what is the best glove for a HS catcher with heavy use ? Allstar or Rawlings ..
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SSk
Bob
Given those two choices I'd say all star. I'd also include a2000 as well.
My son loves the new Under Armour glove. It is made by All Star but looks better. If your school has a UA contract you can get it 40% off.
All Star, with the A2000 second.
All-Star CM3000 is a beautiful mitt with buttery leather and a great combination of easy break-in plus durability. Might be a little too heavy for some people.
Wilson A2000 easy break-in, feels great on the hand, and is lightweight. You might get 2 years of heavy use out of it.
Rawlings Pro Preferred is another beautiful mitt. Will last longer than A2000, but takes much longer to break in.
Rawlings Heart of the Hide similar to A2000, but I think it's heavier.
Can't go wrong with any of these.
My son started with Rawlings and used it a year and then switched over to All Star. The Rawlings did take forever to break in--I doubt the bullpen catcher for Aroldis Chapman could break it in within a month!
He is much happier with the All Star, which still took some time breaking in but now is perfect. He started using it as a sophomore and now that he is a junior and catching much better pitchers with more velocity, he is glad he has the All Star. It should last through his senior year, so $300+ spread over three years is reasonable. Bought it discounted slightly on EBAY, but you will not see much competition on the price. It is well-known to be one of the top catcher's mitts out there.
Rawlings heart of the hide for value, All Star is probably the best mitt. Beware of the wilson, it has a much shallower pocket than the rawlings. Both work fine but they are drastically different. The pocket style of the All Star is similar to the Rawlings.
thanks to all for the great advice,
My son has used Akadema since he was 9 or 10.....for fielding and catching (he did some catching thru HS). Had to switch to his college's "sponsored" brand this spring and isn't happy!! Also, have a friend whose son is now with the White Sox organization. Used Akadema thru 3 years of D1 college until he got drafted and got a Mizuno deal. Not as popular as the other big names as they don't sell thru stores....and don't spend millions of dollars advertising, but for the money and quality they are tough to beat. If you're interested, let me know....I know a guy 