How much does a baseball glove cost? Many factors determine the price of suitable baseball gloves for games. The cost will vary, depending on whether you practice the sport for fun or aim to join official matches.
Indeed, if you want something nice for your kids or get the best ones so they can play professionally, the price on those mitts will not be the same.
Due to the materials, user demographics, specific brands, and other features, the cost of baseball gloves can be as little as below $30 to over $400.
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A Detailed Baseball Glove Price Guide
1. Gloves for kids
It’s understandable that gloves for kids will be significantly cheaper compared to ones made for adults.
If you want to purchase a good glove for young players under 12, the expected cost should be at least $60. Also, even better quality gloves for youth players are somewhere between $100 – $150.
But, if you only want your kids to have fun at their first baseball practice or an outdoor activity, you can easily find youth baseball gloves from $14 to $40.
2. Gloves for adult players
If you are a recreational player, a glove that costs $120 to $150 should suffice, as it is durable and comfortable enough for your games. Please know that such a price is not a cheap baseball glove of low quality.
Professional baseball glove cost should be much higher due to the material quality, brands, playing position, and requested customization by the club or the players themselves.
For Major League Baseball players, customized gloves should cost from $200 to more than $500. Those high end baseball gloves are often made by Rawlings and Wilson, the two most well-established manufacturers.
3. Glove materials
Indeed, the price of baseball glove also varies depending on its materials. Here’re the standard costs you can expect from the most common fabrics that make baseball gloves:
- Synthetic leather
If you want affordable baseball gloves, synthetic leather ones are a great choice. I once picked cheap lefty baseball gloves of this material as requested by a friend, and they worked just fine for beginners like him.
Youth gloves made of synthetic leather can cost a little above $10 to $20. The material is soft and lightweight, thus quick to break in.
Quality synthetic leather gloves from reliable brands can cost from $40 to $60. So make your call, as the price range is wide.
- Full-grain leather
Full-grain leather is another common fabric used for constructing both youth and professional baseball gloves. These gloves’ lowest price is around $30 to more than $60.
When used as linings, full-grain leather can offer comfortable and breathable wear for players. Some high-end gloves made with full-grain back linings can cost more than $200.
- Steerhide leather
Steerhide leather makes premium glove webbing, as it ensures maximum comfort and grip for players. Its smooth texture provides incredible cushioning, which is often combined with full-grain linings.
These gloves’ price is somewhere from $80 to over $300, but amateur players can still enjoy a value baseball glove made of steerhide with a lower cost. Meanwhile, the customized professional pairs are among the most expensive baseball gloves.
- Kipskin leather
Still, the highest priced gloves are often made from kipskin. It is a smooth leather material often used for making goods such as handbags, accessories, and more.
When used in baseball gloves, the fabric provides the necessary ruggedness, comfort, lightweight feel, and smoothness. That’s why it makes the best infield gloves.
Professional players can pay more than $300 for a good glove like this for their performances.
Read more: The number of baseball gloves that can be made from one cow.
4. Glove brands
The brand value and manufacturing process also contribute to the gloves’ overall cost.
The good news is that most manufacturers are pretty inclusive in their product ranges, as they offer gloves in multiple sizes, materials, positions, purposes, etc. Therefore, it might be rather easy to pick one that meets your specific requirement.
Here’s a list of the most reputable baseball gloves brands and their product prices for your reference:
- Rawlings: The brand produces gloves for legendary players like Mike Strout, Ronald Acuna Jr., etc. They sell high-end gloves at $400 for professional players.
They also have affordable youth gloves at $19, $22 to $40. Just visit their official site www.rawlings.com to pick a suitable pair.
- Wilson: Wilson has their legendary A2K and A2000 designs that have become their signature gloves. The brand’s priciest gloves for infielders, pitchers, and outfielders are nearly $550.
They have professional gloves at $280 – $380 as the average price and cheaper ones at $40 – $80.
- Easton: Professional gloves from Easton cost around $140 – $280, significantly lower than the two above manufacturers.
Their affordable line for youth gloves costs only around $20 – $60.
- Mizuno: You get the best Mizuno Pro glove at nearly $370, or a tad lower with a discount on e-commercial sites. The manufacturer has in store other professional gloves at $190 – $265.
The lower price range of Mizuno gloves is around $30, also made for youth players.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do used baseball gloves cost?
Old baseball glove values depend on their condition. You can get a usable vintage pair at around $25 on eBay and Esty. If it’s a valuable piece from the famous brands mentioned above, the price can be as high as $60 – $100.
Why are baseball gloves so expensive?
Baseball gloves are high-priced products due to the materials that make them, oftentimes the best leathers to provide the comfort and grip a player needs for games.
Furthermore, the construction of the glove is rather complicated, from its layout to the webbing, lining, and more.
Still, you might be surprised to hear that the most expensive baseball glove pairs are the used ones. Actually, it’s not about the gloves but the baseball icons that wore them.
The legendary Babe Ruth’s glove was sold at $341,000 and Lou Gehrig’s at $287,500.
Conclusion
So, how much does a baseball glove cost? The price range is really broad, depending on factors such as materials, age, brand reputation, and more.
Hopefully, our price lists and other information about baseball gloves are helpful for your purchase decision. Make sure you consider all the important things before getting a suitable pair.
Rogers is a hardcore baseball enthusiast. He joined Nations Baseball as a writer to share his knowledge and help others realize their passions for the sport. Roger is striving towards becoming a coach at his local baseball club.
