Choosing the Right Glove for your Position
Different field positions demand different gloves. If you tend to a certain position more than others, choose the glove for that position. Here’s a guide to the different positions and their gloves.
First Baseman Gloves
To prevent injury to the catching hand, first basemen have a long-standing tradition of wearing their own unique glove. The iconic first baseman mitt looks a little different today than it did in the early days of its five-fingered, flesh-colored predecessor, invented in 1941. This rather large mitt is designed to be more easily receive throws.
Today, you can choose from any number of leathers and colors, webbings, and backs.
Catchers Mitts
Tip: Leagues usually provide the catchers’ mitts, but players can get their own.
Possibly the most demanding position, and susceptible to injury, is the catcher. A well-protected and comfortable catcher’s glove is a must and will provide a little more protection than any other glove on the field. Like the first basemen’s glove, the ever-evolving roundish catcher’s mitt has its own unique design. The catcher’s mitt includes more padding, a deep oval-shaped “basket” pocket, and a closed web, and is very strong and durable. A catcher’s mitt comes with an open or closed back.
| Age | Glove Size |
|---|---|
| Youth | Up to 31 inches around |
| Adult | 32 inches around or more |
Infielders Gloves
Infield positions, except for the first base, do well with a smaller to medium-sized lightweight glove with shallow pockets for quick release of the ball to the pitching hand. It’s good if the glove features a large deep pocket, and strong open I-web, H-web, or trapeze web (adding a “sixth finger” in the pocket between the thumb and fingers) for middle infielders. The size of the mitt is up to the player, but most second baseman uses about an 11 to 11-1/2-inch glove; shortstops are a little larger; up to 11-3/4 inch. Third basemen might like a larger glove, up to about 12-1/5 inches to accommodate hard fastballs and foul balls.
Outfield Gloves
An outfielder is more interested in retrieving the ball than in a quick catch and release, so they typically wear a larger glove, and they tend to prefer a closed web design between the thumb and fingers. Also, deeper pockets for catching strong balls. The average size of an adult outfield glove is about 12 inches and over. But the size and webbing design are entirely up to the player.
Multiple Positions – choosing a versatile glove
Unless you’re a catcher or a first baseman, in which case you’ll want a mitt to accommodate those positions, some players do well with a versatile glove. In this case, a basic durable multi-purpose glove that serves both infield and out may be your best bet.