How to Buy a Baseball Outfielder Glove

Outfielders play a pivotal role as their team’s last line of defense. Make sure you’re armed with the correct glove so you can make the clutch play when a batter hits one deep.

Like pitchers and catchers, outfielders need their own unique variant of baseball glove. As the team’s last line of defense, they need a glove that has the proper webbing, padding and length so they can gather in fly balls and grounders with ease.

WEBBING

Outfielders don’t always have the luxury of creating easy outs since they’re almost always on the run or they’re diving to make a catch. That’s why most of the pros prefer a larger glove with a “trap web” style.

Trap webs, which resemble pigtail braids, are longer and much deeper than other types of webbing. This longer style gives outfielders a reach advantage, while the depth helps keep the ball secure. “It’s longer, it allows you to cover more ground so when you’re running around the outfield, it gives you more range to catch a fly ball,” says DICK’S Sporting Goods Associate and former collegiate baseball player Joey Lancianese.

Trap webs also close faster than other web styles. This is because outfielder’s have to squeeze fast in order to make sure the ball doesn’t pop out as soon as it hits the palm of the glove.

SIZE

Lancianese also calls out the importance of glove sizing for outfielders: “You’re also going to want to pay attention to the size: all outfield patterns are marked 12.75”. When you’re an elite-level ball player, playing a specific position, you definitely want to pay attention to the size so you can cover more ground in the outfield.”