Over the course of the past few years, we've purchased several baseball bats that didn't quite work for us. Sure, my kid was hitting the ball, but he wasn't hitting taters. The bat was too long, strangely shaped, or too heavy.
But none of that really matters. I refuse to run up the credit card bill on youth sports gear. In fact, I've gone so far to say that I will never spend more than $100 a season on baseball gear. I don't want baseball to become a sport that you have to spend a lot of money just to play. In lieu of paying top dollar for the newest gear, we get awfully creative, relying on eBay or purchasing something on Amazon with damaged packaging. Just in the past year, I've made several purchases off eBay in an effort to (1) get good equipment but (2) not overspend. $15 for a worn-in glove in great condition. $20 for a quality hitting tee. It can be done. But here's the thing... I am not sure if there's a relationship between the money I've spent on baseball equipment and my child's success playing baseball.
In Santo Domingo, kids use limes for a ball and milk cartons for a glove. Some of the best baseball players in the game, including Albert Pujols, come from Santo Domingo -- an area not known for wealth. Prospect after prospect emerges from some of the most poverty-stricken regions of the world. And yet, we spend far too much money on gear and too little of the resource that matters the most: time.
Ever since my son was 3, we've been practicing baseball in the backyard. Luckily, he had the aptitude for it. It might only have been 40 degrees outside, but he'd compel me to join him in the backyard for a little batting practice. In fact, he was insatiable. He demanded that we hit ball after ball after ball. We'd drive the neighborhood dogs absolutely nuts, spending hour after hour hitting and throwing the ball. We started out with a $20 whiffle ball set. We focused on batting stances, how to shift your weight, and all of the little things that matter so much in the game. A few years later, he asked me to sign up him for machine pitch with his friends. At that point, we graduated from that $20 whiffle ball set to a particularly competitive little league with travel teams and all-star teams. I really was not prepared for that scene, but I also don't know if I ever will be.
Most of the kids show up with new, expensive bats, gloves, cleats, and so forth. The gear is pretty. Little Mike Trouts and Bryce Harpers walking all around the field. But as far as I can tell, that gear hasn't made them better baseball players. In fact, after coaching youth sports for several years, I can only provide you with this semi-educated guess: what separates the good ones from the developing ones is some magical combination of God-given talent and the time they've spent developing that talent with their parents and coaches. And no, you don't need to spend all of your money on gear or high-priced lessons.
But in case you've come here in search of advice for a bat, I will do my best to provide it. To be clear, I would never advocate spending more than $100 on a bat. Just don't. In fact, I have a hard enough time justifying a purchase over $50. Your child is still growing and growing by the season. You can buy an expensive bat, but your child will out-grow it quickly. Your child will get stronger and use heavier bats. It's just not worth the expense of buying expensive bat after expensive bat. And truthfully, you don't even need to go there.
My first stop would be your coaches. Ask your coaches for their advice. They have a good recommendation after watching your child do enough batting practice. Some kids are just better off with a lighter bat whereas others are ready for the heavier bats. Ask your coaches. They may also even have access to a free bat or something cheap. Just ask and get their recommendation on the measurements of the bat (weight & length).
My second stop would be eBay. You could be astonished at the wealth of products available on eBay. For every current little leaguer, there are a handful of little leaguers that retired or outgrew their equipment. And for every retired little leaguer, there is a parent exhausted by the sight of old baseball equipment. Pounce on that opportunity, spend a few days understanding what's available, and get your child a quality bat for a quality price.
However, if you've willing to buy a new bat and spend around $60-$70, there is one bat that we use, trust, and would buy again. The bat is very balanced, the sweet spot has a great pop to it. But as cool as that bat really is, it didn't make him any better at the plate. That journey started way back when with a cheap little whiffle ball set.