The Best Shortstop Gloves for the 2021 Season, Ranked

Shortstop is one of the most important defensive positions on the diamond, serving as the anchor of the infield on almost every team. Therefore, you’re going to need a good glove to be the model defender of your team, and these are the best gloves that will help you do just that:

  1. Wilson A2000 1786: An 11.5″ Infield mitt with a shallow pocket, perfect fit, and amazing longevity. The best shortstop glove money can buy, you can get it here.
  2. Rawlings Pro Preferred PROS204: Another 11.5″ mitt that has a slightly different pocket than the above model. The best shortstop option for Rawlings fanatics, but falls a bit short of the 1786. Get it here.
  3. Wilson A2000 1787: An 11.75″ model that still has a shallower pocket for quick transfers. The best option for players who like a bigger mitt at short. Get it here.
  4. Rawlings Heart of the Hide PRO205: An 11.75″ option for Rawlings fans who like more glove for shortstop. Nice pocket with a solid fit and break-in. Shop it here.
  5. Custom 44 Pro Gloves: The best affordable custom glove on the market ($185). Nice pattern, pocket, break-in, and customization options. We recommend an 11.5″ model with an I-web. Start designing one here.

Best Glove Lengths for Shortstops:

  1. 11.5″: Gives you the perfect combination of length to scoop groundballs and the perfect amount of depth to make quick transfers. The best glove length for shortstops.
  2. 11.75″: Perfect for bigger shortstops or shortstops who want a bit more glove to work with in the field. You’ll need to compensate for the deeper pocket, however.
  3. 11.25″: Great for making the quickest transfers possible at shortstop, but it takes practice to work with a glove this small and this can be limiting in many ways on the diamond.

Best Web Styles for Shortstops

  1. I-web: Makes a shallow pocket for quicker transfers. Perfect amount of strength, flexibility, and utility to anchor the infield, and forms a perfect pocket for shortstops.
  2. H-web: A bit deeper pocket with less flexibility than the I-web. Creates a rounder pocket that works better for players who like a more secure pocket at short.
  3. Cross/T Web: Most flexible web design that creates the deepest pocket. You can break your Cross Web glove in many different ways, but they are also the weakest web styles to hold your pocket together.

4 Comments

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  1. Will McCarroll

    May 14, 2020 — 5:10 pm

    As a shortstop do u want a deep pocket or a shallow

  2. Shallow pocket to get the ball out easier on double plays.

  3. It’s difficult to take this serious with 44 gloves on here, and, wilson and Rawlings mentioned twice. No Nokona or Akadema??

    • I understand your concern, but I always found Nokona gloves to be rather heavy and flimsy (not great for the infield). I love American-made products, but they fall just a bit short of some of the gloves on this list.

      44 Pro Gloves is on this list because they have good value for their price. Yes, their materials may not be the same as Nokona, but it’s hard to beat the combination of customization, price, and quality.

      Lastly, I’m not sure why you like Akadema so much. Every glove of theirs I have tried has not been good. Maybe they made better gloves in the past, but the recent ones I’ve used (even the expensive ones) were not great and not worthy of making this list.

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