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To be curt, Rawlings makes some of the finest and most respected baseball gloves in the world and has a rich history. You’re in the right place if you’re in the market for Rawlings baseball gloves. All you need to do is pick out the right one for you, and fortunately, you’re in the right place for that as well.
Position
Personal preference is important and no one can stop you from bringing a catcher’s mitt into the outfield, but the position you play is the most important factor you should consider when you are shopping for a new baseball glove.
Catcher’s mitts are probably the most immediately recognizable mitts and have a lot of features that suit them to the rigors of the position. Catchers are constantly taking pitches to the mitt throughout the duration of a game, and this would get tiresome and painful with regular fielding mitts.
As a result, catcher’s mitts are usually fingerless and heavily padded to help the catchers absorb the impact of multiple pitches throughout the course of the game. They are usually not as flexible as fielders’ gloves, but at the same time, the heavy padding around the edges of the mitt can help a catcher “snap” his or her hand shut on a ball and gives excellent retention capabilities.
Pitchers don’t tend to have as much of a need for fielding balls as the other players on the team, and so they tend to look for a web with as much concealment as possible so the batter can’t see what they intend to deliver. Other than that, the pitcher’s preferences can dictate the direction in which they want to go.
Infielders usually have to field a lot of grounders, and the third basemen in particular usually get hammered with some really hard-hit grounders and line drives. For the purposes of snatching those grounders up securely, a lot of infielders like a wide-open mitt with a somewhat more shallow pocket that will enable them to transfer the ball to secure doubles or triples when there are men on base.
Outfielders tend to use longer, deeper gloves that give them the ability to secure fly balls and hard hits that really make it way out to the outfield. They still have a pronounced need to make quick transfers, but rarely is it as pressing as it is in the infield; securing the ball is much more of a priority to outfielders, so if you play in the outfield, look for a glove that is longer and deeper. The greater length will enable you to reach farther and the deeper pocket will help you secure and break the power of any hits that make it to you.
Keep in mind that these are just the general traits you should look for when you’re shopping for a new glove and that you should also take into consideration your own personal preferences in the basket weave and the fit and comfort of the gloves you investigate.
Fit and Comfort
Let’s say, just for the sake of argument, that you are an outfielder and you believe you want a glove with a deep pocket and a lot of reach. That’s fine, but you will still want to know that the glove you pick out checks off some other boxes as well. This is where it can help to try out a few different styles in Rawlings baseball gloves (or others) before you settle. Ideally, you would be able to practice with the glove before buying, but you won’t always have that luxury.
The glove you pick out should fit well and not be too loose. There is nothing you can do about a glove that is too loose as it will likely loosen over time and that will adversely affect your ability to field. A glove that fits should fit well; not too tightly, but keep in mind that a tight glove will stretch over time and fit your hand better if it is made of leather. That’s just something you should remember if you are debating between leather or a synthetic glove. Leather has a lot of benefits over synthetics in terms of strength and comfort, but at the same time, some synthetics are lighter, moisture resistant, and also require no break-in.
You know yourself best and that probably means you know more than enough to go about finding the perfect glove for you from our collection of Rawlings Baseball Gloves, but if you would like some professional help, give out customer service team a call at 888-540-BATS and we’d be more than happy to help. Whether you have product questions, want to learn more about the differences between leather and synthetics, or just want some professional recommendations, we are only a call away.
