It’s that time again to take a look back at some of our favorite gloves from 2022. As always, these lists are damn near impossible to narrow down. While I am sure we missed a couple, these were the 8 finalists that stood out to us as some of the most unique and eye-catching gloves of the year.

We will be voting for #1 on Instagram in the coming weeks. Please find us there to cast your vote. The Best of WPW voting this year is sponsored by the 2023 Rawlings Icon USSSA bat featuring In/Tense carbon composite construction, available at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

From Rawlings:

BEST OF WPW 2023 GLOVE FINALISTS

The closest products will all be linked in the headers but many of these are about as exclusive as it gets.

SHOHEI OHTANI’S ASICS GOLD STAGE

Shohei Ohtani is a unicorn on the diamond. That has been well documented over recent years. Not only is his talent and skillset unlike anyone else, so is his glove. A glove that looks part basketball and part leather is an interesting choice. This glove is polarizing. I’m not sure if I love or hate it but I think it’s uniqueness earns it a spot on this list.

FRANCISCO LINDOR’S 11.5″ RAWLINGS REV1X REVFL12 “FDNY”

Lindor could have a bracket dedicated entirely to himself. His Rawlings Rev1x collection is simply insane. With so many options, narrowing it down to one was a tall order but the 11.5″ FDNY version he broke out to honor the New York Fire Department on 9/11 is quite possibly the best Rev1x to date.

via @geminikeez on IG

This is simply an awesome glove with an amazing sentiment behind it. The details on this glove are well thought out including the FDNY emblem and the reflective stripe taken from the firefighters uniform.

via @geminikeez on IG

KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ’S 12.75″ RAWLINGS PRO PREFERRED PROS303-6KRPRO

When it comes to outfield gloves, it is a little bit harder to stand out. We see much less variety among the outfielders in the show as the vast majority are using some open backed, H-web in 12.75″-13″. But Kike found a way to put a creative spin on a classic.

The closed-back trend is becoming more and more common on the mound but taking it to the outfield grass is something we don’t see everyday. “Kike’s Glove” is one of the most unique we have seen for an outfielder which earns it a spot on this list.

MJ MELENDEZ’S 32.5″ WILSON A2K 1791

Catchers don’t find themselves on this list as often as they should but MJ Melendez cooked up something awesome with Wilson this year.

His A2K 1791 features a royal to blonde gradient SuperSnakeSkin that adds just the right amount of pop to the blonde leather base. Easily one of the best CMs we’ve seen in a while. This design was so nice, Wilson brought it to the CWS with a Limited Edition Exclusive 1720 in June.

BO BICHETTE’S 11.75″ RAWLINGS REV1X REV205-2X “BABY BLUE”

The second and final Rev1x to make our list is this 11.75″ stunner from Bo Bichette. While Bo’s 2022 gamer doesn’t have as many details as Lindor’s Rev1x from earlier on the list, the color combo works perfectly.

The light blue accented by white with hits of gold works so well. The design on the back is unique but not overly complex.

JAZZ CHISHOLM’S 11.5″ ARIA ICE CREAM GLOVE

There are very few players that could rock an ice cream cone glove but Jazz Chisholm definitely makes that list. He has used a couple different “flavors” but we’re featuring this 11.5″ baby blue and black version.

While ARIA was not the first company to release an ice cream cone glove, they launched it into stardom with the help of Jazz. “Absolutely Ridiculous Innovation for Athletes” has taken the baseball world by storm with some of the wildest designs we have ever seen on baseball gloves.

While I don’t think I could ever rock one of these, it is undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching gloves on an MLB diamond today.

WALKER BUEHLER’S NIKE SHADO ELITE J FASTBACK

Rarely does a year go by where Nike doesn’t make a glove that catches our eye. This year, it was Buehler’s pair of royal blue fastbacks. WPW was able to get a good look at them during Spring Training and they did not disappoint.

@whatproswear walker buehler bringing just as much heat on his glove as he is on his cleats @dodgers ♬ original sound – What Pros Wear – What Pros Wear

The white to gray Swoosh/stitch change is subtle but really shows that attention to detail. The clean design paired with the less common fastback makes these twins a lock for this list.

COLE IRVIN’S 12″ NOKONA EDGE X

The Edge X from Nokona is another extremely unique addition to the glove world over the past couple of years. The meticulous craftsmanship and doubletake-worthy aesthetic make the Edge X one of the more interesting gloves on the market today. Cole Irvin used that canvas to create a simple but bold gamer for the year.

(Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire)

Another fairly polarizing glove (more due to price than looks), this black and green base is accented beautifully by the yellow stitching throughout. It is not a complex design but one that blends enough custom and classic to be one of the best from 2022.

(Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire)

These were the final gloves we narrowed down from the slew of amazing designs we saw this year. With custom options what they are, so many guys had great looking gloves from Arenado’s timeless timberglaze to J-Rod’s wild 1799. We felt these 8 broke the mold and stood out from the rest. As always, let us know which glove was your favorite from 2022 down below!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
The post Best of WPW: Glove of the Year 2022 appeared first on What Pros Wear.

Powered by WPeMatico