Baseball Sliding Mitts: Our Top 5 Picks For 2024

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Baseball Sliding Mitts: Our Top 4 Picks For 2024

Written by Chris

Published on February 22, 2024

As a baseball dad with years of experience, I’ve watched many trends come and go, but the rise of the baseball sliding mitt has really caught my eye. It’s quickly becoming a staple in youth players' gear bags, and every time I look, another kid on my son’s team is sporting one. What's interesting is that this accessory isn't just about protection anymore. It's all about the drip. These kids, many of whom are still lacing up molded cleats, are drawn to the sliding mitt as much for its style as for its function.

Now, I'll admit, I'm a bit old school when it comes to baseball gear, and so are most of my son's coaches. We grew up without all the bells and whistles, and to be honest, the sight of a sliding mitt still makes us roll our eyes. But like it or not, the kids love them, and a big part of that is the influence of baseball YouTube celebrities. These players showcase their gear in every video, and the younger generation is eating it up. The mitts are becoming more than just an accessory—they're a must-have for any kid looking to up their style on the field.

Best Baseball Sliding Mitts (Top 4)

The first time I saw a baseball sliding mitt was at a youth game I was attending. I think I asked my wife why the kid on first was wearing an oven mitt on his hand. I thought the sliding gloves, including the ice cream sliding mitt from absolutely ridiculous looked absolutely ridiculous (pun intended) but I assumed they served some sort of purpose. Over the next few years, I've seen many baseball players, including those in MLB, put this protective gear on when they reach base. I guess I was the idiot for thinking these would never become popular.

So to make things easy for you, we've searched the field, assessed the contenders, and narrowed down the top 4 sliding mitts that stand out from the crowd.

1. Evoshield

2. Guardian

3. Drip & Rip

4. Bruce Bolt

What Is A Baseball Sliding Mitt?

A baseball sliding mitt is a specialized piece of gear designed to protect a player's hand during slides, particularly when they steal a base or dive back to a bag. While it might enhance your on-field style—adding that extra touch of "baseball drip"—its primary function is safety.

The mitt features a durable palm, typically crafted from leather or synthetic materials, with padded backing to shield the hand from impact. It's designed for a snug fit and secured with a Velcro strap to stay in place during aggressive play.

Typically, players slip on the sliding mitt after reaching base, whether by a hit or a walk. The mitt combines protective plates, a rigid lining, and compression-fit neoprene straps. These features work together to offer flexibility and protection, and the mitt is usually adaptable for either hand, thanks to adjustable thumb holes.

Sliding into a base often requires extending the arm, risking contact with the ground, base, or cleats. This contact can cause hand injuries, making a baseball sliding mitts an important accessory when it comes to player safety.

Advantages of a Baseball Sliding Mitt:

Enhancing Performance: Beyond protection, the sliding mitt also contributes to the "look good, play good" mentality. When players feel good about their gear, they often perform better on the field.

Hand Protection: The primary benefit of a sliding mitt is its ability to shield your hands from injuries during slides. Whether it's the impact with the base or accidental contact with cleats, the mitt acts as a protective barrier.

Boosting Confidence: Knowing that their hands are protected, players can focus more on perfecting their sliding techniques without hesitation. This added confidence can translate into more aggressive and effective baserunning.

Choosing the right sliding mitt

When it comes to selecting a baseball sliding mitt, the options can be overwhelming. To make the best choice, it’s helpful to start with brands that have a strong reputation among players. Here are some of the top picks:

Highly-Regarded Sliding Mitt Brands

Evoshield: Known for its top-notch protection and custom-molding technology, Evoshield is a favorite among serious players.

Absolutely Ridiculous: This brand is gaining attention for its innovative designs that combine style and functionality.

Guardian: Guardian offers solid protection at a reasonable price, making it a great option for budget-conscious players.

Franklin: A trusted name in baseball gear, Franklin provides reliable sliding mitts that balance durability and comfort.

Bruce Bolt: Known for premium quality, Bruce Bolt crafts mitts with precision, offering features tailored for elite players.

Special Features: Look for mitts with features that suit your needs, such as extra padding for added protection or dual thumb holes for versatility. These features can make a big difference in comfort and performance on the field.

Can You Customize A Sliding Mitt?

Most of the decent baseball sliding mitts come in your standard colors. Companies like EvoShield offer a wide selection of colors, but that's about it in terms of customization. 44 Pro Guards offers a custom sliding mitt builder to choose colors for each material piece. You can add your name and select different logo outline colors.

Sliding gloves are already pretty expensive at around $50 and customizing them brings that price to over $70. Unless you have a high OPS, you won't be on base enough to warrant the additional costs of customizing one of these gloves.

Check out this hideously beautiful sliding glove I created using the 44 sliding mitt Pro Guard's online designer.

Baseball Sliding Mitt Rules

There's a significant gap in baseball's rulebook, especially regarding the regulation of baserunning equipment, that needs addressing. Leagues have strict rules for bat size, glove dimensions, and attire, but none for baseball sliding mitts.

The issue with the sliding mitt is that it can add a few extra inches to a baserunner's reach, potentially giving them an unfair advantage. In a sport where every inch counts, this could have a significant impact on the outcome of close plays. Just as there are rules limiting an MLB fielder’s glove to a maximum of 13 inches, it seems logical that there should be a size limit for sliding mitts as well. Imagine the chaos if a baserunner decided to wear a mitt that was three feet long!

This is where umpires play a crucial role. Though no explicit rule exists on sliding mitt size, umpires can make decisions on uncovered situations. If an umpire finds a sliding mitt excessive or unfair, they can disallow its use.

Are baseball players soft?

In the early days of baseball, players were expected to be tough and resilient. They played through injuries and didn't complain about aches and pains. Always playing hard and never taking days off.

Today's players are much more protected. They can take days off when injured and don't have to play through pain. This has made them much more fragile in many people's eyes.

Some argue that today's players are tougher than players from the past, but I tend to disagree. Their main argument is that the level of competition is better. I do believe that, but a lot of these players are coddled. They didn't have to get second jobs in the offseason or fight in wars. Let's look at today's youth bats as an example. Bats are now designed to eliminate the sting from badly hit balls completely. I feel that getting your hands rung is a right of passage in this game.

Whether or not today's players are tougher than players from the past is up for debate, but I can assure you that a professional athlete like Hank Aaron would've never worn a baseball sliding glove. That man hit 755 home runs without using any batting gloves. His preferred method was rubbing some dirt in his hands.

Final Thoughts

If these were around when I played, I would’ve avoided them like the plague to escape relentless teammate harassment. Maybe seeing Major Leaguers use these will make it cool, though. I saw a kid in the Little League World Series use gardening gloves instead of batting gloves, so maybe his teammates are more supportive.

You're always looking for an edge over the defense as a base runner but not at the expense of your health. As silly as I think they are, these baseball sliding gloves offer protection that allows you to stay aggressive on the base path without fear of injuring your hand.

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