Ilgar As someone who migrated from the 7 Pro to the 9 base and have large hands, I still heavily prefer the smaller formfactor of the 9.
But it really depends on what you will do with your phone. If you use it for work and it is your main way of viewing media, the XL will probably be better.
I have a desktop PC which I use to view media at home, and a laptop to view media and do productivity on the go, so I have no need for a massive screen on my phone. The portability and ability to onehand the base 9 is a huge plus, let alone the price difference from the 9 Pro XL.
Tbh the base 9 is still a 'large' phone for most people, especially those with smaller hands. I wish small phones still existed, I would choose a slightly smaller phone over this form factor, that would be ideal.