Gear guide

Baseball & Softball

Bats, gloves, helmets and catcher's gear, sorted by what your league allows.

Fan Field Guide Editorial Team / Editorial · Updated August 2026

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Recommendations are made independently of any partnership.

What matters

Decisions that shape a baseball & softball purchase

Get these right and the specific model matters far less.

USA, USSSA and BBCOR rules

Glove sizing by position

What a first-season kit costs

Shop baseball bats at Easton

Shop gloves and mitts at Easton Shop batting helmets at Easton

Young hitter at the plate on a dirt infield in late-afternoon light — Baseball is the one gear category where a purchase can be ruled illegal at the plate. Certification comes before performance, every time.

Start here

Buy the certification, then the bat

Every other gear category on this site rewards you for shopping on specifications. Baseball adds a step in front of that: your league decides which stamp is legal, and an umpire can pull a brand-new bat out of a game that carries the wrong one. USA Baseball, USSSA and BBCOR are not tiers of quality, they are separate rule sets, and a bat built for one is unusable in another.

Once the stamp is settled, the money goes into two places: a bat the hitter can actually swing fast, and a glove sized to the position rather than to an age bracket. Everything below works through both, plus catcher's gear, cleats and the calendar that decides what a bat costs.

Shop baseball bats at Easton Shop gloves and mitts at Easton Shop Easton

Legality first

Which bat standard your league uses

Check the rulebook before you shop. This table covers the standards that govern almost all organized play in the United States.

Standard	Used by	What it means	Watch for
USA Baseball (USABat)	Little League, Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Dixie Youth, PONY	Performance capped to a wood-like standard for youth play.	The USA Baseball stamp on the barrel. A USSSA bat will not pass here.
USSSA (BPF 1.15)	USSSA travel ball and many independent tournament circuits	A hotter performance ceiling than USABat, with a thumbprint mark.	The USSSA thumbprint. Illegal in Little League play.
BBCOR .50	High school (NFHS) and college (NCAA) baseball	Ball exit speed limited so metal performs close to wood.	BBCOR .50 stamp plus a drop-3 weight. Nothing else is legal at that level.
ASA / USA Softball	Most youth and adult slowpitch and fastpitch softball leagues	Certification mark tied to a published bat performance standard.	Check your league's approved bat list, not just the stamp.
Wood	Wood-bat tournaments, adult leagues, practice	No certification needed in most wood-only events.	Maple, birch and ash break differently. Birch is the forgiving middle ground.

Easton publishes the certification stamp on every bat listing, which makes it straightforward to filter by the standard your league requires before you compare barrels, drop weights or construction.

Shop baseball bats at Easton Shop fastpitch bats at Easton

The kit

What each piece is for, and what to buy first

Eight slots cover a full bag. Only four of them are urgent in a first season.

Slot	Role	Who needs it	Spend first
Bat	The one piece of equipment a league will actually inspect	Everyone, and the certification stamp matters more than the model	Yes
Fielding glove	Position-specific pocket and web that shapes every defensive rep	Everyone. Size by position and hand, not by age bracket alone	Yes
Batting helmet	Required protective equipment at every level of organized play	Everyone. Must carry the NOCSAE stamp for league use	Yes
Catcher's set	Mask, chest protector, leg guards and a mitt with heavier padding	Only catchers, but it is the single biggest line item in the sport	Later
Batting gloves	Grip and hand protection through a long season of swings	Most hitters. Two pairs outlast one pair by more than double	Later
Cleats	Traction on dirt and grass, and a league-legal sole	Everyone. Metal spikes are banned in most youth divisions	Yes
Bat bag or backpack	Carries two bats, a helmet, glove and cleats to the field	Anyone past their first season	Optional
Practice balls and a net	Reps at home between team practices	Players who want to improve faster than twice-weekly practice allows	Optional

Gloves

Size by position, not by age

Glove sizing is the most common mistake in youth baseball. A glove bought two sizes large so it lasts three seasons cannot be closed on the ball, and the player learns to trap rather than catch. Measure from the heel to the top of the index finger, then match it to the position the player actually plays.

Web pattern matters almost as much. Open I-web and H-web patterns let dirt fall through and speed up the transfer for infielders; closed webs hide the grip for pitchers and add pocket support for outfielders. Leather grade decides break-in time: a stiffer premium hide takes a season to shape but holds it for years.

Shop gloves and mitts at Easton Shop catcher's gear at Easton

Position	Typical size
InfieldShallower pocket and open web for a fast transfer to the throw.	11 to 11.75 inches
OutfieldDeep pocket and long body to run down balls in the gap.	12.5 to 12.75 inches
PitcherClosed web so the grip on the ball stays hidden from the hitter.	11.75 to 12 inches
First baseMitt shape with a scoop, built for picking short-hop throws.	12 to 13 inches
CatcherHeavily padded mitt measured around the perimeter, not by length.	32.5 to 34 inches circumference
Youth all-purposeSized to the hand. A glove a player cannot close teaches bad habits.	9 to 11 inches

Three buying paths

Where the player is decides what to buy

Same sport, three completely different shopping lists.

First season, coach pitch to Little League

A kid who has never had their own kit.

Buy a glove that fits their hand and a certified bat. Nothing else is urgent.

Buy in this order

1USA Baseball certified bat in the drop weight the league recommends
2Youth glove sized to the hand, broken in before the first practice
3NOCSAE-stamped helmet and molded cleats

Skip: Composite travel-ball bats, a catcher's set and a second glove.

Travel ball and middle school

Playing a full spring plus summer tournaments.

Spend on the bat that matches the sanctioning body, then on a real bat bag.

Buy in this order

1USSSA or USA bat depending on the circuit, sized by length-to-weight
2Position-specific glove now that a position has settled
3Two pairs of batting gloves and a wheeled or backpack bat bag

Skip: Buying a new bat every year. Two seasons out of a well-stored bat is normal.

High school and college

BBCOR rules, longer seasons, heavier workload.

Bat and glove are the whole budget. Everything else is replacement, not upgrade.

Buy in this order

1BBCOR .50 drop-3 bat in the length matched to your swing, not your height chart
2Full-size position glove in premium leather you break in yourself
3Turf shoes alongside cleats for indoor winter work

Skip: Bat warranties on wood. Rotate two wood bats in cage work instead.

Spec sheet, translated

What the numbers on the barrel mean

Six terms cover most of the language on a bat or glove listing.

Drop weight: Length in inches minus weight in ounces, written as drop 10, drop 5, drop 3.; A bigger drop number means a lighter bat. Bat speed beats mass for almost every young hitter.
BBCOR: Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution, capped at .50 for high school and college.; It is the reason metal bats stopped out-hitting wood at those levels. It is a legality rule, not a marketing term.
One-piece vs two-piece: Whether the barrel and handle are a single unit or joined at a connection point.; One-piece transfers more feedback and suits stronger hitters. Two-piece dampens sting on mishits.
Alloy vs composite: Aluminum alloy is hot out of the wrapper; composite needs a break-in period.; Composite gets a bigger sweet spot after roughly 150 to 200 hits. Alloy performs better in cold weather.
Glove web: The laced pattern between thumb and fingers: I-web, H-web, trapeze, closed.; Open webs let dirt fall through and speed up transfers. Closed webs hide the ball and add pocket support.
NOCSAE stamp: A safety certification mark on helmets and catcher's gear.; Umpires check for it. Gear without the stamp will not be allowed on the field in organized play.

Timing

When each part of the bag goes on sale

Bat pricing follows the season calendar closely. Buying against it is the easiest saving in the category.

November to January

Best pricing on last season's bats

New models land in the fall, which pushes prior-year bats onto clearance before spring signups.

February to March

Gloves, cleats and helmets

Full size runs are in stock for tryouts. Buy the glove early so break-in happens before opening day.

April to June

Mid-season replacements

Batting gloves, grips and socks wear out first. Keep a spare pair of batting gloves in the bag.

July to October

Travel-ball restock and fall clearance

Tournament season burns through bags and cleats, and fall is when the deepest markdowns show up.

See Easton clearance Shop batting gloves at Easton Shop bat bags and backpacks at Easton

Game-day bag check

9 items

Saved on your device only.

What are you buying next?

One vote per reader. Results appear after you pick.

Go deeper

Baseball buying guides

Buying guide

Best Baseball Bats

USA, USSSA and BBCOR explained, plus how to size length and drop

Buying guide

Best Baseball Gloves

Position sizing, web patterns, leather grades and break-in

Buying guide

Youth Baseball Starter Kit

What a first-season player actually needs, and what can wait

Brand review

Easton

Watch guide

How to Watch the MLB Playoffs

Questions

Baseball gear FAQs

How do I know which bat certification my league needs?

Check the league rulebook before you shop. Little League and most youth associations require the USA Baseball stamp, USSSA travel circuits require the thumbprint mark with a BPF 1.15 rating, and high school and college play requires BBCOR .50 with a drop-3 weight. The stamp is a legality issue: an umpire can pull a non-compliant bat from the game regardless of how new it is.

What length and drop weight should a young hitter use?

Start from the manufacturer's length chart by height and weight, then let bat speed decide. If the hitter cannot hold the bat straight out from the shoulder for several seconds, or the barrel drags through the zone, go one inch shorter or one drop lighter. Almost every swing problem in youth baseball traces back to a bat that is too heavy.

Alloy or composite?

Alloy bats are ready out of the wrapper, hold up in cold weather and cost less. Composite bats need roughly 150 to 200 hits to reach full performance and usually offer a larger sweet spot and less sting, but they can crack in temperatures below about 60 degrees. Spring-only players in cold climates are often better served by alloy.

How should I break in a new glove?

Play catch with it. Manufacturers generally advise light conditioner, repeated closing and catch reps rather than heat, microwaves or ovens, all of which dry the leather and shorten glove life. Wrapping the glove around a ball with a band overnight speeds the pocket formation without damaging the leather.

What does a full catcher's set need?

A helmet or mask with a NOCSAE stamp, a chest protector sized by torso length, leg guards sized by knee-to-ankle measurement, and a catcher's mitt measured in circumference rather than length. It is the most expensive position in the sport, so check whether the league supplies a set before you buy one.

Metal or molded cleats?

Most youth divisions ban metal spikes outright, so molded plastic cleats are the safe default through Little League age. Metal typically becomes legal at the high school level and grips better on hard-packed infield dirt. Turf shoes are a worthwhile third pair for indoor winter work and warmups.

Baseball & Softball

Decisions that shape a baseball & softball purchase

Buy the certification, then the bat

Which bat standard your league uses

What each piece is for, and what to buy first

Size by position, not by age

Where the player is decides what to buy

First season, coach pitch to Little League

Travel ball and middle school

High school and college

What the numbers on the barrel mean

When each part of the bag goes on sale

Game-day bag check

What are you buying next?

Baseball buying guides

Baseball gear FAQs

Keep reading