5 Best Baseball Gloves in 2022 [Infield & Outfield]

Ask any baseball player and you’ll hear that baseball gloves are not just decorations to be worn during the game. These gloves serve several important functions. Try playing the game without them and see the consequences. For beginners, these gloves or mitts assist you, in fielding and catching the baseball hits by a batter or thrown to you by another teammate.

We won’t go so much into the importance of these gloves rather we go straight into what you are looking for. The market is awash with different brands of baseball gloves. The question racing in your mind now is how to get the best baseball gloves for your gaming.

Table of Contents

Best Baseball Gloves

Wilson A2000 Glove Series

This series has numerous types of gloves for different positions, be it infield, catcher, outfield, and pitcher. The Wilson A2000 1786 11.5 is the most popular infielder’s glove.

1786 has the most needed construction and glove dimensions in the market. Wilson raises their own cows to get the best quality leather which the call Pro leather.

This leather gives the gloves an unmatched feel and rugged durability gives you a guarantee that what you wear in your hands is the best leather you can ever get in the market.

The pocket and design of these mitts set the industry standard.

Other highlights include:

Flat finger binding
Double lacing at the web’s base
Dual welting ensuring long-lasting break in and a durable pocket.

Wilson A2K Glove Series

The Wilson D33 11.75 inches pitcher model steals the show here. The mitt has a closed web making it for pitchers but if you are an occasional third baseman this glove will still work great in that position.

When you light pitchers glove, this might be it. The partial super skin back does the trick; it reduces the gloves’ overall weight. Count on the Pro Leather material for the utmost comfort and durability of this glove. Other qualities include:

It’s 2x palm construction gives you maximum pocket stability.
The mitt’s 3x craftsman shaping gives you a glove that is pounded and shaped by the best technicians in the industry.
Rolled Dual-welting giving you quicker break in.

Wilson A2000 SuperSkin Glove Series

The A2000 DP15 is another contender to the throne. This infield baseball glove presents the same high-quality leather that marks and sets apart the Wilson brand. The material gives the mist durability and strength necessary for the role it’s to play. Other compelling features are:

The glove is made with Pedroia Fit which makes it a great choice for players with small hands.
Flat Finger Binding for better grip of the ball
Thin heel pad for a faster break in and more effective closure.

The list of Wilson gloves can go on and on but these highlights suffice to show you the direction you should look anytime you think about brands of baseball gloves. But that is not the only reputable brand of these products.

Rawlings Heart of the Hide 11.25 Glove

This is another brand worth the attention of any serious baseball player. Rawlings has been in existence for well over a hundred years. In these many years, the manufacturer has won awards and accolades for some of the best gloves you can get anywhere.

Rawlings continues to produce high-quality gloves for baseball players around the world. You can join the endless list of more-than happy players by just getting yourself the right glove for your gaming experience. Sample the following.

Made using the traditional heart of hide leather, this glove is durable, rugged and comfortable. The glove combines master craftsmanship, top pro-level patterns in creating a glove that delivers outstanding performance and trusted functionality.

These mitts promise a 25 % higher break-in compared to others of the hide-model. Other features include

Redesigned heel pad
Authentic Pro patterns

Rawlings Liberty Advanced Softball Glove Series

Here is a versatile mitt from Rawlings. These gloves are ideal for infielders, pitchers, and outfield players. The 12.5-inch softball glove is a great choice for any player who wants a glove that will break in fast and create a long-lasting pocket.

The quality of full grain leather brings you durability and comfort.

Whether you are a high school –level player or a pro these gloves will be your perfect companion.

These two are not the only brands you can depend on for the best baseball gloves 2020. Other manufacturers who do a fantastic job making these awesome gaming accessories include:

What’s the Difference between Different Baseball Gloves?

The fact that these accessories come at different prices tells you there must be some distinguishing features that justify these price differences. All baseball gloves have some basic features (or parts of the glove) that make them answer to the name – baseball gloves. It is these features that differ depending on the manufacturer and the quality of the glove. What are these features?

The Web

Every baseball glove has a web that connects the thumb of the glove to the rest of the fingers. It is this web that helps hold and snag onto the ball. In most cases, this part features some tightly woven piece of leather which allows the fielder to close their hand on the ball to maintain proper possession of the ball.

However, the webs come in myriads of variety and style and differ due to personal preference and position of the player in the game. On this second note, webs generally come in two categories:

Open Web is ideal for outfielders and infielders. Why? They allow for faster ball transfers to the throwing hand. What’s more, the player can see through the glove when you are catching pop-flys.

Closed Web is more suited for catchers, fielders, and pitchers as it offers better catching support to the player.

Pocket

The pocket, also called the palm, is the indentation where the ball falls when you catch it. There are two major types of pockets namely shallow pockets and deeper pockets. The depth is a measure of the degree of indentation.

If you are a fielder, shallow pocket gloves are your best bet. These gloves allow you to quickly grab the ball and transfer the same to your throwing hand and make fast plays.

On the other hand, if you are outfielder you’ll have to hold onto hard-hit knocks and flying ball. In this case, you are better off with deeper pocket baseball gloves.

Back

This is the wrist closure and has little to do with position. In fact, it has more to do with your personal preference. However, there are two major types of backs: Open back gloves and Closed Back Gloves. What’s the difference?

Open back gloves have a space just above the wrist adjustment. This provides more flexibility in your wrist and hand. Infielders prefer these gloves as they give them mobility and faster turnaround.

Closed gloves have no space. Instead, they may provide a hole through which your index finger can rest. If you are outfielder, you might prefer to use these kind gloves as they’ll give more support when catching flys.

Given my Age and Position, What Size Glove is Right for Me?

When you search for baseball gloves, you’ll quickly note that they come in a wide array of sizes. You’ll see such sizes as “32.5-inch catcher’s glove”, “12-inch pitcher glove” and so on. Of course, this implies there’s a connection between the sizes and the position. But this does not tell you what the difference between youth baseball gloves and adult baseball gloves.

In a nutshell, in terms of size, gloves are grouped depending on the position as summarized below:

Outfield Gloves

There are generally bigger and longer than the other gloves. Their size ranges between 11 and 12 inches for youth and 12 inches and 13 inches for adults. These gloves give the player the largest catching area for pop-flys.

The open webbing allows you to see through the glove and blocks sunlight without interfering with your view of the ball.

Infield Gloves

Being smaller than the previous category, these mitts offer added flexibility and speed.

The size varies between 9 and 10 inches for youth and 10.5 and 11 inches for adults. If you are the third baseman, closed web design is more appropriate for you as it offers more support when dealing with hard-hit balls.

As an infielder, be ready for ball retrievals, fast catches, and quick throws and outs. That’s the capacity that the shallow pockets of these gloves give you.

First Base Mitts

These gloves are basically fingerless and look much like the catcher gloves but with less padding and more defined web. This design supports your needs as a first baseman. Size-wise they range between 9 and 10 inches for youth and 12 and 12.5 inches for adults.

With these gloves, you can quickly retrieve the baseball from the glove for superfast throws and plays.

Catchers’ Baseball Gloves

These are meant to protect your hand from repetitive and hard pitches. Unlike the other mitts, these are sized in circumference, not the length. Adult size measures 32 inches or more while youth mitts range from 31 inches or less. The closed webbing enables you to execute fast snaps and gives you added support.

The mitts have shallower and smaller pockets to quicken ball transfer to the throwing hand.

Pitchers Baseball Gloves

As a pitcher, your hands have to remain safe. These gloves use a closed web that hides the ball and your grip from the batter which can otherwise wreak havoc on your precious hand.

Having looked at the basics of baseball gloves the question now is what brand is right for you.

Which brand of mitts is right for me?

Any good brand has a reputation and a history in the industry to support its claims. Two brands stand out from the crowd in this highly competitive market. There are Wilson and Rawlings.

Armed with this info you are now well equipped to know what differentiates different gloves, what is the right size of mitts for you and which brands you can trust for quality products that will not disappoint you.

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