Having a decent mit for catching the ball is essential when playing baseball. After all you don't want to be the butter fingers that drops that crucial catch. There are a number of different types of mits out there. This lens has the best of them.

Leather

There are dozens of different types of leather out there today, some very good quality, some rather poor. It seems that the latest craze in glove leather is the new oil treated gloves that are injected with oil while still in the factory. This results in a quicker break in period but these gloves will not last as long as the "stiff" older models. In my well informed opinion I think Rawlings has made a huge mistake by having all of their "Heart of the Hide" models come as "oil tanned." Wilson has also added the "Quick Stop" leather to their line, which is basically darker softer leather that won't last as long as they claim it will. Nokona makes the only mass produced Kangaroo gloves and although you may initially enjoy the softness and feel of these gloves you will eventually realize that you are basically playing with a tortilla on your hand. Nokona does make very nice Walnut leather that is very time consuming to break in but will last for years after that. Wilson also has an interesting concept with their "Super Skin" gloves which have a dimpled plastic back that they claim lasts twice as long as leather. I find this a little hard to believe but I can't personally comment because I haven't personally owned one. My final answer is that you should go for the stiffest glove you can find, it will take much longer to break in but in the end it will last longer and become a part of you.

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Color

Color is probably the least important aspect as far as longevity goes but it does matter to most people. Gloves tend to come in either Tan or Black or a combination of the two. I myself prefer a solid colored glove but my newest purchase includes a tan body and a black web and I am very happy with the appearance. Basically remember that color won't change anything about how the glove plays but you have to live with the glove for a couple of years so make sure you like how it looks.

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Webbing

Infielders - There are a variety of web styles in the infield but you will also notice a few trends. Most second baseman will use a single patch webbing which is a square piece of leather with two X's holding it to the body, or a simple basket web. Over on to short you will find a lot of I webs and some H webs. Basically an I web looks like an I with two X's holding it in place at the bottom and an H web has two strips of leather going vertically and one or two going across. Over at third you will see more I and H webs as well as some "Trapeze" models. A trapeze is a thick piece of leather that runs in between the thumb and the index finger, almost creating a sixth finger.

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Outfielders - By far the most popular style for outfielders is the trapeze. I'm not an expert on Outfielders' gloves but from what I've observed the outfielders tend to like these as well as some large H webs.

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Pitchers - The main thing to remember about pitchers' gloves is that the whole idea is to be secretive and tricky. So you won't see many I webs or anything else like that. Currently the standard basket web is still the most popular but the two piece webs are becoming more popular among major leaguers and many of the retailers are beginning to pick up these models. You may also see some modified trapeze gloves (Pedro) and some one piece webs (Kerry Ligtenberg).