Does your little one love playing baseball? There’s a good chance that we all have at least one kid in our lives who loves sports.
- About 40-45% of children ages 6 to 12 play on a youth sports team.
- Baseball players, including catchers, need a variety of sports equipment.
- Young baseball catchers, in particular, usually need the best mitt, shoes, and uniform.
- They may also need a helmet and bat, depending on the youth league they play in.
- Keep reading for tips on finding the best mitt for the youth.
Best Catcher’s Mitts
The Top Baseball Glove Options For Young Baseball Players
All kids playing baseball or softball are going to need a mitt. Those kids who decide to be baseball receivers also need to have a catcher’s mitt. Catcher’s gloves are different because they don’t have separate finger stalls or slots inside for every finger, only some. The catcher’s gloves give the fingers greater protection with their spacing. A catcher’s glove needs more security than the versatility a general baseball glove provides.
Do All Catchers Wear A Mitt?
Most sports leagues require the catcher to wear a catcher’s glove, also known as a catcher’s mitt. Even if they didn’t, letting a player use any other kind of glove wouldn’t be a good idea. There are reasons the catcher’s mitt is designed the way it is. It gives the player more security in catching the ball, greater protection for the hand, and more surface area.
What Size Glove Should I Get A 13-Year-Old?
The best catchers’ gloves for a 13-year-old will be smaller than a 12-year-old’s. At 13, kids enter leagues that use smaller balls. A younger catcher won’t need as big of a deep pocket in his or her mitt.
Why Do First Basemen Wear Gloves?
First basemen wear gloves because of the nature of their position. They need a lot of control and a mitt type that’s good for scooping up grounded balls, balls thrown in the dirt, and catching many baseballs thrown from all over the field. The rounded edge of a mitt, coupled with the lack of separate finger slots for all five digits, gives a player manning first base better control and maneuverability.
What Size Glove Should A Child Use?
The size is measured by its circumference. A young catcher usually needs the best catcher gloves with a 32-32.5-inch circumference. The size they need is based on how big the ball will be in the league they’re playing in. Younger baseball players use larger baseballs at their level.
How Do I Choose A Good Catcher’s Mitt For Youth?
There are just a few considerations you need to make when you’re selecting the best mitt for kids. You’ll be looking at the leather options, including steer hide leather, the back, the webbing, and the amount of extra padding you’ll want for the ball player.
- The leather of the youth catcher mitt: There are four leather choices. Youth catcher gloves can be made of soft leather that doesn’t cost as much or tougher leather that is highly durable and will last a long time. For those who are just starting, stick to a soft tan leather pocket, which is a softer and less durable youth catcher’s glove. Buy a high-quality version of full-grain leather when you know they will stick with it.
- The back of the youth catcher’s mitt: The back of a youth catcher’s mitt can be opened or closed. It’s ideal for a catcher’s mitt to be closed in the back to help protect the wrist. The open back gives the player greater mobility but less wrist protection.
- The webbing of the youth catcher mitt: Most of the time, the youth catcher mitt will have closed webbing. It’s good because it supports fast pitches and other throws.
- The padding of the youth catcher’s mitt: The youth catcher’s mitt should have plenty of padding to protect the child’s hand. It can cause the catchers to have less of a pocket for holding the ball. If that’s a problem, move to the next size.
How Long Does A Catcher’s Mitt Typically Last?
This usually depends on the quality of the catcher’s gloves you buy and how often it is used. Generally, though, kids’ catcher gloves should last around 3 years. Using leather conditioner on real leather catcher’s gloves can help you with that.
How Do You Break In A Baseball Glove?
You don’t want to wait until the last minute before games start to get your ball player brand-new gloves. A brand-new mitt is usually pretty stiff, which makes it difficult to use effectively right off the shelf. But, should you find yourself in a situation where you need to break in a catcher’s mitt fast, here are a couple of methods you can try that won’t harm the mitt and comfortable feel when worn if they’re done properly.
- Put a baseball in the youth catcher’s glove and tie string around the mitt to keep it closed. Then, put it under a mattress someone’s sleeping on for the night. Be careful to place it in the right position so you don’t end up deforming it.
- Apply a cream that’s lanolin-based to the surface. It doesn’t get soaked down into the leather as oils do, so you won’t get the breakdown that oil can cause.
- Pounding the pocket with a fist, a mallet, free-hand weights, or the end of a baseball bat will help break in the youth mitt and develop the pocket.
Can You Steam A Catcher’s Mitt?
Here’s the thing. You can steam any mitt, including a catcher’s mitt. Whether you should or not can come down to opinion. Some experts will tell you not to steam any mitt because it shortens its life. In some cases, though, steaming a new mitt to help break it in and get the pocket shaped for an upcoming game is going to be your first option. Our advice is to take it to professionals to have it steamed and shaped. Don’t try to do it yourself.
What Is The Difference Between A Catcher’s Mitt And A First-Base Glove?
A catcher’s mitt has a thumb slot, slots for the first two fingers, including the index finger, and one combined slot for the last two fingers. There’s also quite a bit of padding, including a padded thumb sleeve, for the center of the catcher’s mitt, known as the pocket. A first-base mitt doesn’t have separate finger slots, has a rounded edge to help with scooping up balls, and has a less padded pocket area.
What Baseball Gloves Do The Pros Use?
A little over half the receivers in Major League Baseball use a Rawlings catcher’s mitt, particularly the Rawlings heart series. Generally, they look for something that’s not too heavy so they can still be quick. Sometimes, you’ll notice the catcher’s mitt with adjustable wrist opening and adjustable wrist strap sewn onto the edge, too. Many pro receivers like that extra protection.
The second-most popular brand is All-Star, though fewer professional catchers use it. All-Star catcher’s gloves are chosen less than half as many times as the Rawlings Encore Series.
Conclusion
- Know what to look for in the top youth catcher gloves.
- Get the right youth catcher’s mitt size for the age of your little one.
- Go with a youth catcher’s mitt that will protect the player’s hand, allow a good amount of space in the pocket for holding the ball, and last long enough to at least get through a season.
- Rawlings makes high-quality youth catcher gloves. Check out the gloves that pros wear and see if your youth baseball player likes these top picks. A little boost of confidence never hurt anyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Size Kids’ Baseball Mitt Should Young Catchers Use?
The best size should be used depending on their age. Their playing position should also be taken into account. Generally, younger receivers (around 9-12 years old) would benefit from a mitt size ranging from 29 to 32 inches. As they grow and progress in the sport, older kid catchers (12-16 years old) might find a mitt size of 32 to 34 inches more suitable.
Choosing the best size that allows the young catcher to comfortably control the mitt, have a secure fit, and effectively receive and handle pitches is important. Factors like hand size and personal preference can also influence the choice of mitt size. Ultimately, selecting the right size ensures that the young catcher can perform optimally and develop their skills behind the plate.
What Catchers Mitt Do Most MLB Players Use?
Most MLB players and coaches use a catcher’s mitt with a deeper pocket, quality leather, superior feel, and game-ready shape, making it suitable for younger players in terms of throwing and overall performance.
What Size Catcher Mitt Should An 11-Year-Old Use?
What Is The Easiest Catcher Mitt To Break In?
How Do I Know What Size Adult Catchers Mitt I Should Purchase?
What Size Should A 12-Year-Old With Smaller Hands Have?
Should You Steam A Baseball Glove?
What Brand Of Catchers Mitt Do The Pros Use?
What Size Catchers Mitt Do Most Pros Use?
How Do I Know My Child’s Glove Size?
What Is The Most Popular Glove Size?
How Do I Choose Gloves?
What Size Catcher Mitt Should A 13-Year-Old Use?
What Makes A Good Catcher’s Mitt?
What Kind Of Glove Does Yadier Molina Use?
Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Cath Aguinaldo
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