People have continuously been asking me to sum up some most reliable and overall best pitching gloves. Since the pitching glove is the primary arsenal of defense for pitchers, a pitcher must consider the best one based on his preference.
I have been testing some of the top glove series and have come up with a decision to share my opinion with them. Okay, you may call it an overview, which will help you pick the best one based on your preference.
By the way, in this guide, I have listed up the 7 best pitcher’s mitts, including 5 baseballs and 2 best men’s slow pitch softball gloves. Finishing up this article, you will find the best mitt for the next season.
Top 5 Baseball Pitching Baseball Gloves
Before going deep, here is the list of the top 5 MLB pitchers gloves at a glance.
| No. | Glove | Verdict |
| Baseball | ||
| 1 | Wilson A2K Pitcher’s Glove | Best One |
| 2 | Rawlings ProPreferred Pitcher’s Mitt | Specifically Premium |
| 3 | Wilson A2000 Pitchers Glove | Overall Best Balanced |
| 4 | Rawlings Heart of the Hide Pitching Glove | The Classical One |
| 5 | Marucci Ascension M Type Baseball Glove | Best in Budget |
| Slowpitch Softball | ||
| 6 | Mizuno Premier Slowpitch Softball Glove Series | Best Slow-pitch |
| 7 | Rawlings | RSB Slowpitch Softball Glove Series | Best price |
Let’s talk about the picked ones briefly to give you insight into them.
1. Wilson A2K Pitcher’s Glove
Key Features
- Material: Pro Stock Select Leather
- Size: 11.75”
- Hand Orientation: Both Right and Left
- Color: Black-Saddle Tan-Superskin/Vintage Tan
- Palm: Double palm construction
It’s never been hard to pick the best one when it comes to baseball gloves, and the Wilson A2K Series is in the market. Okay, I literally mean it when you need the best gloves; pick Wilson A2K in terms of premiums, performance, and price.
The best thing about the glove is you will feel it when worn, but it will not give you sweat and pressure for a long day session. The Superskin technology lessens its weight three times, with three times more durability and performance.
By the way, the main material of the glove is Pro Stock Select leather which is Wilson’s Special and selected from the top 5% of Japanese steer hide that Wilson uses.
You know what? Another best part of the A2K series of Wilson Sports Goods is its palm lining. Double palm but thin lining gives great and comfortable wear without raising the weight and giving no hurt to your wrist. The 11.75” glove perfectly fits both youths and adults.
The leather is at its best, gives no pain-catching balls, and gives a stable pocket, which needs less time to break in. The DriLex wrist lining keeps your hand dry and gives all-day-long comfort. This perfectly crafted glove is one of the best pitching gloves without any flaws.
Pros
- Premium leather quality gives top-notch performance
- The leather is selected from the top 5% of Wilson’s leather, giving it longer durability and comfort
- DriLex wrist lining keeps the hand dry, and the Superskin lessens the weight significantly without not compromising the durability
Cons
- As is a top-notch leather glove, it needs a little time to break in. That means it’s not hot out of the wrap
2. Rawlings Pro Preferred Pitcher’s Mitt
Key Features
- Material: Kip Leather
- Size: 11.5” and 11.75”
- Hand Orientation: Available in both right and left-hand throw
- Color: Multiple colors including Camel Tan/Mocha
- Palm: Pittards Sheepskin with 100% wool padding
- Glove Type: Both Pitcher and infield
When you think about only gloves, the name that should come to your mind is Rawlings Sporting Goods. Yes, I literally mean it. More specifically, the Rawlings Pro Preferred series is one of the elite glove series among all other gloves.
By the way, picking the Pro Preferred MLB pitchers gloves in the priority list will never disappoint you. We have been using and testing these gloves for a longer time. Pro Preferred uses the ultimate and premium Kip Leather to construct the gloves, giving you ultimate durability with thousands of catches.
The Pittard sheep skiing lining with 100% wool padding gives the ultimate comfort. The most advantageous fact about the Pro Preferred pitcher’s glove is, aside from the pitcher’s glove, the infield gloves are also designed with pitching factors with different webbing.
So, the options are multiple, and you can choose the webbing as per your need. The look and feel of Rawlings gloves are always appealing, and so are the pro Preferred pitcher’s gloves.
I found the gloves comfortable, fast-breaking-in with top-notch durability.
Pros
- Top-notch build quality with Kip Leather
- Pittards Sheepskin leather lining with 100% wool padding makes it super comfortable
- Found in 11.5” and 11.75” allows fitting small and bigger hands
Cons
- The price is high which is basically designed a premium class
- Since 70% player breaking, it needs some time for breaking in
3. Wilson A2000 Pitchers Glove
Key Features
- Material: Pro Stock Leather
- Size: 11.75”, 12”, 12.5”
- Hand Orientation: Available for both right and left-hand throw
- Color: Multiple colors including black, Vintage Tan, Royal Black, Copper, etc.
- Palm: Prolux comfort leather
This is another great glove from Wilson, the classical A2000 series with a variety of options. If you want a little reaching out with your budget but don’t want to compromise the quality, A2000 could be one of the best choices.
A2000 is the second top and premium series of Wilson, which is made of Pro stock leather. The difference here compared to the Pro stock select leather is they are made of the rest, 95% of the leather, which remains after sorting out the pro stock select leather for the A2K series.
By the way, the Pro stock leather is rugged and highly durable. Practically, you will not feel any difference between the A2000 and A2K pitcher’s gloves in most cases. If you ask me personally about this glove, I would suggest you take this one instead of A2K if you need performance instead of the tag of premium and enthusiasm.
You will find the glove with different webbing patterns. I have no say about the webbing since, most of the time; it’s a fact of personal preference.
This is available in different colors and sizes, which is another big significance. By the way, these comparisons are just between Wilson’s two great series. But, if you look outside of Wilson, it will be tough to find something like this except a few.
Everything except the shell leather is the same as the A2K. So, you can rely on it without any hesitation with a little less budget.
See Also: Wilson A2000 Softball Glove Series Review 2022 |Pro Stock and SuperSkin Leather
Pros
- The rugged leather is highly-durable
- Drilex wrist lining keeps your hand dry and free from sweat
- Softer Prolux Leather gives ultimate comfort a day-long wearing
- Gives great reliability with its flat finger binding to play, keeping the fingers outside of the glove’s back
Cons
- Needs a little longer break-in period
- It’s a bit heavier than A2K since A2000 doesn’t use SuperSkin technology
4. Rawlings Heart of the Hide Pitching Glove
Key Features
- Material: Steer Hide Hypershell Leather
- Size: 11.75” two-piece solid web
- Hand Orientation: Both left and right-hand throw
- Color: Timber glaze/Tan
- Palm: Deer-tanned cowhide palm lining
After being launched for decades, Rawlings Heart of the Hide never lost its appeal to baseball players. It’s one of the oldest glove series of Rawlings.
Heart of the Hide uses high-grade steer hide cut from 5% Angus steer. It’s significantly durable, breathable, and performing. I have never had any complaints about the Rawlings gloves when it’s all about the Heart of the Hide.
This series has been maintaining its class without compromising the quality even a little. The Pro-Grade leather laces and padded thumb sleeves give you the ultimate durability with the association of Pro grade steer hide.
The deer-tanned cowhide palm lining and full-grain finger back lining make the glove unmatched and comfortable for infield and pitchers. When we tested the glove in our coaching facility, we haven’t felt that much force while receiving an average of 90 mph throwing from the fielders.
By the way, this one is nothing less than a Wilson A2000. But, this may help you to pick one by comparing A2000 and Heart of Hide based on your preference.
Pros
- High-quality top 5% steer hide-made gloves make them highly durable and reliable
- Great comfort with deer-tanned cowhide
- The pro-grade leather laces and padded thumb sleeve keep the shape as it is for a longer time
- The balls are being caught easily and don’t bounce back
Cons
- Needs a particular break-in time to be usable in games
- The design and look seem old to many people
5. Marucci Ascension M Type Baseball Glove
Key Features
- Material: Tight-grain steer Hide shell leather
- Size: 11.25”, 11.75”
- Hand Orientation: Right-hand throw
- Color: Camel
- Palm: Leather palm lining
This one may be the most special one on our best pitching glove list. There is a reason behind it. Marucci Ascension M type is from 2019 but it still grabbed my attention by its look and performance. Also, the price range is the best among the others on the list.
My observation about the glove is, “premium but affordable.” I will not talk about the technical harshness. Just you should know, the glove used one of the best-processed tight-grain steerhide shell leather. This leather is extremely durable and significantly reduces the weight of the glove.
You can expect such features from gloves ranging over $250. But, the fact is, you will get the glove for under two hundred bucks, which is literally amazing.
The professional-grade rawhide laces will keep the shape of the glove as it is for a longer time. Good cushioning is used in the finger lining, which gives superior comfort. The variety of sizes allows the glove to fit all types of hands. It’s comfortable even with 100 mph fastballs. The memory-foam padding will keep your hand free from tiredness and pain. The moisture-wicking mesh wrist lining keeps the hand dry for a longer time which is a must needed aspect for a pitcher.
Pros
- Great quality and performance with great pricing
- It outperforms the same categories of gloves easily
- Gives ultimate comfort and ease in catching fastballs
Cons
- I haven’t found any negative feedback about this glove yet
Best Men’s Slow Pitch Softball Gloves
Now, I will review two of Men’s slow-pitch softball gloves. I have picked them based on their great performance and price
Mizuno Premier Slowpitch Softball Glove Series
Key Features
- Material: Full grain leather/ Pig skin back
- Size: 12”, 12.5”, 13”, and 14”
- Hand Orientation: Right-hand throw
- Color: Black color with H-web
- Palm: PU palm lining
Something in the budget, but not compromising the quality; if the case is like this, the Mizuno Premier Slowpitch softball glove should be the choice. For recreational baseball, this glove is something more than expected in its class.
Mizuno designed and constructed this glove with full-grain cow leather, and crafted the back with pigskin. You will surely be amazed at the comfort and performance of this glove. Even the highest speed of throwing with a softball will seem to be something reliable and comfortable case to catch.
In our personal experience, since the glove is made of full-grain leather, it will take a little more time to break in. The pigskin back with the full-grain leather ensures durability even with the fastest thrown slowpitch softball for a longer time.
You will find the glove in various sizes, from 12” to 14”. This glove will at least not disappoint you in terms of performance and build quality.
Pros
- Full-grain high durability leather will last a long time
- Butter soft palm liner gives ultimate comfort for a day-long wearing
- The power lock wrist strap keeps the shape as it is and gives a secure fit
Cons
- The size seems small inside compared to the same size gloves from other brands
7. Rawlings | RSB Slowpitch Softball Glove Series
Key Features
- Material: Cowhide leather
- Size: 12”, 12.5”, 13”, 14”
- Hand Orientation: Both right and left-hand throw
- Color: Black/gray
- Palm: Cushioned Palm and Finger Back Linings
Last but not least, probably this one will be the best slowpitch softball glove at its price point, as well the construction. You will be amazed that Rawlings is offering such an all-leather made glove for under 50 bucks.
The glove has a lined finger back and padded palm made of regular cowhide. It is strong and comfy, thanks to all of the features. The quickest ball can easily keep up in the pocket with this basket web glove, which is ideal for casual games.
By the way, the glove has one drawback: Your hand won’t stay dry all day. However, you don’t have to give up comfort and cushioning. But, what is the best thing, you know? Already mentioned before- the pricing.
I bet you will love this glove for its making, visuals, and performance, regarding the price range.
Pros
- Strong enough build quality and durability
- Enough and long comfort
- Best pricing
- Hot out of the wrapper
Cons
- You may experience sweating on your hand during wearing
Pitching Gloves Buying Guide
You will find several glove buying guides on our site. So, I am not going to make this thing bigger. Just an overview so that you can make the decision from here.
- Material- Consider the material of the glove. Different types of leather are used for gloves. Also, they differ in price. Check which one is required for your needs
- Budget- The budget is related to the quality, construction, and material of the gloves. Also, you might have a particular budget for purchasing the glove. So, determine the glove based on your budget. Pick the best one in the budget range which makes the best sense
- Size- See, size is important. A bigger glove will be loose, and a smaller one will give you pain. So, it’s important to check the glove fits you perfectly before purchasing
- Comfort- Make sure the glove is comfortable when you wear it. If the glove is too hard in feel, avoid it
- Performance- Ultimately, the glove you will choose must perform well. A low-performing love will not be worth your money
Frequently Asked Questions
We have answered some frequently asked questions here.
- Is Rawlings a good brand for gloves?
Rawlings is the master when it comes to baseball gloves. It is the oldest baseball glove manufacturer and has been producing baseball gloves for more than 100 years.
- What is the top brand of glove MLB players wear?
The most used glove brand in MLB is Rawlings Sporting Goods. Aside from this, Wilson is the second top brand providing gloves in the MLB.
- Is A2K better than A2000?
Wilson A2K is slightly better than Wilson A2000 since it uses the top 5% of selected leather. It also uses softer palm lining for more comfort. The Superking technology lessens its weight three times, too.
Final Note
In conclusion, if you look for the best pitching gloves, you will find a lot in the market. But among them, you might be confused about which one to pick for why. We have discussed the top 7 pitching gloves with the reasoning that will help to pick the correct one based on your preference.
By the way, don’t forget to check the glove you are picking before buying. Make sure the glove is comfortable and fits you perfectly. You can take help from a professional or baseball enthusiast who knows how and what to pick.
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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.