The Best Fastpitch Softball Catchers Mitts

Whether you’re a new-to-the-position, youth catcher or a seasoned travel ball “wall behind the plate”, you’re going to eventually need a new catcher’s mitt. You may have browsed the sports stores and online shops and seen a myriad of styles, colors, and designs and are having a hard time picking which mitt is right for you. Hopefully, we can shorten that list down a bit for you and make this decision a little easier.

The best advice we can give you is to try different catcher’s mitts before buying to see which fits your hand the best. You may find out that the amazing $300 mitt you were looking at doesn’t fit you near as well as one of the mitts half that price. As with many pieces of softball equipment, gloves and bats, personal preference matters! If you’re not comfortable with a certain piece of equipment, your game can suffer. So yes, we highly recommend trying out these mitts if at all possible. We also understand that you may not always be able to try it on. We will forgive you if you’ve exhausted all options and have to take a blind jump (we’ve done it as well in our softball journey).

A quick reminder on sizing. If you or your player is still using 11″ balls, you should probably consider a mitt around 32.5″ Players using 12″ balls (usually in 12U and older) will need to be looking more at 33″ and larger mitts.

*It shouldn’t need mentioning, but make sure you pick the right glove depending on whether you or your player is a right-handed thrower or left-handed thrower.

32.5″ Fastpitch Catcher’s Mitts (Youth)

Rawlings Shut Out Youth Softball Glove Series

The Shut Out is such a great option for a youth player that may be new to the position or for anyone that is playing in leagues using 11″ softballs. It’s a very affordable mitt and is our favorite pick out of the 32.5″ size mitts.

Easton Girl’s Prowess Series Softball Catcher’s Mitt

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS GLOVE APPEARS TO BE OUT OF STOCK OR DISCONTINUED

Usually costing a bit more than the Rawlings Shut Out, the Prowess is still a solid choice in this size. If you can find the Prowess series at a good deal, you shouldn’t hesitate to pick one up.

Nokona Walnut W-V3250 Closed Web Fastpitch Catcher’s Mitt

This Nokona is a beautiful, well-performing, and very well-made mitt. If you laid out our top three picks in the 32.5″ in front of us and cost was no factor, we would pick the American-made W-V3250 every time. If you aren’t wanting to break the bank on a glove, this option may not be for you.

33″ Fastpitch Softball Catcher’s Mitts (and bigger)

Wilson A2000 CM34 Fastpitch Softball Catcher’s Mitt 34″

The A2000 CM34 is a very popular mitt behind the plate. This mitt has honeycomb cell padding for less sting on the hands when the pitcher is throwing fire. Wilson used pro stock leather and SuperSkin to build a durable mitt that’s still surprisingly light. The modified web helps to control spin to help keep the ball in the pocket.

Rawlings Liberty Advanced Fastpitch Softball Catcher’s Mitt 33″ (or 34″)

Go to any softball tournament and look around. You will most likely see the Liberty Advanced line of gloves and mitts at many of the positions out on the field at any given time. There is a good reason for that. The Liberty advanced is a very solid, well-made, and usually well-priced piece of equipment. Catchers can also sport this mitt behind the plate. The mitt is made with Poron XRD palm and index finger pads to reduce ball impact and also has a Modified Pro H Web made specifically for softballs.

Shoeless Jane Fastpitch Catcher’s Mitt 34″

Many people may have heard of the high-quality Shoeless Joe gloves for baseball players. Were you aware they also had softball gloves and mitts under the Shoeless Jane brand? Well, here it is! Made with Aged Antique Tobacco Leather, this mitt will definitely get your attention. These are individually hand-cut and sewn mitts. These mitts also have XRD foam for extreme impact protection and comfort. If purchased directly from their brand site, you can get personalized embroidery as well (https://shoelessjoeballgloves.com/product/34-fast-pitch-catchers-mitt)

Mizuno Pro Select Fastpitch Softball Glove Series 34.5″

Mizuno is a very popular brand in fastpitch softball. They’ve really set their sights on making great equipment specifically for the female athlete. Their Pro Select mitt is no exception. Built with US Steerhide leather for long lasting durability. The mitt also has a thumb protector (which if you’ve ever caught the ball wrong, you will appreciate). A solid option for any catcher needing a 34.5″ mitt.

Custom Catcher’s Mitts for Fastpitch Softball

Who doesn’t want a custom mitt to match their attitude or personality? There are 2 names that keep popping up in any discussion of having a custom made softball glove or mitt and that is Rico and Tigress. Both are well known for making quality gloves and mitts to match your tastes. Rico has an amazing custom glove builder right on their site. You could spend all the time you wanted designing the perfect glove or mitt. ~~Tigress glove builder (as of writing) is not as straightforward and easy to use as Rico’s~~ , UPDATE: Tigress has improved their glove builder on the site, as of now. We are quite impressed with how the glove builder works now. We know parents that have ordered Tigress Gloves and they are very pleased with the results. Check both of these options out and go with whichever one feels right for you.

Rico Custom Catcher’s Mitt – https://www.ricogloves.com

Here’s a sample design we did with Rico’s Custom Builder. Very cool indeed!