For cage work my son uses Rawlings "The Workhorse" batting gloves and for games he uses customized Palmgard batting gloves. Both are very good and will just wear out over time instead of ripping out early. The Palmgard have great feel and the palms are slightly thinner than the Rawlings, they last (before holes) about a year (so HS, summer, fall ball, some cage work) before wearing out which isn't bad. He use to use cheaper but they would rip, unstich, or wear out in a month or two. Palmgard also make football gloves and their lineman and linebacker gloves are fantastic (many college players and NFL players use them in the trenches). As for weighted balls I would go with anything over 6oz if you plan to throw it. My son uses 4oz and 6oz for overload/underload training.