The average size of a baseball bat depends on the player who is using it. Whey youngsters are playing organized baseball, they'll use a smaller and lighter bat than grown men and women who play the game professionally. Bats are measured in length and weight, and the key for any hitter is to be comfortable with the bat he picks up and swings in the batter's box.
Youth League Bat
When young people between the ages of 10 and 14 play baseball, the proper bat is one that can be driven through the hitting zone with speed and control. Most youth leagues will allow players to use a bat that is up to 33 inches long and weighs up to 30 oz. However, the average length is between 28 and 30 inches and the average weight is about 26 to 28 oz. Youth league players may not have a "drop" of more than negative-4. The drop figure is determined by subtracting the weight of the bat from the length. A 30-inch bat that weighs 28 oz. would have a drop of negative-2.
High School Bats
High school bats can reach 35 inches in length and can weigh as much as 33 oz. That's a large bat for a high school player, but it is within the limits of the National Federation of State High School Associations. The average bat is between 30 and 31 inches. The average weight of a bat at the high school level is between 29 and 30 oz.
Major League Baseball
A Major League Baseball bat must not exceed 42 inches in length, and there is no official limit concerning the weight of the bat. However, bat lengths rarely exceed 36 inches or 36 oz. Major League hitters are not trying to impress each other because they can swing a big bat. Instead, they are looking to generate as much bat head speed as possible. The average size of a bat used in the Major Leagues is between 32 and 34 inches. The average weight is between 31 and 33 oz.
Babe Ruth's Bat
Babe Ruth used the largest bat in the history of baseball. When Ruth was at the height of his productivity in the 1920s with the New York Yankees, he used a 42-inch, 54-oz. bat. Ruth's strength allowed him to pick the bat up and whip it through the hitting zone with ease. Few of Ruth's peers ever used a bat that even came close to that size, as they were unable to swing it through the hitting zone and had no chance of generating any significant bat speed with it. Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio used 42-oz. bats.
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