How To Choose a Shortstop Glove
There probably isn’t a young player in the world who hasn’t dreamed of playing shortstop for their favorite pro team. The shortstop is the slickest, most athletic player on the field, and as one of the most important defensive positions, requires great hands. They look cool, make amazing plays, and mesmerize us with their incredible arms.
But any good shortstop knows it takes more than athleticism to play the 6-spot well. It takes a baseball glove designed to play shortstop. But what is a good shortstop glove and how do you choose one? This guide on how to choose a shortstop glove will highlight some of the most important considerations to keep in mind when picking out the perfect glove for playing short.
Note: This is our guide to secondbase gloves for baseball. While a lot of the same principles apply to a softball glove, you’re better off waiting for our guides on softball glove selection over the next few weeks.
Shortstop: What It Takes
While the requirements of most baseball positions change as children get older and more athletic, playing shortstop always requires the best athletes. These players have to cover a lot of ground, make incredibly difficult throws, and have excellent eye-hand coordination. For these reasons, coaches will almost always put the best players on the team at shortstop, even during young players’ least competitive years (recreational baseball, for example). It’s an unfortunate truth for many children and parents, but it’s the truth nonetheless.
The reasons why the shortstop position demands the best players are many. First, there are areas within a good shortstop’s range that are very far from first base, requiring a strong and accurate arm. Next, since most batters are right-handed and pull the ball, the shortstop sees the most action on the infield. They have to be fast, strong, and sure-handed. That’s a makeup that most baseball players struggle to meet.
Shortstop is actually so demanding that children who grow up playing the position rarely play it in high school or college, let alone the pros. Every year, the MLB draft is full of shortstops. Once these players make it to camp, they often end up moving to other positions. Smaller guys will move to second, bigger guys will move to third, and faster guys that don’t field particularly well move to the outfield.
What Does a Shortstop Need in a Baseball Glove?
Knowing that the position is demanding, it’s important to know what to look for in shortstop gloves. The following are some of the most important factors and baseball glove features to look for, for any player holding down the shortstop position.
It Needs the Right Glove Size
Shortstops need smaller gloves. This allows them to make quick transfers from their glove hand to their throwing hand without losing the ball in the glove. Since they can get rid of the ball quickly, they can turn double plays or glove-flip the ball to the second baseman (a glove flip is an advanced move where a middle infielder flips the ball directly from their glove to the player covering the base). In order to facilitate these kinds of plays, a shortstop glove should be between 11.25 and 11.5 inches (though you’ll see many pros actually use gloves up to 11.75 inches).
That might seem small, but even professional players wear these baseball glove sizes (some even smaller!). With the average height of 2023 major league shortstops being around 6 feet, these are relatively big guys who often prefer a snug fit with plenty of feel. Even younger players with smaller hands can use these gloves and appreciate the exceptional performance they can get with a smaller infield glove.
It Needs a Shallow Pocket
Shallow pocket depth is critical to a shortstop. Players don’t want their glove to swallow up a ball after fielding a ground ball, making it hard to make quicker transfers and get the runner at first. A shallower pocket allows the shortstop to feel the ball’s location and quickly find it with their throwing hand without looking down.
An I-Web Design Is Best (Though H Web May Work Too)
An I-web design is important for middle infielder gloves at shortstop or second base. These webs, which are shaped quite literally like an I, allow the shortstop to glove the ball while also allowing infield dirt to pass through the web. This way, when the shortstop reaches into the glove, they’re not grabbing a handful of dirt that forces them to make a throwing error.
H-webs aren’t terrible, either. These baseball gloves have two straps that pass across the pocket, creating an H shape. These gloves also allow the dirt to pass through the web, but they do tend to be slightly deeper than an I web design.
It Needs an Open Back
An open back is best for a shortstop glove, and what I’m referring to is the part of the glove that covers the back of the hand. An open back makes the glove more flexible and allows the shortstop to keep their index finger outside the glove. This improves glove retention while stretching for a ball or when flowing hard-hit balls.
Airflow is another great reason for shortstop gloves to have open backs. Middle infielders field the most balls and cover a lot of ground. A closed-back glove will get hot and sweaty, while an open-back baseball glove allows for a bit more comfort.
It Should Have a Lightweight Feel
Most of what middle infielders—like a shortstop and a second baseman—do happen fast. Middle infield baseball gloves can’t be heavy or feature extra padding. A heavy glove will be slow and not offer as much feel for the ball, which is especially important when transferring the ball quickly from the glove to the throwing hand.
While padding might be at a minimum, it’s not uncommon for an infielder glove to feature a reinforced palm pad. Since middle infielders often quickly palm ground balls so they can glove flip or grab them with their throwing hand, a little extra protection in the palm keeps things light while also remaining extremely durable.
Highest Quality Leather
Okay, this might not be an absolute necessity, but an infield glove becomes almost an extension of the player’s body. Once they break in the perfect pocket and closure, they want that baseball glove to last a long time. Also, no one on the field catches or fields the ball as often as short. High-quality gloves feature durable construction and a quality leather outer shell and palm can last for several seasons, making them the best gloves for the position.
It Needs Plenty of Drip
Like it or not, shortstops have the flashiest play style on the ball field. They make jumping and spinning throws, diving plays, and sliding stops. Because of their playing styles, these guys often want flashy gloves. The best baseball gloves with the best features and style are the norm for shortstop players, but any good infield baseball gloves will do the trick.
Which Brands Make the Best Shortstop Gloves?
Two brands are most popular among people that play shortstop: Wilson and Rawlings. These two brands have a hold on the middle infield glove market, and it’s because their patterns and materials are the perfect combination of design and quality.
Wilson Gloves (Wilson A2000 and A2k)
Wilson makes lots of baseball gloves, but the brand’s better gloves are the A2000 and A2K. They’re made from high-quality leather and come in a variety of patterns and designs. They’re even available in custom versions with snake-like hide patterns and customizable colors. The A2K is the more high-end of the two, with more options and flashier designs (remember that drip!).
Rawlings Heart of the Hide Gloves
A direct competitor of the Wilson A2000 and A2K is the Rawlings Heart of the Hide gloves. These gloves come in similar patterns as the Wilson A2000 and A2K and are equally as customizable. The higher-end models are the Rawlings Pro Preferred gloves, but all Heart of the Hide models are designed for durability, maximum comfort, and great ball control.
Affordable Models
All of the A2000, A2K, Heart of the Hide, and Pro Preferred models are excellent options, but they may be too expensive for some folks. And, let’s face it, if you’re not the best shortstop, you can get away with a less expensive baseball glove at a good value. Our choices? Rawlings Gold Glove Elite or Wilson A1000 gloves.
The Gloves of Current MLB Shortstops
Now that we know a bit more about what it takes to find the best baseball glove for a shortstop, let’s look at the gloves that some of the best professional players in the game wear. Note: Coming up with the following information takes a lot of work, so if you’re a big fan of what we’re doing here at RBI Gear, please consider sharing this article with your social media or friends and family.
Also, not every glove below will be a Rawlings Heart of the Hide, Wilson A2000, Wilson A2k, or Rawlings Pro Preferred model. Some ball players have deals with other brands or prefer options from other companies.
Bo Bichette Toronto Blue Jays
Type: Rawlings Select Pro Lite
Size: 11.5
Web: I
Carlos Correa Minnesota Twins
Type: Rawlings Pro Preferred
Size: 11.75
Web: Modified I
Francisco Lindor New York Mets
Type: Rawlings REV1X or Pro Preferred
Size: 11.5 or 11.75
Web: I or Modified I
Corey Seager Texas Rangers
Type: Rawlings Heart of the Hide
Size: 11.5
Web: H Web
Wander Franco Tampa Bay Rays
Type: SSK ZPro
Size: 11.75
Web: I
Dansby Swanson Chicago Cubs
Type: Wilson A2000 or A2K
Size: 11.75
Web: I
Matt McLain Cincinatti Reds
Type: Wilson A2000
Size: Appears to be 11.5
Web: I
JP Crawford Seattle Mariners
Type: Rawlings Pro Preferred
Size: 11.75
Web: I
Anthony Volpe New York Yankees
Type: Wilson A2K
Size: Appears to be 11.5
Web: I
Elly De La Cruz Cincinnati Reds
Type: Wilson A2000
Size: Appears to be 11.75
Web: H Web
The Baseball Gloves of All-Time Great Shortstops
Finding this info on some of the greatest players to even hold down the shortstop position was EXTREMELY difficult, and some of these are best guesses. And, some of these gloves are much different than a new infielder glove, so this is really just for fun and reference.
Al Trammell Detroit Tigers
Type: SSK
Size: Unknown
Web: Trapeze
Barry Larkin Cincinnati Reds
Type: Wilson
Size: Appears to be 11.75
Web: Trapeze
Cal Ripken Jr Baltimore Orioles
Type: Rawlings Pro
Size: Unknown, but he preferred a smaller glove at shortstop
Web: Modified I
Robin Yount Milwaukee Brewers
Type: Rawling Pro
Size: Large (actually an outfield model)
Web: H
Ozzie Smith San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals
Type: Rawlings Gold Glove Series
Size: Unknown
Web: Trapeze
Derek Jeter New York Yankees
Type: Rawlings ProDJ2
Size: 11.5
Web: Basketweave
Alex Rodriguez Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees
Type: Rawlings Pro with a closed back
Size: 12 inches (huge!)
Web: Modified H
How To Break In a Glove for Short
Once you decide on a glove for the infield, it’ll be time for some break-in. This is a uniquely personal event, as each player is different. However, there are some guidelines to follow for breaking in the best baseball gloves.
1. Beat It Up
Loosening up the leather is the first part of breaking in shortstop gloves. Start by beating the glove with a mallet designed specifically for loosening the leather in a baseball glove. Smack the pocket, roll the glove over and smack the outside of the glove, and the hinges. In general, you just want to give it a good beating which can be hard to do when you spend $300 on an infield glove, but trust me, it can take it.
2. Condition It
Glove conditioner (not glove oil) can help loosen up the leather in an infield glove without weighing it down or making it greasy. It also protects the glove’s pores from dirt and stains. Give it a good conditioning, even if it’s a new glove (you don’t know how long it sat on a store or warehouse shelf).
3. Play Catch
Playing catch is the most important step in the break-in process. This is when the glove starts to form to the player’s hand, and they can get to know how it reacts. The glove will start to close how the player naturally squeezes his hand, whether it’s thumb to ring finger (thumb to ring finger is the most common for an infield glove) or thumb to middle fingers (more common for outfielders).
Catching balls thrown hard will also develop the pocket around the wearer’s hand, allowing them to get a feel for how an infield glove will react to ground balls, line drives, and even pop flies. Don’t forget to field some live BP with a new infield glove as well, but don’t get frustrated if you struggle to lock them down. After a few weeks, your infield glove will be game-ready.
