Christmas Baseball Gifts by Age: 8U–10U, 11U–12U and 13U
The best Christmas baseball gifts by age are the ones sized for the player your kid is right now, not the one you hope shows up next fall. For 8U–10U, that usually means a youth glove around 10.5″–11.5″ that they can actually squeeze shut. For 11U–12U, it means a youth-fit glove in the 11″–12″ range by position, and batting gloves sized by hand length. For 13U, it’s the year many players start moving into adult glove patterns (11.25″–12″ for infielders on Rawlings’ chart) and adult batting-glove sizes, while the game bat waits until the 2027 age group and bat rules are confirmed. Below is the size chart by age, then four picks with the reason each one fits its age band.
This guide is part of our North Texas Select Baseball Gear Guide. If you’d rather shop by budget, our baseball gifts under $25, $50 and $100 sorts ideas by price, and our select baseball Christmas gifts guide covers what to buy now versus what to wait on.
Affiliate disclosure: product links below go to Amazon and include our affiliate tag. If you buy through them, NTX Select Baseball may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Prices were checked on November 10, 2026 and change often, so treat them as a range, not a promise.
Why “buy it a size up” backfires
Grandparents and parents often buy one size up so the gift lasts two seasons. With clothes, that works. With baseball gear, it usually doesn’t. A glove that’s too big is hard to close, so balls pop out and the kid learns to two-hand everything. A bat that’s too long or too heavy slows the swing and wrecks timing. Batting gloves with extra room in the fingers bunch up on the handle. The player pays for the extra season of use with a worse season of play.
Two more reasons to size for now. First, select age groups follow a cutoff date, not the school grade. USSSA and Perfect Game use May 1 while Little League uses August 31, so “he’s in fifth grade” doesn’t tell you his 2027 division (our youth baseball age cutoffs chart explains it). Second, the field and the game change fast between 10U and 13U, and our 10U to 13U guide walks through what changes each year. Buy for the age group they’ll play in this spring.
One useful detail for gift-givers this year: Amazon’s holiday return window covers eligible items bought between November 1 and December 31, 2026, with returns allowed until January 31, 2027 (it’s printed on the product pages we checked). That gives you time for a fit check after Christmas. Have the player try the glove on, squeeze it, and swing in the batting gloves before the tags come off.
Christmas baseball gifts by age: the size chart
These ranges come from the makers’ own charts: the Rawlings glove sizing chart for gloves, the Louisville Slugger bat sizing guide for bat length, and Franklin’s hand-length chart on the CFX Pro listing for batting gloves. They’re starting points. Position and the kid’s own hand matter more than the birthday.
| Age band | Glove (Rawlings chart) | Bat length (most popular by age) | Batting gloves (Franklin chart) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8U–10U | Youth (7–12): infield 10.25″–11.5″, outfield 11.5″–12.25″, first base 11.5″–12″ | Ages 8–9: 26″–28″; age 10: 28″–29″ | Youth sizes by hand length: XS 5.5″–5.8″, S 5.8″–6″ |
| 11U–12U | Same youth ranges; most infielders land at 11″–11.5″, outfielders at 11.5″–12.25″ | Ages 11–12: 30″–31″ | Youth M 6″–6.3″, youth L 6.3″–6.5″ |
| 13U | Adult (12+): infield 11.25″–12″, outfield 12″–12.75″, first base 12″–13″ | Ages 13–14: 31″–32″ | Youth L 6.3″–6.5″ or adult S 6.8″–7″ as hands grow |
About the bat column: length is only half the answer. Which bat is legal depends on the sanctioning body and the 2027 age group. USSSA caps 13U at −8 nationally and moves 14U to BBCOR (−3) or wood for the 2027 season. That’s why our Christmas shopping guide says to wrap a bat IOU and buy once the team confirms its events. Use the length column above when you do, along with our bat buying guide.
8U–10U: a glove they can close
At this age, the best gift is a glove the player can open and close with one hand on day one. Most 8U–10U players end up between 10.5″ and 11.5″. Use 11″ as the default for infield or all-around play and 11.5″ for a player who mostly plays outfield. Stiff, adult-style leather is a waste here because the kid can’t break it in, and a glove they can’t close will cost them more catches than a cheaper one would.
Skip the expensive game bat and the full catcher’s set at this age unless your player is already catching for a team. Our youth catcher’s gear guide explains sizing if they are.
11U–12U: youth fit, bigger pocket, real batting gloves
This is the age where players start choosing a position, and the glove should follow it. Middle infielders want a smaller, shallower glove (about 11″–11.5″), while outfielders and corner players can go to 11.5″–12.25″. Look for a youth-fit glove, which has a smaller hand opening and shorter finger stalls, in those lengths. It gives a player who is still growing pro-style size without an adult glove sliding off a smaller hand.
Batting gloves start to matter here too. Kids swing more, play more weekend games and get blisters. Measure the hand and order from the chart instead of guessing. Most 11U–12U players fall into youth medium or youth large.
13U: the jump to adult sizes
Thirteen is the in-between year. Rawlings’ chart starts adult sizing at age 12, and many 13U players move into adult glove patterns (11.25″–12″ infield, 12″–12.75″ outfield) and adult batting gloves. Plenty don’t, though. A smaller 13-year-old may still be better off in a youth-fit 11.5″. Have the player try both if you can, and let the hand decide rather than the birthday.
13U is also the year before the big bat change. With 14U moving to BBCOR or wood under USSSA’s 2027 rule, a wood training bat for tee work is a good 13U gift (see the picks in our Christmas shopping guide). Hold off on the game bat until the team’s 2027 schedule and age group are confirmed.
Christmas baseball gifts by age: four picks that fit their band
Each pick below is matched to an age band and sized from the charts above. Double-check the size, hand orientation and position before you check out.
1. Mizuno Prospect PowerClose Youth Glove (8U–10U): a glove they can close on day one
Mizuno’s youth PowerClose glove is built to fold shut easily for small hands. The listing labels its sizes by age: 11″ for ages 7–8 and 11.5″ for ages 9–10, plus 10″ and smaller for T-ball. It’s soft out of the box, so a younger player can use it at the first winter practice.
- Best for: 8U–10U players moving up from T-ball or coach pitch, or any young player who struggles to close their current glove
- Watch-outs: Pigskin leather, not the steerhide of pricier gloves. Some reviewers report laces breaking within a season, so plan to re-lace or replace it as they grow
- Budget lane: About $50 when we checked
2. Rawlings Select Pro Lite Youth Glove (10U–12U): pro-style patterns with a youth fit
Rawlings lists the Select Pro Lite for ages 12 and under, in sizes from 10.5″ to 12.25″. It has a Youth Pro Taper fit with a smaller hand opening and narrower finger stalls, and comes about 90% broken in from the factory. The pro-player models are also the part kids get excited about on Christmas morning.
- Best for: 10U–12U players who are settling into a position and have outgrown a starter glove
- Watch-outs: Pick the size by position (about 11″–11.5″ for middle infield, 11.5″+ for outfield), not by the player model. At least one reviewer says it will likely be too small for 12- to 14-year-olds
- Budget lane: About $65 when we checked
3. Franklin CFX Pro Batting Gloves (11U–13U): order by hand length, not age
The CFX Pro listing has the most useful sizing chart for gift-givers, because it goes by hand length: youth small 5.8″–6″, youth medium 6″–6.3″, youth large 6.3″–6.5″ and adult small 6.8″–7″. Measure the hand, match it to the chart and you’re done. It comes in a lot of colors, so you can match the team’s colors once you know them.
- Best for: 11U–13U players swinging most weekends, or anyone getting blisters or losing grip
- Watch-outs: Durability reviews are mixed, with some pairs tearing within a month of heavy use. If a hand falls between youth large and adult small, have the player try both
- Budget lane: About $40 when we checked (list price $49.99)
4. Wilson A2000 Classic 1786 11.5″ (13U, the splurge): only if the position is settled
An adult 11.5″ infield pattern in pro-grade leather, the size Rawlings’ chart puts in the adult infield range. For a 13U middle infielder whose hand has grown into adult sizing and who takes care of their gear, this is a glove they can use through high school.
- Best for: 13U middle infielders with an adult-size hand and a position they’re committed to
- Watch-outs: The listing rates the break-in as stiff, so it needs real work before spring. It’s sold by a third-party seller, and the listing says it isn’t eligible for free returns. At this price, a youth-fit glove is the smarter buy for most 13-year-olds
- Budget lane: About $330 when we checked
Christmas baseball gifts by age: the quick list
- 8U–10U: an easy-close youth glove (10.5″–11.5″), a tee and soft-toss balls. Skip the game bat and the full catcher’s set.
- 11U–12U: a youth-fit glove sized by position (11″–12.25″) and batting gloves ordered by hand length. Wrap an IOU for the bat until the age group is confirmed.
- 13U: try youth-fit and adult glove patterns side by side, adult or youth-large batting gloves, and a wood training bat for the jump to BBCOR. The game bat still waits.
- Every age: size for this spring, not for next year, and do a fit check before the January 31 return deadline.
For more on gloves by position, see our baseball glove buying guide. For everything else on the 2027 gear list, go back to the North Texas Select Baseball Gear Guide.
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