Discover the various baseball equipment and their functions

Baseball is one of the most famous bat-and-ball games, with over 16,660,000 fans in the United States in 2023 alone. Its popularity makes it one of the few sports with the highest participation rates in the world. Dig in here for a deep dive into the various baseball equipment that amateur and professional players can use.

What equipment do you need to play baseball? Sports Brief has used authoritative sources, such as the official World Baseball Softball Confederation and Major League Baseball rules for 2023/24, to create this list of baseball equipment. Dig in and discover what is needed in every baseball equipment bag.

What is the most essential baseball equipment?

Like many major sports, baseball players require uniforms that separate and identify contending teams. Each piece in the baseball equipment bag plays a crucial role in enhancing the players' performance and injury prevention. Have a look at this baseball equipment and their names, uses and pictures.

The baseball equipment checklist

This article extensively covers player's kits from caps to boots. Discover the league's specifications on how each type of gear should be designed and worn.

1. The ball

The baseball used to keep the game in play is a three-layered spherical device. Its core is made up of cork or rubber and wound by yarn that is covered by stitched cow or horse hide. The ball weighs between 0.14 kilograms and 0.15 kilograms.

Attempts by a coach, manager, or player to alter the ball and influence performance are met by an automatic suspension from 10 games. This is called doctoring the baseball and can invite an ejection from the field and an automatic 10-game suspension.

2. The bat

According to the WSBC regulations, the bat should be smooth and round and made from wood or any other suitable material, such as hollow aluminium. It must be 106 centimetres (42 inches) in length.

Based on the 2023/24 MLB guidelines, new and experimental bats can only be used in professional matches once the manufacturer has MLB approval. Players can use cupped bats or treated bats to improve grip, reduce bat weight, and improve overall performance.

3. Jersey

Like in several other major sports, players' numbers are placed on the back of the shirt. All players must have similar jerseys in colour, style an,d trim. Competing teams must wear contrasting uniform colours during matches.

Players can also wear undershirts of the same solid colour as the jersey. Additional upper body gear includes compression sleeves worn on both arms.

4. Pants

Baseball players pair their jerseys with long, loose-fitting pants. Over the sport's history, baseball pants have evolved from slim-fitting, mid-calf length to loose, wide-legged, and full-length pants.

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5. Batting helmet

The MLB's rules on baseball equipment dictate that all players should wear protective helmets while at bat or running the bases. Minor League players must wear a double earflap helmet while at bat. This rule also applies to base coaches.

A batter's role in baseball is to put the ball in play by hitting the ball thrown by an opposing pitcher. To protect them from head injuries, batters wear batting helmets. A baseball favourite is Rawlings S100 Pro Comp, which is made using aerospace-grade carbon fibre composite, a technology that enhances shielding for ball strikes up to 100 miles per hour.

6. Catcher helmet

The catcher is positioned behind the home plate. Their role is to catch all of their team's pitches thrown by the pitcher. To ensure the catcher's safety, they must wear specialised helmets that protect their head, neck, and throat. The helmet has a cage-like opening that extends to the chin and throat.

7. Baseball cap

Baseball caps are not only worn on the diamond. In addition to serving as a fashionable statement piece, they shade the players' eyes from the sun and display club logos for marketing purposes.

8. Mouthguard

Why do MLB players wear mouthguards? These are common pieces in almost all contact sports. The mouthguards are worn to protect the player from dental trauma.

9. Catcher’s mitt

To catch all thrown pitches, the catcher wears a leather mitt, exclusive for the position. According to MLB guidelines, the mitt must be less than 38" in circumference or 15.5" from top to bottom.

10. First baseman’s mitt or glove

The first baseman's task is to field ground balls in their vicinity and catch thrown baseballs to push a runner out at first base. The leather glove must be less than thirteen inches from top to bottom and eight inches wide. This makes it longer and wider than the fielder's glove. It is also more rounded and padded.

11. Sliding mitt

What is the purpose of the sliding mitt? Baserunners wear the protective device to reduce friction injuries and absorb the impact of a player's fall as they dive into the base.

12. Fielding glove

Fielding gloves are smaller gloves with shallower pockets. They are worn by fielders on the pitch other than the catcher and allow them to catch the ball and transfer it to their throwing hand as quickly as possible for a strong throw.

13. Pitcher’s glove

Pitcher’s gloves usually have a basket web to block the batter's view of the pitcher's grip on the ball. The MLB has set guidelines on the approved colour of the glove. Except for piping, the glove should not be white, grey, or fall within a PANTONE® colour set lighter than the current 14-series.

14. Wristguard and hand guard

These guards are designed to protect the hand and wrist against injury by absorbing the impact of hitting the ball. The hand guard gives hitters a protective option that allows them to take shots without losing their range of motion.

15. Handguard

Batting gloves are not mandatory for all hitters. However, some opt to wear the protective device to aid in hand stability and grip when hitting the ball. They are also used to reduce the effects that accompany hitting a baseball, such as vibration or stinging in the hands. However, selected hitters opt not to use the glove, preferring to have a direct feel of the bat.

16. Elbow Guard

What is the purpose of the elbow guard? As its name suggests, the elbow guard is a protective device worn by Elbow pads are protective padded gear worn on the elbows to protect them against injury during a fall or a strike.

17. chest guard

It is easy to understand why baseball players wear chest protectors, given the sheer force generated when striking a baseball. The balls that can fly off the bat at speeds ranging between 80 and 105.3 miles per hour can cause injuries such as bruises, commotio cordis, rib, shoulder, and collarbone fractures. This device is designed to absorb and distribute the force from a flying ball or a fall.

18. Shin guard

The shin guard is a crucial piece of protective gear used to reduce the risk associated with foul balls. However, it was introduced last to the complete list of baseball equipment. Although it was officially introduced in 1907, early catchers, such as Ralph Eaton, used leather and canvas shin guards in the 1920s.

19. Socks

Baseball players often pair their socks with long and thin layered stirrups. Originally, baseball players wore stirrups to prevent blood infections caused by sock dyes and to help hold socks up. Today, players can opt to wear stirrups or straight-high socks.

20. Boots

Boots are essential for a player's stability and safety. Ill-fitting boots may cause blisters, pain, slippage, or falls. Modifications to MLB guidelines allowed players to wear a wider range of cleat colours and designs. In 2018, the controversial 51 per cent rule was discarded, allowing black, white, grey, any colour on the player's uniform, variations of those colours and any additional colours designated by the player's club.

Quick trivia

Several parts of the official baseball equipment, such as the cap, jersey, pants, and socks, stand out as versatile and wearable fashion pieces. Here are a few trivia facts about baseball equipment and facilities.

1. What is a baseball kit called?

Like any organized sport, baseball teams wear kits or uniforms that match in colour, design, and style. The baseball equipment checklist must contain the jersey, pants, socks, and boosts for every player, as they form the basis of the uniform.

2. What equipment is used to hit a baseball?

The bat is a crucial piece in the game. It puts the ball in motion, signalling the start of a play.

3. What protective equipment is used in baseball?

For baseball players, various aspects of the game, such as throwing, catching, running, and sliding, can potentially cause injury. Protective equipment and precautions that can reduce injury include the helmet, chest guard, mouth guard, elbow guard, wrist guard, hand guard, and shin guard.

Final word

Sports Brief has published an article on all recreational and professional sports played around the world that are similar to baseball. The report covers games of old, such as Om el mahag, an ancient Libyan sport that shares various elements with modern baseball. Click on the link above for a full rundown of global sports that are like baseball.