Baseball Glove Size Chart (2026): The Right Size by Age AND Position

Glove size is measured in inches from the heel of the glove to the top of the index finger, and the right number comes from two lookups, not one: the player's age (hand size and closing strength) and, from about 10 up, the position they field (middle infielders want small and quick; outfielders want long and deep). Both charts are below, one screenshot each, plus a single-age table, a measuring method, and verified gloves in every size band.

One rule before the tables, because it causes more returns than anything else: the glove is worn on the non-throwing hand. "Right Hand Throw (RHT)" means the player throws right and wears the glove on the left. Check the player, then the listing, then order.

Verified picks in every band: the youth glove guide (sized by age, with easy-close options for small hands), plus the 8U, 10U, and 12U glove guides. Sizing the rest of the bag too? The helmet size chart and the full equipment checklist by age cover every other slot.

The same information, one row per age, because that is how most parents search. Sizes assume a typical build for the age; a big-handed kid can move up half an inch, a small one down:

If the player is between sizes, the smaller glove almost always plays better until about 12U. Control beats reach for young fielders, and a glove that closes on command catches more balls than one with an extra quarter inch of pocket.

Position deep-dives: infield · outfield · first base · catcher. Note the catcher trap: mitts are measured by circumference, so "32 inches" on a catcher's mitt and "12 inches" on a fielding glove describe completely different gloves.

Every size on this page refers to the same measurement, so you can check any glove in the garage in a minute:

1. Use a flexible tape. A rigid carpenter's tape cannot follow the pocket's curve; a soft sewing-style tape (about $6 for two) can, and it doubles for helmet and mask sizing.
2. Start at the tip of the index finger on the palm side of the glove.
3. Follow the glove down through the pocket, pressing the tape into the pocket's curve, to the center of the heel.
4. Read the inches. That is the glove's size, and it should match the number stamped on the thumb or heel within about a quarter inch.

Catcher's mitts are different: they are measured around the outside perimeter, which is why their numbers run 29.5" to 34". First base mitts use the same index-to-heel method as fielding gloves.

Measuring the hand: some brands publish charts by hand length (wrist crease to the tip of the middle finger). They are useful as a sanity check for kids at the edge of a band, but the close test in the next section is more reliable than any hand chart, because it tests the player's strength as well as size.

1. The close test: the player must squeeze the glove fully shut with the glove hand alone. Cannot close it = wrong glove, whatever the chart said. (Easy-close youth models exist for exactly this, and they are in the youth guide.)
2. One size step at a time: a glove bought two sizes up flops open and teaches drops. Size for this season.
3. Youth pattern is not a short adult glove: youth gloves have smaller hand openings and shorter finger stalls, so an 11.5" youth and an 11.5" adult fit differently. Match the pattern to the age.
4. Real leather needs real break-in: plan a few weeks of catch before game day. The break-in guide covers it (and what never to do: ovens and heavy oil). A Rawlings break-in kit (about $11) has the conditioner and a ball wrap in one box.

How the hand should sit inside: fingers all the way into the stalls (many older players slide the pinky and ring finger into the pinky stall for a firmer close, which is fine), the wrist strap snug without pinching, and the heel of the glove sitting on the heel of the hand. Many players keep the index finger outside the back of the glove for extra padding; that is a preference, not a sizing issue.

Real, currently listed examples at each size so you can go straight from the chart to a glove (all right-hand throw listings; lefties need the LHT version, and prices move, so check the size and hand on the listing):

Mitts: the Rawlings Select Pro Lite 11.5" youth first base mitt (about $70) for 10U to 12U first basemen, and the Rawlings Renegade 32.5" catcher's mitt (about $59) for 10U to 12U catchers. Ranked picks with pros and cons live in the youth glove guide and 11-inch glove guide.

The two mitts sit outside the fielding-glove charts, so here they are by age in one table (catcher's mitts by circumference, first base mitts by the standard index-to-heel length):

Two cautions. Young first basemen do not need a mitt until they play the position regularly, since a normal glove is easier to close and to use elsewhere. And young catchers should size down, not up: a mitt the player cannot squeeze on a low pitch is a passed-ball machine. The full catcher kit, including helmet and guards, is in the catcher gear sizing chart, and mitt picks are in the 10U and 12U catcher's mitt guides.

Ten minutes of catch tells you more than any chart. Watch for these:

A glove that is slightly big but closes well can be fixed with a tighter wrist adjustment and a break-in that shapes a smaller pocket. A glove that is too small is simply outgrown; move up one size step.

A lefty thrower wears the glove on the right hand, so buy "Left Hand Throw (LHT)", and inventory is thinner, so order early in the season. Two position notes: lefties have a genuine edge at first base (the LHT first-base mitt selection is good for exactly that reason), and traditionally do not play 2B, SS, 3B, or C as they advance, which is worth knowing before investing in a position-specific glove. Lefty-friendly picks are flagged throughout the glove guides.

The web (the leather between thumb and fingers) is position equipment, not decoration:

Youth translation: below 10U ignore this chart entirely (easy-close beats web choice); from 11U, match the web to the primary position. Pitchers specifically WANT closed webs so hitters cannot peek the grip, the same information battle electronic calling fights at the sign level.

The buying logic by age: entry tier for 5 to 8 (they outgrow before they wear out), the middle tier for 9 to 12 (real leather the player can actually close, and every pick in the youth guide's core band lives here), pro hide only when hands stop growing (about 14+) and the break-in becomes an investment instead of a delay. A $300 glove on a 10-year-old is a gift to whoever they hand it down to. Brand comparisons live in Rawlings vs Wilson.

Fastpitch runs the same age logic with three differences: the ball is bigger (11" at 10U and under, 12" from 12U up), so gloves run about an inch larger with deeper pockets, and fastpitch-specific patterns have narrower hand openings for smaller hands with bigger pockets for the ball:

A baseball glove technically works but fights the 12" ball all season. A good-value fastpitch-specific example is the Rawlings Sure Catch 12" fastpitch glove (about $50); step-up players look at the Rawlings R9 fastpitch line (about $150, multiple sizes). The dedicated guides: fastpitch outfield · fastpitch first base · fastpitch catcher's mitts.

1. After wet games: towel off, air-dry at room temperature, never a radiator, dryer, or truck bed. Heat is how leather dies young.
2. Monthly in-season: a pea-sized dab of conditioner worked into the pocket and laces. More is worse: heavy oil adds weight and rot.
3. Store with a ball in the pocket, glove wrapped or banded, somewhere climate-sane (not the garage in January, not the car in July).
4. Check the laces each month: pocket and web laces stretch and snap mid-season, and a cheap lace kit plus ten minutes beats a game with a blown web. Fraying means re-lace before it fails.
5. Off-season: clean, light condition, ball-in-pocket storage. A mid-tier glove treated this way genuinely delivers its 2 to 4 seasons; the care kit guide has the full toolkit.

1. Throwing hand: confirm the player throws right (buy RHT) or left (buy LHT) by watching them throw, not by asking which hand they write with.
2. Size from the charts above, matched to age first and position second.
3. Youth or adult pattern: the listing title usually says "youth." Under about 12, youth patterns fit better.
4. Glove type: fielder's glove, first base mitt, or catcher's mitt. They are not interchangeable, and catcher's mitt sizes use a different scale.
5. Sport: baseball or fastpitch. The listing and the thumb stamp say which; fastpitch gloves have deeper pockets for the bigger ball.

Order at least three weeks before the first game so there is time for break-in, and keep the tags on until the close test passes.

Case 1: first real glove, age 7 (tee-ball to coach pitch). Size: 10" to 10.5" from the age chart. Priority: CAN THEY CLOSE IT. Test in a store or buy an easy-close model like the Rawlings Sure Catch 10.5" (about $40). Tier: entry; they will outgrow it by 9. Web: irrelevant at this age.

Case 2: 11-year-old shortstop, travel ball. Size: 11.25" to 11.5" (the position chart wins now). Web: I-web for transfers. Tier: middle ($60 to $90 oiled leather), real pocket formation without a monster break-in, such as the Wilson A500 11.5" (about $59). Confirm RHT, buy three-plus weeks before the season, break in with daily catch. The infield guide ranks the candidates.

Case 3: 13-year-old moving from infield to outfield. Size: jump to 12" to 12.5"; the position change matters more than the age bump. Web: H-web or trapeze for depth. Tier: middle to premium depending on commitment; this glove may last into high school. The outfield guide plus a proper break-in gets it game-ready by opening day.