Why do MLB players wear oven mitts?

In any Major League Baseball game, the recognizable equipment is always visible: the bats, the gloves, and the baseball itself. There are the cleats, of course, and the iconic caps, too.

But sometimes, runners on the baselines can be seen sporting what appears to be an oven mitt on their hand.

Baseball mitts are typically reserved for the catchers behind the plate, but the mitts worn by base runners are not for catching baseballs.

The protective hand-padding mitts worn by baseball players are known as “sliding mitts,” which are also jokingly referred to as oven mitts due to their resemblance to the baking staple.

As silly as they may look, sliding mitts serve an important purpose. Like oven mitts do for bakers, sliding mitts provide base runners with significant protection. Unlike the heavily padded catcher’s mitts, which are designed to withstand pitches over 100 mph, sliding mitts are protective wear designed to shield base runners from injury when sliding. 

Why do players wear sliding mitts? 

Throughout history, base runners put their body in harm’s way while attempting to slide into a base. The terrain can peel off skin or fingers can get mangled. Overzealous infielders and basemen could potentially step on a baserunner’s hand while attempting to tag him out. Broken fingers are never good, especially for a baseball player. 

MLB players have been seen sporting a sliding mitt on their non-throwing hand because these mitts protect their hands when sliding into bases. Runners are subject to injury when sliding, from taking the wrong sliding and injuring their legs to sliding headfirst and injuring their hands. 

Although sliding into bases is a treasured baseball tradition, sliding mitts are still relatively new to the Majors. Mitts were officially incorporated into MLB in 2008, and there’s a burgeoning industry developing around them throughout the baseball pipeline. Baseball players at every level are now seen sporting sliding mitts, which professional players have readily adopted. 

Best sliding mitts in MLB right now 

Mitts have become another form of cautious protective wear in the world of baseball, but that doesn’t keep players from having fun with what they wear. Players often coordinate sliding mitts to match their uniforms, but New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge took it to another level when sporting a custom sliding mitt on his left hand. The turquoise mitt features a rendition of the Statue of Liberty’s famous torch. 

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper may have done it even better with a custom fuzzy sliding mitt depicting the Phillies’ beloved Phanatic mascot. 

Sliding mitts have become a trend for players looking to showcase personality on the field, with some high school coaches even lamenting that they’ve become a distraction when players keep mitts with them when playing defense.  

Distraction or not, it seems oven mitts are here to stay in baseball.