Youth vs. Adult Gloves
A youth glove is designed for younger players with smaller hands. They are typically cheaper than the adult gloves and are much easier to close. The youth gloves are not made of the same high quality leather, but the materials they are made of make them easier to close. Youth gloves have smaller, narrower fingers and should be used for a player under 10 years old.
They sometimes can be used for a player up to 12 years old, but after then, kids should be using adult gloves. To fit an adult glove onto a younger player’s hand, the back of the wrist can be tightened. This is done on softball gloves with a Velcro strap, but on baseball gloves, the glove needs a minor re-lacing. The picture below shows the difference of how a tightened glove looks compared to a non-adjusted one.
Catcher's Mitts
A catcher’s glove is more commonly referred to as a catcher’s mitt because it does not have separately cut fingers like other positions. This allows catchers to catch fastballs for an entire game without wearing down quickly or the catches becoming painful. For this reason, catchers’ mitts tend to be very stiff right off the shelf and take a while to break in. Many catchers buy their replacement mitt a few months before they think their old mitt will wear out so they have time to break their new glove in. Catcher mitts tend to have a closed pocket because they can be attached with the most lacing and take the most abuse without breaking.
There is a difference between baseball and softball catcher’s mitts. The softball catcher’s mitt has a deeper pocket and thinner side walls to accommodate for the bigger ball. Catcher’s mitts are also measured differently. Instead of the standard measuring, they are measured around the circumference of the glove to capture the entire catching area of the mitt. The standard size range is from 29.5 to 34.5 inches for baseball and from 29.5 to 35 inches for softball.
Mizuno Pro Limited Edition GMP200 Baseball Catcher's Mitt
All-Star Vela Dual-Pro CMW4000 33" Fastpitch Softball Catcher's Mitt
First Basemen's Gloves
A first baseman’s glove is very similar to the catcher’s mitt with the exception that it is longer and doesn’t have as much padding. It’s designed to have the same catching area as a catcher’s glove, but is flexible for scooping throws out of the dirt. The first basemen’s glove is stronger than a standard glove so that the fingers do not flop back like a regular fielder’s glove would. They also have open web designs to allow the pocket to be a little deeper and lighter than a closed pocket. First basemen’s gloves normally start being worn at age 10 or older, because it can be difficult for younger kids to close the big glove. The typical size range for both baseball and softball is from 11.5 to 13 inches.
Mizuno Pro Limited Edition GMP3000BK 13" Baseball First Base Mitt
Louisville Slugger Xeno Pro FGXPBN5-FBM1 13
Pitcher's Glove
These gloves won’t have as much padding as other gloves and instead rely on being comfortable. They’re usually larger than other gloves to allow pitchers to move their hands around to grip the ball and hide their hand movements from the batter before a pitch. A pitcher doesn’t need to be as worried as other players about the performance of their glove. But the comfort is important since they are constantly catching and will often have to stop line drives hit back through the middle. It’s also important to make sure the glove isn’t too heavy. Many manufacturers make light versions of high-end gloves with special materials that weigh significantly less than standard gloves.
Wilson A2000 CK22GM Clayton Kershaw Model 11.75
Infield Gloves
These smaller gloves are made to allow for quick plays like a double play in the middle infield. They are shorter and have a shallower pocket than other gloves. Infielders typically want an open pocket that makes it easy to get the ball out quickly. This is typically an I-web, post web, Dual Post web, or modified trapeze pocket. The only position that sometimes wants a closed pocket is third base. This is because third base gets harder hits that a closed pocket can handle better than an open one will. The standard size for a baseball infield glove is 11.25 to 12 inches, and 11.5 to 12.5 inches for softball. For softball players, there aren’t as many selections in terms of webs because of the large ball, so the choices will be limited.
Wilson A2000 EL3GM Evan Longoria Model 11.75
Wilson A2000 DP15SP Dustin Pedoria Model 11.5
Outfield Gloves
These larger gloves are made for diving catches and to catch fly balls. This means that the gloves are longer and deeper with extra support in the fingers. The pocket designs for baseball are typically open with the main options being a modified trapeze and an H-web. These pockets are the best for long extension plays that need to keep the ball in the glove, such as diving plays and snow cones. For softball, the pockets can be closed webs, because they need to be extra deep to account for the size of the softball. The typical size of an outfielder’s glove is 9 to 15 inches for baseball and 9 to 15 inches for softball.
Rawlings RGG1275H Gold Glove 12.75 Adult Baseball Glove
Once you’ve purchased your new glove, visit our other guides to learn how to break in and care for your new glove. Be sure to check our online store to get your new baseball or softball glove today.
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About the Author
Baseball Monkey is a leading retailer of baseball and softball equipment for all ages and experience levels. Our expert team worked together to build a resource hub of information designed to help players navigate through the many questions that come with gearing up for the baseball season.
MonkeySports, Inc. has been serving athletes around the world since 1999. We offer expert customer service and product knowledge that comes from employing players who are passionate about the game, the gear and the customer. MonkeySports, Inc. has six established brick-and-mortar stores and six websites. Our online stores operate under the banners hockeymonkey.com, goaliemonkey.com, lacrossemonkey.com, baseballmonkey.com, monkeyteamsports.com and monkeyapparel.com.
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