Baseball Bats for 10 Year Olds: Sizing Guide and Expert Reviews

Selecting a baseball bat for a 10-year-old can be a difficult process for a parent as there are a lot of intricacies that go with it. In order to make an educated purchase on a baseball bat, parents should be aware of how to size their player for a bat and understand bat length, weight, league regulations, materials, and construction. This article will walk you through, step-by-step, to select the perfect bat for your 10-year-old as well as give a few options from our experts for your baseball player. Although it is just a few options, you can check out our full selection of Little League bats and senior league bats to find the bat that suits your needs.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• Baseball Bats for 10 Year Olds: Sizing Chart
• Baseball Bats for 10 Year Olds: How to Choose the Right Size
• List of the Best Baseball Bats for 10 Year Olds
• 10 Year Old Baseball Bat Reviews & Comparisons

Baseball Bats for 10 Year Olds: Sizing Chart

The first thing to consider when looking at baseball bats for your 10-year-old is to understand bat sizes based on your player’s height and weight. The chart depicted below will show a range of heights and weights and what size bat your player should be swinging based on their size.

Baseball Bats for 10 Year Olds: How to Choose the Right Size

The first step in selecting a bat for your 10-year-old is understanding the bat size. To do this, you will need to consider the bat’s length, weight, bat drop, and materials used in the bat. For a smaller 10-year-old, it is recommended that they steer towards a 28 or 29-inch bat that features a -10 drop weight. For a taller 10-year-old who might not have filled out yet, moving up in length to a 29 or 30-inch bat would better fit that player. 

For the 10-year-old who might not be as tall but is over 70 lbs, it is ideal for them to swing either a -10 or -11 bat depending on their strength. A 30”/19oz bat or 30”/20oz bat would be ideal for a player in this situation. Lastly, for the player on the larger side of 10-year-olds, staying with a -10 bat drop would be perfect as they can handle the weight. As far as the length of the bat goes, 30 or 31 inches would be perfect for providing them with great plate coverage to reach a baseball thrown to any part of the plate. No matter the size of the 10-year-old, there are several viable options to find the bat that suits your needs.

When deciding on a length for your 10-year-old’s bat, it should fall somewhere between the 28” and 31” range. Smaller players will probably steer towards a 28” or 29” bat, an average-sized player would probably swing a 30” bat, and a larger player would swing a 31” bat. If your 10-year-old is between ranges and you are still confused about how to properly size your player for a bat, here are step-by-step directions to help with bat length. Short paragraph going over the bat length recommendations for a 10-year-old.

1. Place the knob of the bat at the center of the player’s chest and point it to either side 
2. Have the player raise their arms straight to the side of their body
3. The bat and arm should be parallel to one another
4. If the player can comfortably reach their fingertips to the end cap, the bat is a proper length

Choosing a bat weight is also very important when selecting a baseball bat for a 10-year-old. Typically a 10-year-old will swing a bat in the range of 18oz to 21oz. It is important to find a bat that the player can easily swing so they are able to catch up to pitches.

Understanding the bat’s drop weight will also be helpful when determining the correct weight. Most bats for a 10-year-old will feature either a -10 drop weight or a -11 drop weight. This means that the bat will be 10oz less than the length of the bat or 11oz lighter than the length of the bat. For example, if a bat is 30 inches and features a -10 drop weight it would weigh 20oz.

Dependent on the player’s size and strength, they should either be swinging a bat with a -10 drop weight or a -11 drop weight. The player who is smaller for their age should steer toward the -11 drop weight as they still have time before they need to move up in bat weight since that typically does not happen until age 12. You might think that a one-ounce difference in a bat is not that big of a deal, but with a baseball bat, you can clearly feel a difference between the two and especially while you are hitting.

Bat sizing is not an easy process and if you are still confused, here is an image depicting three sizes. This chart shows a bat for a smaller player, an average-sized player, and a larger player.

League requirements for baseball bats also play an intricate role in selecting a baseball bat for a 10-year-old. Little League baseball requires this age group to swing USA Baseball certified bats. However, if your 10-year-old is playing travel ball it is important to check tournament requirements or league requirements for your travel league to ensure the bat is legal for play.

Although they look similar at a surface level, baseball bats are composed of different materials that can affect your bat choice. Baseball bats are primarily constructed from all alloy, all-composite, or a half alloy and half composite bat that is referred to as a “hybrid.” Alloy bats will typically be the most affordable, and will also feature a stiff swinging bat. In turn, a stiffer swinging bat will produce higher bat speeds and thus creating higher exit velocities. A disadvantage to most alloy bats is that they will not dampen vibration well and 10-year-olds typically don’t like the feedback to their hands. However, this could also be a good opportunity to help them train and teach a 10-year-old how to hit as the feedback to the hands will let them know they didn’t square the ball up. 

A full-composite bat or a hybrid bat will typically be a two-piece bat that is connected through a connection point. These bats will have more flex on swings and the barrel will act more like a whip on swings. These two-piece bats will also dampen feedback to the hands-on miss-hits. Many 10-year-old baseball players will prefer the two-piece bat simply because it does not sting their hands as much as a one-piece alloy bat.

No matter what your budget might be, you can find a bat on our website that suits the player’s needs while staying within a budget. A one-piece alloy bat will typically be the least expensive, a hybrid bat that is half alloy and half composite will be a mid-range price point, and a full-composite bat will typically be the most expensive. If the player is only going to swing the bat for a year or so, I would recommend choosing an alloy bat. However, if this is a bat that is going to be used for longer than a year, it might be worth it to spend a little more and get a hybrid or composite baseball bat.

List of the Best Baseball Bats for 10 Year Olds

1. Marucci CATX Connect (-10) USSSA Baseball Bat - 2023 Model

2. Rawlings Icon (-10) USA Baseball Bat - 2023 Model

Although the bats listed above are all great options, maybe they just don’t suit what you are looking for. To find the perfect bat for your 10-year-old, check out our full selection of Little League bats and senior league bats.