Equipment guide

Baseball gear is one of the easiest places to waste money in youth sports, and one of the easiest places to be talked into something. Here is what actually matters.

Everything here is available at Baseline Sports, and code GORILLA15 takes 15% off. We do not require you to buy anywhere in particular — we just know they will fit your player properly rather than selling you the most expensive thing on the wall.

Bats

The single most over-bought item in this sport.

Check the certification first

Before anything else, find out which stamp your leagues and tournaments require. USA Baseball and USSSA are different standards, and a bat legal in one is not legal in the other. Ask us if you are unsure which applies to your team — buying the wrong stamp is the most expensive mistake on this page.

Size it right

Two checks, both free, both better than a chart:

• Stand the bat next to your player. It should reach roughly to the middle of their palm with their arm at their side.
• Have them hold it out straight in front of them, one hand, for ten seconds. If the barrel drops, it is too heavy.

Lighter is almost always better. Bat speed matters more than mass at these ages, and a player swinging something too heavy develops habits we then spend a winter undoing. If you are between two drop weights, take the lighter one.

How much to spend

A $300 bat does not make a 10-year-old a better hitter. What it does is feel nicer and hold value slightly better. Under 12, buy the middle of the range and put the difference toward lessons or a tee. From 13 up, when swings and strength are more settled, spending more starts to make sense.

Gloves

Buy for the position and buy for the hand size, not for the brand.

Position	What to look for
Infield	Smaller, shallower pocket, open web. You want the ball out fast.
Outfield	Longer, deeper pocket. You want to catch it and hold it.
Pitcher	Closed web so the grip stays hidden.
First base	Mitt, no fingers, long and scoopy.
Catcher	Mitt, heavily padded. See below.

Because everybody here trains like a shortstop, an infield glove is the right first glove for almost every player, whatever position they end up playing on Saturday.

Leather or synthetic

Under about 10, a good synthetic is fine and it is game-ready out of the box. From 11 up, leather is worth it — it breaks in to their hand and it lasts years instead of one season.

Break it in properly. Play catch with it. That is the method. Not an oven, not a microwave, not a mallet and a jar of shaving cream. Those wreck leather and void warranties.

Catcher’s gear

The most expensive purchase on this list and the one parents get least help with, so here is the honest version.

• Buy a set rather than pieces. Sets are cheaper and sized to work together.
• Fit is safety, not comfort. A chest protector that rides up or shin guards that rotate are a real problem, not a minor annoyance. Get fitted in person.
• Do not buy up a size to grow into. The one category where that logic actively backfires.
• The helmet is not optional to get right. Hockey-style or two-piece both work. It has to fit now.
• Knee savers are worth it if your player catches regularly.

If your player is catching for us, come talk to us before you buy. We will tell you what they actually need for their age and how much they are likely to catch this season.

Helmets

One helmet, fitted properly, with a jaw guard if you want one. It should not move when they shake their head. Replace it after any significant impact, and replace it when they outgrow it rather than when it looks worn.

Face guards are a family decision. Plenty of our players wear them and nobody says anything about it.

Cleats and turfs

You need both. Molded cleats for grass and dirt, turf shoes for our facility. Metal cleats are not allowed indoors and are typically not allowed until 13 or 14 depending on the league — check before you buy.

Buy them a half size up, because feet at this age move fast and cleats do not stretch.

Pants, belts and socks

Your game uniform comes with club membership. What you are buying is practice pants and spares, and you will buy more than you expect — a knee goes through a pair roughly every time somebody learns to slide properly.

• Buy grey or white practice pants two pairs at a time.
• Knee-padded pants are worth the extra money for anyone who slides or catches.
• Keep a spare belt and a spare pair of socks in the bag permanently.

Bags

A backpack-style bat bag with bat sleeves and a helmet compartment. Wheeled bags are for catchers and for nobody else — they are heavy, they do not fit in dugouts, and every kid with one eventually asks a parent to carry it.

Whatever you buy, put their name on it. Every bag at a tournament looks the same by the second game.

Home training gear

This is the highest-return money on the whole page, because home reps are the biggest lever in the program.

Item	Why
Batting tee	Non-negotiable. Everything starts here.
Wiffle or foam balls	Safe indoors, and the ball flight teaches contact quality.
Hitting net	Turns a garage into a cage.
Resistance band	Arm care and warmup. Takes up no space.
Notebook	Sounds silly. It is the thing that turns swinging into practice.

You can do all of it for under $75. That is less than most families spend on one weekend tournament, and unlike the tournament it changes the swing.

What to skip

• A $300 bat under 12. Put it toward lessons.
• Batting gloves in three colours. One pair that fits.
• Weighted training bats for young players. Fine at 14 and up under supervision. Not before.
• Sunglasses under 11. They come off, get sat on, and get lost.
• Anything bought to grow into. Especially catcher’s gear and cleats.
• A second glove “for the outfield” before they are actually an outfielder.

When to buy

• Now, before November: turf shoes, glove, practice pants. They need these on day one.
• December and January: bats. Last year’s models drop in price once the new ones land, and the difference is usually paint.
• February: cleats, so they are not sized six months ahead of the first outdoor practice.
• Any time: home training gear. The sooner the better.