSA and BBCOR.
Youth leagues such as Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken often abide by the USA baseball bat standard. While USSSA operate normally on the USSSA baseball bat standard. I would recommend if you are unsure that you check with your local baseball league before purchasing your next bat.
USA bat standards
USA bat standard was created mirror wood bat performance. This standard was adopted on January 1st, 2018. There are many little leagues that have adopted this standard including Cal Ripken, Babe Ruth and Dixie.
All USA bats must have a stamp between the grip and the barrel in order to be considered legal.
USSSA bat standard
In 2005 the USSSA bat standard was introduced. This standard is based on a 1.15 performance factor over wood bat performance. This means a baseball will bounce off a USSSA certified bat at faster rate than wood or USA bat.
These bats are usually only accepted for tournaments and travel ball organizations. USSSA bats also have a stamp located of the tapered part of the bat located between the grip and barrel.
BBCOR bat standard
BBCOR stands for Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution. This is a fancy term for the “bounciness” of a baseball off a bat. This standard is much like the USA bat standard in that it mirrors wood bat performance. These bats are required at the high school and collegiate level.
What are youth baseball bats made from?
Baseball Bat technology has made drastic changes over the past two decades and is constantly evolving. Especially the materials used in the bats composition.
In the old days little league players didn’t have much to chose from, mostly it was just aluminum alloy and nothing else.
Now baseball bats are available in aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium or a combination of several materials. These materials help keep the weight of a baseball bat down, giving them a lighter swing weight.
It also allows players to compete similar to higher levels of baseball.
Metal alloy and aluminum bats
Essentially metal alloy and aluminum bats are the same thing. All metal bats contain aluminum and some may contain traces of other metals. Here are some pros and cons of metal bats.
Pros:
- Durability compared to composite
- No break-in period like composite
- Less expensive
Cons:
- Less Flexible than composite
- Don’t have as much pop as broke-in composite
- More vibration on mishits
Composite bats
Composite bats are made with multiple layers of materials, including carbon fiber and a polymer. These bats have many different qualities than that of aluminum. Heres a list of pros and cons for composite baseball bats.
Pros:
- Larger sweet spot
- Flexible swing feel, “whip like”
- Better mishit forgiveness
- Lighter swing weights
Cons:
- Less Durable
- Cold weather intolerance
What about barrel size?
Baseball bat barrel diameter is another factor to be taken into consideration during a bat purchase. Just like the materials used in todays baseball bats have many different options, players also have many different options for barrel diameter.
Barrels can be found in the following sizes: 2 1/4″, 2 1/2″, 2 3/8″, 2 5/8″ and 2 3/4″. However, most baseball bats for 8 year old’s will be either be 2 5/8″ or 2 3/4″.
You will often times see 2 3/4″ diameter bats listed as big barrel. Big barrel bats give players more surface area on the bat to make good contact with the baseball.
How about price?
For most people one of the biggest determining factors with buying a new youth baseball bat is price. Price can be all over the place, you can have bats from $50 all the way up to $400.
There are several aspects that effect to the price of a youth baseball bat. First there is the technology that goes into to the development of the bat.
Second is the brand name. Some bat makers have earned there spots atop the leaderboard of bat manufactures. This doesn’t always mean that you will get a better bat just because of a name.
Be cautious when it comes to the price and do your homework.
Best youth baseball bats for 2022
I have grouped the best bats you can find for the 2022 season by league certification.
Best USSSA baseball bats
The new DeMarini The Goods baseball bat is their most popular bat and for good reason. The Goods has a massive alloy barrel and huge sweet spot, delivering unbelievable pop. I have found this bat to be very widely used among 8 year old travel ball players.
Pros:
- Large sweet spot
- Great pop
- Very balanced
- Absorbs mishits well
- One year warranty
Cons:
- Cold weather durability
Marucci is trusted by around 75% of major league baseball players because they make really good baseball bats. Combination of the composite hand and the aluminum barrel give this bat great durability. This bat also delivers exceptional pop and sound that will surely intimidate your opponents.
Pros:
- Large sweet spot
- Two piece design eliminates vibration
- Great sound and pop
- Tacky grip
- End loaded for power hitters
Cons:
- End loaded swing feel
DeMarini is constantly improving their baseball bats. This bat is for the serious travel ball player that likes to swing a composite bat.
Pros:
- Larger Sweet spot
- Fully composite barrel and handle
- Great for power hitters
- One year warranty
Cons:
- Durability concerns
- Stiff swing feel
Rawlings debuts the new ICON two piece composite design for 2023. The ICON features a redesigned zero loss energy technology connection point, eliminating drag and vibration. This bat has a great balanced feel for great bat speed and control.
Pros:
- Large sweet spot
- Great pop
- Cushioned and tacky grip
- Improved two piece design
Cons:
- Steep price
Louisville Slugger continues its Meta line with another outstanding youth baseball bat. This bat features new Gapped Wall EKO Technology. Allowing the barrel to have a low compression outer barrel that improves performance, regardless of bat speed.
Pros:
- Extra large sweet spot
- Premium tack grip
- Two piece construction
- Fully composite
Cons:
- Stiffer swing feel
Final Thoughts!
No matter which bat you pick on this list for, you are sure to go to the plate with confidence to deliver that next big hit.
