Catchers play in a significantly intense position throughout a match. From strikeouts to catches, their role is in every step. So, you shouldn’t tolerate any compromise when choosing gear like mitts. But how to find the best catchers mitt if it’s your first time?
As a high school baseball team coach, I’ve mentored dozens of players who preferred playing at the catcher’s position. Some of them are now playing in the college league, while some are trying to qualify for minor leagues. Therefore, I know very well what core features one should consider when getting a baseball mitt.
And in this short review, I’m gonna serve my decades of experience with you. Surely, my recommendations will help you get the most out of your investment. Let’s start with the mandatory specification you should look at first.
5 Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Catcher’s Mitt?
Regarding baseball catcher’s mitts, there are a few key features to consider before making your purchase. Let’s take a quick look at them one by one.
Leather Quality
The leather on a catcher’s mitt is what determines its durability and longevity. Higher-quality leather will last longer and stand up to more wear and tear. However, this aspect also influences the price of the mitt.
Usually, you can find two types of leather in the catcher’s mitt – original leather and synthetic leather. If you’re on a budget, look for a mitt with lower-quality leather that’ll still provide good protection and performance.
Break-in Time
The break-in time is the time it takes for the mitt to soften and conform to your hand. This can vary depending on the type of leather used and the factory break-in status.
When buying a leather mitt, you’ll find what percentage of the gloves are already broken in the factory and how much you need to do yourself. If you want to break in the mitt earlier, consider buying one with at least 70% factory done.
In addition, lower-quality leather will usually have a shorter break-in time, while higher-quality leather will take longer to break in.
Palm Protection
It’s another essential feature to consider. Some mitts have extra padding in the palm area to protect your hand from hard hits. This can be especially crucial if you’re a catcher who receives a lot of pitches. Look for a mitt with good palm protection to keep your hands safe.
Lace Adjustability
You want a glove that fits snugly and doesn’t have laces that are too loose or too tight. So, ensure the mitt has the necessary adjustability support in the laces.
This means it should’ve laces that you can tighten or loosen as needed. This allows you to get a custom fit that’s comfortable for you.
Size
All manufacturers offer their mitt series for different ages of players, starting from 4 years to 14 years in general. There are also adult segments.
However, to differentiate each segment, they consider a range of age groups and different sizes (varies from brand to brand). For example, for 8-year players, some brands offer 29-inch mitts while some offer 30-inch mitts.
Therefore, before placing your first catcher’s mitt, make sure to go through their size chart first. With lace adjustability features, you can eliminate the half tension of matching the size.
Different Sizes of Baseball Mitts
Catcher mitts are differentiated depending on the player’s age group, starting from below 8 years to 14+ years.
The size starts from 29.5 inches to 30 inches, and the maximum length of the catcher’s mitt is 32 inches to 34.5 inches.
For your convenience, I’ve shared the baseball mitt size of all age players below.
Catchers Mitt Size Chart
| Age | Size |
| 8 years or below | 29.5 to 30 inches |
| 8 to 10 years | 30 to 31 inches |
| 11 to 13 years | 30 to 32.5 inches |
| 14 and above | 32 to 34.5 inches |
5 Best Youth Catchers Mitts Review
To make it easier for you to choose the right catcher mitt, I’ve broken down the below reviews into 4 sections – specification, a brief overview, pros, and cons, and finally, what makes me choose them for this listing.
Rawlings Player Preferred Glove Series Catcher Mitt – Best Overall
Key Specification
- Material: Synthetic Leather
- Web: 1-Piece Closed
- Specialty: Zero Shock padding design
- Wrist Strap: Adjustable
- Size: 33-inch
- Hand orientation: Left-Right
In this sport, Rawlings is one of the most well-known baseball equipment manufacturers. It’s been more than 135 years of glorified journey, and the brand is delivering high-quality gear, from balls, bats, and gloves to mitts.
And when it comes to gloves, most professional Major League Players prefer using Rawlings. So you can rely on them entirely. And the following mitt is such a kind.
It’s a blend of synthetic leather and modern production technology, featuring ZeroShock sting reduction support. Therefore, your hands don’t get hurt during gaming.
Another comfort milestone of this mitt I loved is its adjustable wrist strap. You can change the size according to your preference. However, the max size is 33 inches.
If talking about the design aspect more, you would find the mitt structure more like conventional gloves. It has a 1-piece solid closed web design.
Whether it’s a pitcher’s gloves or mitts, the break-in process is always compulsory in baseball, which is sometimes a bit annoying when it takes unusual time.
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about this with this Rawlings catcher’s mitt. The gloves are 80% broken in the factory. So it’ll take less time.
Good sides
- The single-piece closed web is good for durability
- Designed for both male and female players
- Synthetic leather craftsmanship tends to last long enough
- The shock-proof design eliminates hand-fatigue risks
- Requires less time to break in the mitt
Bad sides
- Not for people who don’t like artificial leather
- Only 33-inch size is available
My Thoughts
If you’re planning to buy a catcher mitt for your practice session, the Rawlings preference series is a no-brainer. The only con here is the size availability.
Related product:
Franklin Sports Catchers Mitt – Best for Price
Key Specification
- Material: Synthetic Leather
- Web: Closed
- Specialty: Extremely lightweight design
- Wrist Strap: Adjustable
- Size: 12-31.5 inches
- Hand orientation: Left-Right
After starting in the mid-50s, Franklin Sports slowly became a hub of multi-sports equipment. But unlike other brands, they didn’t give up on their quality while dealing with multiple manufacturing lines. But what makes this mitt catch my attention?
The first thing is its weight, which is less considered by newbies, yet professionals take it more seriously. As the title says, it’s one of the most lightweight catcher mitts I’ve ever seen in the price range.
Other comfort measures include its adjustable wrist strap. But the best among all is a separate thumb adjustment contour fit system, making it suitable for all-age baseball players.
It features the same synthetic leather you can find in some premium catcher mitts, even though the price is not nearly the same, making it a deal-breaker for beginners.
The only trait of this mitt that I don’t like is it’s a bit foamy because of the thick padding. It’s undoubtedly an excellent spec for reducing hand shock while catching, but it also sometimes causes inflexibility when moving fingers.
Good sides
- Premium synthetic leather design for budget seekers
- Doesn’t require any break-in process to get started
- Hand-shaped pocket design for responsive feelings
- Available in different sizes for all age players
- Perfectly crafted pocket shape for easy catching and less dropping
Bad sides
- The foam design isn’t suitable for all players
- Used trapeze web, which is mainly used in outfielder gloves
My Thoughts
Even though the price is relatively more efficient than previously mentioned Rawlings yet, you’ll witness the same synthetic material built into this Franklin Sports mitt.
Related product:
WILSON A2000 Series Catcher Mitt – Best Brand
Key Specification
- Material: Synthetic Leather
- Web: Half moon
- Specialty: Extremely lightweight design
- Wrist Strap: Adjustable
- Size: 33.5 inches
- Hand orientation: Left-Right
The Chicago-based sporting goods company is very much well-known for its many celebrity sportsperson endorsements. The list includes Mookie Betts, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Russell Wilson, Liz Cambage, Trae Young, etc.
Anyway, getting back to the review of the A2000 series, the first thing you’ll immediately connect with is its supreme quality. Everything from the material to the design talks about the standard of what you’re gonna pay.
For instance, the catcher mitt is built with microfiber leather (SuperSkin). It makes the mitt less weighty than typical options. Not only that, to me, this seems to be more durable also. According to Wilson officials, this is due to the moisture resistance feature.
When it comes to comfort, this Wilson mitt will surely impress you. Firstly, you’re gonna love the flat finger binding it has. It’s great if you like to keep your fingers outside to get more flexible movement.
Also, the pocket size and structure with the half-moon web are perfect additions for youth baseball players. You can also get the mitt in different colors, such as black, white, and red.
Good sides
- Microfiber leather craftsmanship weighs less than regular options
- Moisture resistance feature to last year
- Flat finger binding allows more flexibility
- Wrist lining for extra comfort and adjustability
- Premium design to ensure no pain while using
Bad sides
- Quite expensive than regular catchers mitts
- Irregularities in the available sizes
My Thoughts
The WILSON A2000 series catcher mitt is the best deal if you’re seeking high-quality and there’s no budget tension. Make sure to consider one to two steps bigger than what you usually wear
Related product:
Rawlings Encore Baseball Series Catcher Mitt – Best Youth Mitt
Key Specification
- Material: Leather
- Web: Closed
- Specialty: Advanced hand protection
- Wrist Strap: Adjustable
- Size: 32 inches
- Hand orientation: Left-Right
When it comes to youth baseball equipment, Rawling has the most extensive list of series in every genre. And the same they have for catcher’s mitt too.
The “Encore” baseball mitt series is comparably new in their collection. It features advanced protective layers under the leather, which makes the gear a perfect blend of performance and protection for youth baseball players.
However, because of the layer, the mitt also became a bit more sturdy. 35% of the mitt break-in isn’t done in the factory. Therefore, you must need to break in your gloves after getting home.
The heart of this baseball mitt is the leather. Though it’s also artificial, you’ll surely find a noticeable difference between it and other market options. Most probably, it’s the main reason this series falls in the most expensive glove series by the brand.
I also liked the extra-large size of the closed web design. It makes catching and holding a ball easy, especially for youth players.
Good sides
- Premium quality leather for inner comfort
- Enables you to adjust the opening size
- An extra layer of protection to save hands from shocks
- Single-piece closed web design gives a traditional feel
- Deep pocket design for easy catching
Bad sides
- Some units are reported to be larger in size than described
- Requires break-in to provide the best performance
My Thoughts
Investing in the Rawling Encore series mitt is the best decision if you want the best-in-class design. The price is less than Wilson A2000, but the feature and durability you get are valued higher in this gear.
Related product:
Mizuno Prospect GXC105 Catcher’s Mitt – Best for Training Kids
Key Specification
- Material: Leather
- Web: Closed
- Specialty: Parashock technology for hand safety
- Wrist Strap: Adjustable
- Size: 32.5 inches
- Hand orientation: Left-Right
It’s been more than 100 years since Mizuno Corporation (the parent company) stepped into the sporting goods and equipment industry. They started manufacturing baseball gloves in 1913. And this Prospect series is one of its successors.
The GXC105 catcher’s mitt is crafted to meet every need of training ground kids. You can get the idea by looking a closer look at the features.
Firstly, it has a unique palm liner and butter-soft design. It gives your super comfort while meeting durability standards. Besides, it also makes the break-in process easier.
It also features Parashock technology. The innovative design absorbs ball shocks like a charm. So, early-age players can be assured that their hands are safe from getting hurt.
Since players’ hands’ sizes aren’t universally the same, having a fixed measure might not feel them all. Keeping this thought in mind, Mizuno made this mitt with a flexible loop lace. You can loosen or tighten the laces to find your perfect fit.
I also liked its Close and Lock design aspect. Firstly, the trait allows players to catch balls easily. Secondly, the glove instantly locks up after grabbing the ball, which helps players get a secure grip.
Even though all the quality features, the main drawback is its nature and the target zone. It’s only made for the training ground. And if you want something for professional baseball catching, look at other listed options.
Good sides
- Super soft palm liner for utmost comfort
- Adjustable lace design makes it easy to fit all sizes of hands
- Innovative shock absorption design for hand safety
- Easy and less time-consuming to break in the mitt
- The close and lock feature allows easy catching
Bad sides
- Mainly suitable for baseball training
- The depth of the pocket isn’t adequate
My Thoughts
This Mizuno glove surely deserves your attention if you’re looking for a baseball training mitt. I also suggest it for first-timers. However, I won’t suggest it for professional events.
Related product:
Frequently Asked Questions
What size catcher’s mitt Should a 12-year-old use?
For 12-year-old catchers, consider picking mitts size 30 inches to 32.5 inches. However, make sure to check the company’s size chart, as this range varies depending on the manufacturer.
What mitt does Yadier Molina use?
Yadier Molina uses the Heart of the Hide series catcher mitt by Rawlings. He prefers using the 34-inch size.
What glove do most MLB catchers use?
Professional MLB catchers mostly prefer using mitts from Rawlings. And the most used sizes are 30 inches or above.
What catchers mitt did Johnny Bench use?
Johnny Bench used to wear Model RL by Rawlings, which is discontinued currently. Only one piece of this rare catcher mitt is available on Amazon.
Wrapping Up
That’s the conclusion of my years of understanding and advice to buy the best catchers mitt. If summarizing, my vote goes to the Rawlings Player Preferred Glove Series Catcher Mitt. It’s comparably budget-friendly, and the quality and other aspects are also pretty good for both pro league players and trainees.
The WILSON A2000 Series Catcher Mitt is also a great pick if you don’t have any budget issues. Let me know with which you’re gonna rock on the ground.
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Hello everyone. My name is Jason Butler, and I live in California, America. I was a professional AAA Minor League Baseball player. I lost my chance of playing MLB for injury issues, but I did not lose my love for baseball. I attended the coaching training program and am now working as a coach in a small school in San Diego.
I always love to share my experience and knowledge if that can help you. Play baseball, and stay fit.