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Product Reviews

Best Outfield Gloves For Baseball (Our Top 5)

Written by Chris 

Published on February 22, 2024

It seems as though there are always new advancements in sports equipment. This year, gloves will be more specialized than ever before. There are the standard outfielder gloves, infielder gloves, first baseman mitts, and the catcher's mitt to think about when it comes to baseball gloves. 


Whether it's chasing down fly balls or making incredible diving catches, a quality glove can make all the difference. In this article, we present our top five outfielder gloves that combine superior quality, durability, and exceptional performance on the field.

5 Best Outfield Baseball Gloves

1. Rawlings Pro Preferred Outfield Glove
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Rawlings is synonymous with quality, and their Pro Preferred outfield baseball glove is no exception, offering unmatched comfort and resilience. Crafted from the softest full-grain kip leather and featuring advanced materials, this glove is a premium choice for outfielders. Its padded lacing system ensures ease of removal, while the breathable internal lining delivers supreme comfort.


Designed with a soft pocket and an air pocket structure, the Rawlings Pro Preferred Series gloves provide a lightweight feel combined with precise control for fielding and catching. While tailored for outfielders, players in other positions will find these gloves equally effective. In our view, the Rawlings Pro Preferred stands out as the best glove available on the market.

2. Wilson A2000 Outfield Baseball Glove 
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Wilson has built a well-known reputation for crafting some of the highest-quality baseball gloves. This specific model is lightweight and durable, making it easy to handle in the outfield. The glove is made of high-tech SuperSkin and Pro Stock leather which gives you maximum breathability. The palm of the glove also helps absorb impact without sacrificing a great feel on the ball. 


Its flat finger binding helps to retain the glove's shape and gives players more control on the field. The glove comes in 11 different sizes, so everyone should be able to find one that fits.  


The price of this outfield baseball glove may seem a little high, but it's well worth it because it is one of the best on the market.

3. Rawlings Heart Of The Hide Outfield Glove
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Rawlings outfield gloves are an excellent option for outfielders looking for a high-quality glove at an affordable price. It's made out of full-grain leather, which will ensure maximum durability and support.


The cowhide palm lining sets the Heart of the Hide glove apart from other high-end gloves. This particular lining makes the area around the palm and thumb extremely comfortable. This means that whenever you catch a fly ball, you will feel a minimal sting from the impact.


It's also designed with a one-piece vented finger back, making it easy to keep your hand cool while you are playing. Another great feature is that this glove comes with a 60% factory break-in, making the process relatively quick. 


A great choice if you want something made out of high-quality materials that will last for seasons to come. This may be the best option for a youth ballplayer who appreciates the finer details in a baseball glove.  

4. Mizuno MVP Prime Baseball Glove  
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The Mizuno MVP PRIME is another very popular outfield baseball glove option among professionals and amateurs.


The glove is made from premium bio-soft leather, and the design is pretty simple and only includes one adjustment strap. It feels light yet durable and will provide the ideal amount of padding for most outfielders. The MVP Prime also comes pre-broken in and is game-ready. 

5. Rawlings Select Pro-Lite Glove Series
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The Rawlings Pro Lite gloves are an excellent choice for youth baseball players. The gloves are basic, durable, and affordable for children who want the best outfield glove for their age.  


The gloves are game-ready, come with a 90% factory break-in, and include a shock reduction palm and finger padding. They have a soft leather construction, and the finger-back lining makes them highly comfortable for young ballers. 


This glove is lightweight, making it easy for a younger player to catch and handle. Some other youth gloves are heavy and hard to close but not this one. This affordable glove will bridge the gap between entry-level synthetic gloves and a nice leather glove.

What Qualities Should You Look For In Outfield Baseball Gloves?

The three most important attributes you should look for when shopping for outfield baseball gloves are:

Length - Longer gloves become an extension of the outfielder's arm. They help expand the outfielder's reach and allow them to cover more ground. There are so many different brands and sizes available for outfielders, but the most common size of an adult outfield glove is around 12+ inches. Youth outfielder gloves fall in the 11-12 inch range. 

Webbing - Outfielders prefer the H-Web or Trapeze Web Style

Deep pocket - Outfielders typically prefer gloves with deeper pockets to catch the ball and secure it safely. As an outfielder, you don't want to ball to pop out of your glove before you can squeeze it shut. 

What Are The Differences Between Infield And Outfield Gloves?

Infielders like smaller gloves because they need quick transitions between fielding and throwing. Getting the ball out as fast as possible is essential for any position in the infield. Infield gloves tend to be lighter and have shallow pockets. The tradeoff can sometimes be ball security, but you need quick access to the ball as an infielder if you plan to throw the runner out. 

Infield Gloves

Infielders select gloves based on their specific position. First basemen, who are involved in many plays, use a specialized mitt designed to handle hard throws and assist in scooping balls. Unlike gloves with individual finger slots, a first baseman's mitt is fingerless, larger, heavier, and more padded to absorb the impact of incoming balls. Using an outfielder's glove, with its deep pocket, could delay transfers to the base, potentially turning outs into safe calls.


Outfielders, tasked with catching fly balls and quickly relaying them to the infield or cutoff man, require gloves with deeper pockets to secure the ball and prevent it from popping out. Their gloves are also longer, providing extra reach to make crucial plays. While outfield gloves are not tailored to specific positions, they differ from infield gloves in length, pocket depth, and webbing style, ultimately coming down to the outfielder's personal preference.

Outfield Glove Webbing Patterns

Whether in Little League or the pros, the most popular webbing for outfielders is either the H-WEB or the Trapeze style. If you look at the diagram above, you can see that the H-Web makes an "H" and the trapeze web is one solid pocket that will break in nice and deep. The H-Web also gives you more visibility when you are using gloves to help shield the sun. 

An H-Web is made up of horizontal and vertical straps that crisscross each other to form a pattern that looks like the letter "H." This webbing provides excellent support and durability. 


Trapeze webbing is designed with flexibility in mind and allows the glove to conform to the shape of the ball while also providing substantial protection. A leather strap has lacing on each side which helps create a deeper pocket for catching fly balls. This glove style is also popular with outfielders because it helps provide shade from the sun when tracking down balls. 

What Is The Best Glove Size For Outfield Gloves?

One of the many questions we get asked by parents is what kind and size of baseball glove should I buy for my child.


Buying a glove is about personal preference and can be a lifelong piece of sporting equipment if you do it correctly. I am still using the same glove to play catch with my son that I used in Little League. The glove must've been giant on me back then, but it's perfect now. 


The new technology in glove design has improved performance customized to an individual player's strengths. It would help if you chose a glove that fits your child's hand size, skill level, and position. Keeping that in mind, what size glove do you need?

Take a look at the chart from Rawlings below: 
LEVEL AGE POSITION GLOVE SIZE
T-BALL 3 to 6 years old All Positions 8.5"-10"
YOUTH 7 to 12 years old 1st Base 11.5"-12"
YOUTH 7-12 years old Infield 10.25"-11.5
YOUTH 7-12 years old Outfield 11.5"-12.25
ADULT 12+ years old 1st Base 12"-13"
ADULT 12+ years old Infield 11.25"-12"
ADULT 12+ years Outfield 12"-12.75"

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Best Brands For Baseball Gloves

According to whatproswear.com, most MLB players use gloves made by Rawlings or Wilson. 

WILSON

I have learned that Wilson is among the best baseball glove manufacturers. I know this because of their high-quality materials and attention to detail. Customers who have purchased Wilson baseball gloves can be sure that the glove they are buying will last a long time and that it will provide them with performance comparable to, or even exceeding, some of the high-end brands of gloves on the market. But what people aren't aware of is that Wilson has been at the forefront of quality baseball gloves since 1892. Wilson has experience and a strong reputation in manufacturing sports equipment for 14 consecutive generations.

Benefits of Wilson Sporting Goods

They're durable and long-lasting compared to other brands with similar features and price points.

Wilson gloves outlast their competitors by a significant margin.

The gloves are designed for each player's hand size and position. All the Wilson models, including their first-base and third-base gloves, have been specifically developed to fit each type of player. The first base gloves have a thumb hole design so that they are less likely to dislocate while breaking in the glove before use, while the third base glove features an extra-thick palm and long webbing to help players with large hands reach the ball quickly when fielding ground balls.

The national brand for baseball is trusted by players all over the world.

Wilson's quality control team reviews every material to ensure that you're getting a top-quality glove.

Wilson gloves are customizable

Whether you're looking for the best outfield glove or one that's customizable with your favorite colors, you have your choice of top-quality baseball gloves from Wilson at a price point that will make you feel like you're getting tremendous value. 

Rawlings

Rawlings is a brand that is synonymous with baseball. They are probably the most recognizable baseball brand out there and have been around since 1887. The company understands baseball needs because it is a family-owned business with close ties to the game. They are the official baseball of MLB and the leading manufacturer of baseball gloves. 


Rawlings is a great baseball brand because of the durability and quality of its product. Many reasons make this company stand out from its competitors in the sports equipment industry, and representatives of this brand have always been pioneers in the industry.


Rawlings has countless baseball gloves in its portfolio, so be sure to check them out. 

Nokona

The Nokona Company is one of the best manufacturers of baseball gloves in the world and has been for over 75 years. One reason is that they use a patented design that produces an extra-soft feel and makes their gloves the most durable you can find, even when compared to other high-end gloves.


Nokona has a unique technology in their baseball gloves, which consists of a layer of leather that prevents the natural oils in your hand from evaporating and helps keep the glove soft over time. This unique backing allows for gloves to last up to five times as long and works incredibly well on outfield gloves because of the stress put on them when hitting and fielding balls.

Mizuno

Mizuno has been making gloves since 1900. They're a top-notch brand that has deep roots in baseball history. The Mizuno Wave series is one of the best glove lines you can get, but they also make other types of gloves that are tailored to specific positions on the field. You'll find high-quality items at competitive prices and excellent customer service when shopping for Mizuno.


Mizuno is known for its advanced technology and manufacturing. With their continuous innovation, you can play better and have a more enjoyable experience in every aspect of baseball.

Marucci

Marucci is one of the best brands in the industry due to its expert design, engineering, and craftsmanship. Their gloves are designed with all aspects of a player's needs, from durability to protection and comfort. The gloves are of high quality and will last longer if taken care of properly.  


They make gloves for every position, from first base to left field, with a massive selection of styles. When it comes time to play in the big leagues, Marucci stands behind their claim that its gloves will last longer and perform better than most outfield gloves on the market.

Akadema

Akadema has been making baseball gloves for over 20 years, and their quality of materials, construction, and design are very high. They have gloves from youth to college to pro and are built with performance in mind. They also offer customization to ensure your glove is made just for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Gloves Do MLB Outfielders Use?

Some of the most notable baseball athletes, like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, use Wilson gloves. Other brands, like Rawlings and Mizuno, have also had great success in the MLB. Rawlings became the "Official Glove of Major League Baseball" recently, and they continue to dominate the game.


According to the latest data from whatproswear.com, 59% of MLB players are wearing Rawlings gloves, while Wilson's numbers have declined slightly to 27%. The rest of the 14% is made of gloves from Mizuno, Easton, Marucci, Nike, Nokona, and 44 Gloves. 

What Glove Size Do MLB Outfielders Use?

MLB has a rule that no glove can be bigger than 13" inches, so the majority of outfielder gloves range between 12.75″-13″ inches. These gloves feature a deeper pocket which helps secure the balls after the catch.


They are also a bit longer to give players that extra reach as they chase down fly balls. For youth baseball players, outfield gloves range in size from 10.75" to -12.5" inches. 

Do You Need A Position-Specific Baseball Glove?

Infielders, outfielders, pitchers, and catchers each have a different style of baseball gloves that give them unique advantages in their position.


Whether it's length, webbing style, or different types of leather, each glove is designed with a specific position in mind.  Picking a glove might sound simple, but each defensive position has unique demands. Baseball glove manufacturers are aware of these demands, so they design their gloves with specific characteristics that will help you succeed in your position. 


It might not matter when you are younger, but once you begin to specialize in a particular position, it makes sense to use a glove to help you maximize your potential. 

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, our curated selection of the top 5 baseball outfield gloves showcases the very best in quality and performance for dedicated players. Our list provides a diverse array of choices, catering to various player types and accommodating different budgets. We've also provided insights into glove sizing and highlighted the distinct differences between gloves designed for specific positions, ensuring you have the knowledge to choose the right glove for your needs.