How To Break In Wilson A2000 Outfield Glove | Facts That A Baseball Player Must Know

Last Updated on January 17, 2023

Premium gloves, like the Wilson A2000 outfield glove, with around a 300 USD price tag can make a difference on the baseball field with performance, comfort, and durability. 

But, the baseball gloves are needed to be broken in to get their full potential and performance.  

In this post, I will be discussing the best way how to break in Wilson A2000 outfield glove perfectly. 

Baseball or softball gloves are one of the most important components in baseball. Also, you can invest one of the biggest portions of your game finance in baseball gloves. So, proper choosing and the right breaking-in process are important aspects. 

So, ready to break in your Wilson A2000 outfield glove? Let’s do it. 

What Is Break In For Gloves?

Break in or breaking in of baseball gloves means making new baseball gloves ready to play or making them comfortable for players. Let’s elaborate this.

Every new machine you purchase generally does not stay in a ready mode to use instantly. For simplification, gloves that are made with leather are not in game-ready mode out of the box. 

You must give some time to make the leather gloves ready to use normally and comfortably with their full potential. For this, you need to go through some concise and natural processes to make the glove ready for the game. 

This is called the break-in of a baseball glove. On the other hand, the time that is needed for breaking in a baseball glove is known as the breaking in period. 

Why Should You Need A Broken Baseball Glove?

The great fact about the original leather is they are highly durable and provide premium performance while used in gloves. The durable characteristics of the leather make them valuable and expensive. On the other hand, unused leather is almost rigid like a rock. 

As you know, Wilson baseball goods manufacturers always use high-grade cow-hide or sheepskin to make their baseball gloves.

But, if you try to play with a new Wilson A2000 baseball glove, it will be confirmed that you will not be able to catch the balls instantly. Because the unused new leather is almost impossible to squeeze. 

As a result, the ball will be bounced back from the globe’s pocket when you try to catch the ball with the new Wilson A2000. 

Whilst the gloves are made from synthetic leather, they are almost game-ready out of the wrapping. But the gloves are made of leather that needed to be broken in for usability and full potential.

You need to soften the Wilson A2000 or any other leather gloves you have already purchased. 

How To Break In Wilson A2000 Outfield Glove

There are several ways to break in a Wilson A2000 outfielder glove. All are not that much preferable to all users. As a baseball fan, coach, and former player, I will be discussing and showing the best way to break in Wilson A2000 glove. 

So, let’s check out how to break in an outfielders glove. 

Best Natural Way To Break In Wilson A2000 Glove

As an old-school lover, I always love the natural ways to do any task. There are no differences in breaking in a baseball glove too. 

As a baseball enthusiast, I never allow others’ hands into my gloves. The same thing we found from Nomar Garciaparra, was the Boston Red Sox shortstop. He had one ultimate rule. 

“Nobody else’s hand was allowed in his glove.”

On the other hand, it is a universal rule for the elite players as well. 

So, what else do you have in your hand to do with your gloves to break in? Obviously the most natural way, no doubt. 

So, from my side and opinion, the best way to break in a glove is to catch the balls with it consistently. And of course, use your own hand to do so. Because it will be breaking in along with fitting to your hand as well. 

The glove will be softened, formed with your hand, and fit perfectly after a bunch of regular catching practices. It also doesn’t harm in any way of the leather, which ensures its long durability and lifespan. 

This may take a longer time than usual, but will not disappoint you with the best performance, and service to give a long time, at least a couple of seasons. 

Trust me, you can be relaxed about not buying a new pair of gloves for the next 4 to 5 years as well. 

Key Factors 

The most natural way

Take longer time to break in

How To Break In A Baseball Glove With Hot Water

Have you ever heard about the Aso glove break-in? Mr. Shigeaki Aso is the glove master of Wilson and has been working for years with Wilson. He has a unique formula for breaking in new cowhide gloves with hot water. 

He describes the steps in simple easy processes that you can use to break in your A2000 gloves. So, let’s see how to break in a baseball glove with hot water with Mr. Shigeaki Aso. 

Step 01- Poring The Warm Water

The very first is to pour warm water into your new gloves’ palms and pockets. Warm means warm, not hot or boiling water. The warm water will ensure the softening process of the glove. By the way, make sure you pour the water from the finger sides. 

Step 2- Squeeze The Glove

At this point, you should have the glove towards your chest. Make sure that they are facing backward with their fingers. Next, take hold of the glove by the thumb and the pinky finger. Make sure you give the glove a good squeeze. Move the thumb and pinky finger back and forth by pulling and pushing on them.

This results in a softer feel for the heel pad. Also, because of this, the gloves are getting closer and closer to being in a state where they can be used in the game.

Step 3: Stretching 

Now, stretch out the top of the damp glove as well as the laces. They need a little bit of stretching. On the other hand, you shouldn’t freak out if you see that the laces or the tops are starting to come undone. After the glove has been given some time to dry, it will revert to its original condition.

By the way, refrain from stretching too much if you don’t want the finger top and laces to become much looser.

Step 4: Using Wilson Mallet

After stretching, now begin to form the pocket of the glove as it should be or as per your need. Use a mallet to form the pocket. Take into account your preference, you want a deeper or shallow pocket. Then swash the pocket of the glove for a certain period. 

Step 5: Pounding With Mallet

After using the mallet effectively, place it in a vertical position to the side of your thumb. Now we’re going to punch the thumb side for some time back and forth. Following this, pound the side of your pinky finger. Repeatedly folding and unfolding the glove is required.

The gloves will be easier to put on and take off as a result of this.

See this video of how Mr. Aso does his leather glove break in the process.

How To Break In An Outfielders Glove: Some Additional Ways

The above two methods are most popular ways to break in wilson A2000 outfield gloves. But there are other methods also. Let’s discuss some other methods in details.

Using Glove Oil And Conditioner

You can use a conditioner and oil that is specially designed for the gloves. Conditioner and oil for the gloves will soften the gloves in a significant way. Let’s know how you can break in with oil and conditioner.

Step 01: Selecting the suitable conditioner and oils for gloves

You should keep in mind that you can only use the oil and conditioner that are approved by the manufacturers. 

Also, don’t use petroleum jelly or olive oil. These will damage the natural finish, make the glove oily, and increase its weight. By the way, you can use Wilson Pro Stock Glove Conditioner and Wilson Pro Stock Mink Oil Paste. You can also use oils and conditioners specially made for leather materials. But I will highly recommend you to use Wilson’s approved oils and conditioners.

Step 02: Applying oils and conditioner properly

By the way, you need to be careful when you are applying the oil and the conditioner to Wilson A2000 outfield gloves. It just takes a little bit of oil and conditioner to get the job done.

Use a clean cloth to give them a little rubbing.The leather may get damaged if you use an excessive amount of oil and conditioner. So, be cautious. Additionally, there is no need to attempt to make the web of the glove softer by applying the oil and conditioner to it. Because it is a relatively thin section of the glove, it will become more comfortable to wear after just a short while of usage.

Apply little water in the area of pocket of the glove. Rub them properly so that you get the perfect coating. Then dry out and ensure no oils remain on the pocket of the gloves.

Now, apply some oil some oil in the spacing area between the glove’s fingers. By doing this, you will feel soft and comfortable while catching the ball.

Your oiling process is now done. Let them dry out properly. store them in dry play but not keep them under direct sunlight. To get best result, try our first natural method after completing this method. You will get your Wilson A2000 gloves ready for play in a very short period of time.

In conclusion, there is a benefit to using oil in breaking the glove. Additionally, it will provide a marginal degree of water resistance to your glove.

You can also use vaseline to break in your baseball gloves. Let's know how to use vaseline on baseball gloves 

Wrapping The Glove

Another popular way to break in Wilson A2000 glove is the wrapping method. You can wrap your glove for a particular time. The wrapping of the glove has two methods. 

With a ball inside the pocket, and with a ball as well. 

Start folding the glove from the pinky side where it is attached to the heel. Give an X shape to the glove till the pinky side joins the thumb. Now put a ball in the pocket of the glove. 

Use an elastic rubber band, or old lace to tie the glove securely. The tie should be snug, but not that tight. Let the glove be in this condition for a few days. This will give a working shape to your glove. You also can pound the glove for more relief from the snugness of the glove. 

Steaming The Glove

Another popular breaking-in method is steaming the gloves. Steaming is easy, but has some reactions. 

You need to apply some glove conditioner as preparation. After applying the conditioner, keep the glove inside a glove steamer. This will soften the glove and ease the malleting process after steaming. 

Though steaming gives a quick game-ready state of the gloves, there are some side effects too. It decreases the durability of the glove, along with hampering the shape of the glove. 

As a result, this is an emergency option if you want to break in your gloves within a day to participate in the game. But, don’t expect a longer lifespan of the glove than a single season. 

Also, Wilson considers steaming as the void of its one-year warranty. 

Additional One: How To Break In A Glove In The Oven

You may get your new A2000 gloves and there is a single night before the game to participate with the glove. So, how to break in Wilson A2000 outfield glove? 

There is the quickest way to break in your Wilson A2000 in this situation. You can use your home microwave oven for this. The procedures on how to break in a glove in the oven are briefly mentioned below. 

Step 01: Moisture the entire glove with warm water. Don’t pour, just moisture. This will ensure slow drying for the glove inside the oven. 

Step 02: Heat the oven before entering the glove inside it. Heat the oven up to 350° F. After heating, off the switch of the oven. Keep the glove inside the oven for a 15-minute session. 

Step 03: After heating the glove, remove it from the oven. Now do whatever you need to do to the glove. Stretch the glove, use a mallet to form the pockets, or do whatever you need to do. 

You may add a little oil to keep the glove soft. Don’t use too much oil, otherwise, it will be wet and deteriorated.

A2000 Break In: The Ways You Shouldn’t Go Through for Breaking In

There are several ways that you can use to break in your glove overnight. Also, you will get them in various forums as popular methods for breaking in leather gloves. 

Well, you may get a quick result, which may amaze you. But you know, these will be harmful in the long run for your gloves. Even among them, how to break in a glove in the oven is included. 

Let’s check the way we shouldn’t go for breaking in a baseball glove.

Don’t Use The Oven

As I have shown how to break in a glove in the oven, it is not recommended for an A2000 break in. Actually, the oven is for food, not for games.

The design of the oven with its temperature is not designed for leather. It is true that the oven softens the leather fast. Also, the leather dries fast when the impact of the oven is gone. It pulls the moisture from the leather which can break the natural ties of the fiber. 

In the long run, the lifespan of the glove will be reduced, and the durability will be lessened significantly. So, you may expect a single-season performance from the glove. 

Don’t Let The Yourself Put Your Glove In Your Car

You may think of the effectiveness of the car to throw in your gloves for breaking in. But, when a car gets in the sun, it becomes almost a mobile oven. 

So, the result is the same as an oven gives. The dry fiber of the glove will give you an unconditioned glove. No conditioner can fix it. 

Don’t Use Shaving Cream

A few days ago, the shaving cream included an ingredient called lanolin, which is a natural conditioner. Sheep are the source of lanolin. Lanolin is an excellent conditioner that may be used on leather baseball gloves to keep them supple, hydrated, and ready for play.

But these days, manufacturers of shaving cream hardly incorporate lanolin into their products. Therefore, there is no use in making use of it. Instead, the chemical in the shaving cream absorbs the moisture from the gloves and leaves behind drier leather.

You should realize that the moisture content of the glove is the primary factor that determines how well it retains its condition over time. Dry gloves cause the leather to become brittle, which makes it easier for the gloves to tear.

Don’t Keep Your A2000  Under Mattress

The mattress method comes from the wrapping method of the glove where I have shown how to break in outfield glove. Though the ideas are the same, the result is different. 

The wrapping method allows the glove to be broken in a natural way. The string or the rubber band gently stretches the leather that keeps its shape okay. 

But, the mattress method applies force to wrap the leather quickly, which results in flat leather. This also gives much pressure on the heel of the glove which actually keeps the shape of the glove on its own. 

But, much pressure creates a floppy heel that doesn’t keep the original shape of the glove. 

Also, a naturally broken-in glove holds an automatic squeezing characteristic on it when balls are hit on its pocket. You won’t need to purposefully tighten your grip on the glove in order to make the catch.

The mattress approach, on the other hand, disrupts the natural squeezing feature of the glove, which requires you to manually compress the glove in order to keep the balls contained inside the pocket of the glove.

Like the Wilson A2000 glove, Wilson A1000 glove is another good shot in theprice range. We have comparison guide on Wilson A1000 vs Wilson A2000. You may check this out. 

Frequently Asked Questions

→Should you flare an outfield glove?

Flaring will provide you with a larger flat surface as well as a pocket for the glove that is more shallow. This will assist the ball being passed on to the next player more rapidly. The conditions are ideal for an infielder, who must rapidly move the ball from one hand to another and then quickly throw it.

→How do you break in a baseball glove overnight?

In point of fact, there is no one method that is both natural and excellent for breaking in the gloves overnight. You have the option of steaming the gloves or using the oven to break in the gloves over the course of the night.

However, because of this, you should bear in mind that these methods are not the most effective strategies for breaking in your gloves. They will decrease the glove’s capacity to withstand wear and tear. Additionally, this will quickly bring the performance down.

→Does shaving cream help break in a baseball glove?

Shaving cream is without a question going to be of assistance to you in breaking in the gloves. However, modern shaving cream does not include lanolin, which is an excellent oil for maintaining leather; instead, it contains hazardous chemicals. 

If you apply shaving cream, the effect will be that it will provide you a break in the facility, but it will also take the moisture out of the glove as well. In the long term, this will cause the glove to get dry, which will cause the natural form of the fiber to be broken.

→What does oil do to a glove?

When breaking in a leather glove, oil is an essential component to consider using. It maintains the glove’s moisture, which in turn provides the leather with an extended lifetime and increased durability. Additionally, it immediately softens the leather, which enables the glove to be broken in more quickly.

The lubrication of the leather prevents your gloves from cracking, which prevents fiber breakage and offers a number of other benefits.

Wrapping Up

Gloves are one of the most essential pieces of equipment for players to have in order to participate in baseball games. Before a leather glove can be used effectively, it has to be broken in. As a baseball player, you also need to adopt the techniques that are used to break in the gloves.

I really hope that my post on how to break in Wilson A2000 outfield glove was as helpful to you as I had hoped it would be. By the way, while breaking in a leather glove, you should always attempt the natural methods first. For the improvement of things in general, doing activities of a natural style is usually encouraged.

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