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Comparing Rawlings 8U, 10U and 12U Baseballs

Ever caught yourself pondering whether the whole youth baseball market is just a big curveball, with gear peddlers pitching the same ol’ pill to us folks in the stands at sky-high prices? Sure, they all gotta meet the big league specs—9 inches round the waist and tipping the scales at a solid 5 ounces. But does that mean every horsehide is cut from the same cloth? Not by a long chalk.

Now, I ain’t claiming to have cracked the code on every stitch on the seam out there—what with a dugout’s worth of brands and models in the mix. But let me lay down a bunt of wisdom on you about those Rawlings pearls specifically. When you’re rounding the bases looking for the right ball for your slugger, it ain’t just about picking any old baseball laying around.

Dig into the lineup, and you’ll find the leather’s got some tales to tell—especially when we’re talking age brackets. We’re sizing up the R8U, R10U, and R12U baseballs, where each step up the ladder means a harder hide. Why’s that? So when the big kids take a hack, that pill screams off the bat, zipping through the infield like it’s got a jetpack strapped on.

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Table of Contents

Rawlings 8-and-under (8U) baseballs

In the lineup for the pint-sized sluggers, Rawlings steps up to the plate with a couple of offerings aimed right at the 8-and-under crowd:

We’ve got the Rawlings R8U and its teammate, the Rawlings OLB3. Both of these little gems are decked out with a synthetic skin that, truth be told, might come off feeling a tad slick or reminiscent of that new toy plastic vibe.

Now, considering the mitts on our young guns tend to be on the smaller side, Rawlings went ahead and shaved a smidge off the standard size. Both the R8U and OLB3 are dialed in at 8.75 inches around, making it a bit easier for those budding all-stars to wrap their hands around.

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And here’s the scoop straight from the horse’s mouth: Rawlings pitches these balls for the practice mound and the casual throw-around. They’re not the ones you’d want to bring to the showdown. Curious about the official game balls that take the field for the 8U, 10U, and 12U squads? Swing by our guide on Different Types of Baseballs for Different Ages post for the full scouting report.

Peculiarity of Age Brackets
In the world of rec ball, you’ll often see teams that are a mix-and-match of players spanning a couple of grades. Take, for example, the Cal Ripken Minors under the Babe Ruth League—it’s not unusual for third and fourth graders to share the dugout as teammates.

On the flip side, when we venture into the competitive realm—think travel and tournament baseball—teams are built around a precise age bracket, like 8U, 9U, 10U, and so on. But, here’s the curveball: there’s a bit of wiggle room for kiddos born in a certain month.

Let’s play out a scenario: Today’s March 1, 2024. Your travel squad has set the cutoff for age groups in May. If your youngster’s birthday falls between May 1 and May 31 of 2013, and you’re butting heads with that May cutoff, you’ve got a choice. Your player can either swing in the 11U division or step back to the 10U league.

Want the nitty-gritty on how age eligibility plays out? Dive into the “Age Calculator for Travel and Rec Teams” post for the full playbook.

Rawlings R8U baseball

The Rawlings R8U baseball is crafted from a trio of components:

The outer cover is synthetic – a heads-up, if you’re scouring for details and can’t find whether it’s leather or synthetic, you’re pretty safe to bet on synthetic.

Stitching comes into play as the middleman, binding the shell to the heart of the baseball.

At its core, you’ll find a blend of crushed cork and rubber, bonded together to form a solid base, wrapped around with a thin-layer of poly finishing winding.

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Tipping the scales, a Rawlings R8U averages out at a solid 5 ounces, with the core alone accounting for 4.4 ounces of that weight. This means the heart of the R8U isn’t your standard fare; it skips the usual rubber center for a heftier, cork-dominated nucleus.

Rawlings OLB3 baseball

The Rawlings OLB3 baseball shares a lot of DNA with its cousin, the Rawlings R8U, but with a few distinctive twists:

  • Its size is nudging closer to that 9-inch mark, and it tips the scale just a tad heavier, somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 to 5.1 ounces.
  • Taking a closer look at the OLB3, you’ll notice it also dons a synthetic hide.
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However, it parts ways with the R8U in a couple of key areas:

  • The OLB3’s synthetic wrap is a touch more robust, giving rise to loftier seams.
  • Diving into its core, you’re met with chunkier bits of rubber. This heart of the ball packs a denser punch, which might hint at a stronger bond (maybe a stickier glue in the mix?).

But, here’s the curveball—despite its beefed-up build, the OLB3’s skin doesn’t seem to stand the test of time as well as the R8U’s.

The Bottom Line

If your child is just moving up from tee ball, I would suggest OLB3 baseballs since they are slightly smaller than regular baseballs.

If your child is more experienced or have larger hands, I would skip the R8U and move up to Rawlings CROLB baseballs (read below)

Rawlings 10U Baseballs

Rawlings markets two different models for 10-and-under players:

  • Rawlings R10U
  • Rawlings CROLB

Quite frankly, there is no difference between these two baseballs.

Both baseballs come with a leather cover*, a thin layer of thread (used as a binding layer) and a composite ball (mixture of rubber and cork; seems to be identical to R8U core ball).

*based on look and feel, I am fairly certain this is a split leather (lower grade leather that has been plated and stamped with a leather pattern).

Rawlings R8U and CROLB baseballs are perfectly fine for most 10 year old and under players but some balls can get out of shape if hit hard (as may be the case when coaches are hitting long balls during practice):

The Bottom Line

I DO NOT consider either the Rawlings R10U or Rawlings CROLB to be game balls but they are good practice balls.

The cover may be leather but it seems to have some sort of glossy layer on top which makes the balls feel more like R8U or OLB3 baseballs.

For 9 year old players, either balls will be fine for practice but for 10 year old players, especially at a more competitive level, you may want to skip these balls a go with Wilson A1035 batting practice baseballs.

Rawlings 12U Baseballs

One major difference from baseballs used in younger group is that most brands for 12u teams come with wound yarn. There are 4 parts:

  • Leather cover
  • Layer of fine thread
  • Wound yarn
  • Cork/rubber ball

Rawlings markets two different models for 12-and-under players:

  • Rawlings R12U
  • Rawlings ROLB2

Much like Rawlings R10U and CROLB baseballs being similar, outside appearance/feel and inside of R12U and ROLB2 baseballs are identical:

The circumference of a core ball both measure at 6.25″ inches and weigh at 2.2 ounces. Unlike the cork/rubber mixture balls for younger players, these core balls contains 50/50 mix of rubber and cork bits in a compact ball.

Once again, these are considered by many to be practice balls only.

So how do these compare to game balls? If we were to compare solely based on recommended age groups, a lost of 12u tournament teams use either Rawlings RCAL1 or MacGregor 74CAL baseballs (see below pix)

You can see that MacGregor has a thicker yarn winding with a smaller “pill” which makes these balls jump off of a bat lot faster than Rawlings R12U/ROLB2 baseballs.

Takeaways

So next time you’re eyeing those youth baseballs, thinking it’s all a swing and a miss in the difference department, remember—it’s not just about the measurements. It’s about crafting a game that fits the players at bat, giving ’em a fair crack at hitting that dinger. And that, my friends, is the kind of pitch you can take to the bank.

Most leagues do not provide managers and coaches with a bucket of practice baseballs so I understand the need to balance your needs vs wants when it comes to buying baseballs.

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Please don’t forget to visit Buying Baseballs – Reference Articles page to read other fascinating information about baseballs!
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Staci Flis

Sunday 4th of February 2024

I am trying to figure out what the best baseball to buy my 11 year old is. He picked a bucket out online but I noticed it said 8u he us trying to practice hard so he can become even better and I want him to have the proper equipment! Should we be buying 12u!

Chad

Sunday 4th of February 2024

Hi Staci-

8U baseballs have the same dimensions and weight as 12U baseballs.

However, the wool windings in 8U baseballs are much thicker than those in 12U baseballs, designed to absorb the energy from the bat. When hit, 8U baseballs produce a "thud" sound, providing slightly more reaction time for younger players. Additionally, in the unfortunate event of a player being hit by a ball, 8U baseballs will most likely reduce the injury severity.

If Nathan is brand new to baseball, it's perfectly fine to practice with 8u baseballs. Otherwise, I would recommend getting some 12U baseballs. Just ensure his bat grip is in good condition, as these harder baseballs will sting more (if he hits the ball off the sweet spot on his bat).

Hope this helps!

Chad

Charley McDaniel

Thursday 22nd of June 2023

Nice article about baseballs learnt a lot.

Baseball Dad

Friday 23rd of June 2023

Hi Charley,

Thank you for your kind words!

Kevin

Kathy Cameron

Tuesday 14th of March 2023

We have vintage baseballs that were damaged. Can they be restored? Do you. Offer such a service? They were damaged by humidity.

Baseball Dad

Wednesday 15th of March 2023

Hi Kathy,

Sorry to hear about your vintage baseballs... Unfortunately I do not offer a restoration service :(