What Pros Wear: 10 Best Gifts for Baseball Players $17-$499 (2025)

The dynamic between baseball gear and social media is a lot like that of “the chicken or the egg.” Are players creating trends or are they following what they see on Instagram and TikTok? Well, whichever came first, we’ll save you the time of scrolling your feed and scanning the fields. It’s that time: presenting you with the ultimate gift guide for ballplayers – with ideas from head to toe!

First things first… when it comes to gear shopping, helmets are crazy slept on. Often times, folks hold on to an old one for way too long or simply forget to buy one (which usually means using a ‘team’ helmet or borrowing from a (usually) sweaty teammate).

Speaking from firsthand experience, the Rawlings Mach helmet in particular is so incredibly comfortable. I’ve found that other brands didn’t have as much, or as soft, padding inside – or the materials used weren’t durable. What we’ve especially seen on the youth scene is the specific use of the “C-flap,” which refers to that extended face covering. Who cares if the opposing pitchers may not even throw hard enough to warrant the extra accessory? It’s all about confidence, baby.

One baseball content creator a ton of kids look up to is Eric Sim – you may know him as the King of JUCO – and he has frequently rocked a mismatching flap extension compared to the rest of the helmet. You can purchase the helmet in one color and the guard in another. Food for thought as an option!  

BONUS: clear it with the league(s) first, but we’ll also throw in the Rawlings single-flap helmet as an option – JUST LIKE the big leaguers wear. When I was a kid, these were utterly IMPOSSIBLE to find on any type of market. Now, they’re readily available… but it’s important to note that many youth leagues require a double-flap. I’ve rocked a single-flap in men’s league (with the C-flap extension) and let me tell you… sickest feeling ever.

Nike has put out a brand new style in the form of the Standout metal cleat, joining the Gamer and Showcase styles for the 2026 season. For now, it looks like the Swoosh is offering strictly black and white colorways to get the model going, but if I were a betting man, I’m sure flashier colorways are well on the way. Though, for what it’s worth… all other gear accessory items are so loud and flashy nowadays that many youth players are opting for white cleats to let those other add-ons pop out.

Personally, I always preferred molded cleats to metal… much easier on the body during a long season. Nike also has them here.

In past gift guides, we’ve selected one cleat and kept it moving. But, boy, would be remiss if we didn’t shine a light on the NB 4040 v8. This line has always been a really popular one amongst Big Leaguers and for good reason – I’ve loved the comfort on my older models. When we came across the white and gold specifically, it had to make its way in… and the jeweled texture on the N logo is a nice elevated touch.

Check out the turfs from this same collection as well!

3x World Series Champion Kiké Hernández’s custom Franklin batting gloves in Dodger Blue and grey.

I know, I know. Bruce Bolt definitely is all the rage with many players on the youth circuit. But Franklin has, for quite a while now, put out one darn good product and I have always loved the quality and build of their batting gloves. With a ton of colors available and multiple different cuff lengths, Franklin BGs are definitely a great way to go for an awesome, use-right-away type of gift. They’ve also got some great protective gear, from hand guards to sliding mitts — what makes their sliding product unique is that there’s no metal plate in there, so it’s more comfortable while also making it easy to just throw in the washing machine with the rest of your uniform (and, believe me, we all should be washing our sliding mitts a little more often than we actually do).

Bobby Witt Jr. in game action sporting his Wilson A2000 BWJ7 Game Model 11.75″ infield glove.

The latest game model glove to hit shelves comes in the form of Wilson’s A2000 BWJ7. The 11.75″ infield glove uses blonde leather with a Royal Blue & Yellow Camo SuperSnakeSkin™ index finger panel. Growing up, it always felt like a really big deal whenever a player’s signature model glove actually came out – and I truly think that sentiment is something that has withstood the test of time.

There are a lot of infield gloves out there, but this one jumps out to me specifically because of how it fits and feels on the hand. The hand opening has a tiny modification that makes it a more comfortable setting when wearing the glove with two fingers in the pinky stall — a grip style that seems to be far more popular than wearing your glove traditionally. Plus, with all the accolades and growing popularity that Bobby has going, he’s a stud of a player to want to model your game after.

 

Shoot hands-free content on and off the field with the Oakley Meta Vanguard sunglasses, available in four different colorways. 

Content creation seems to know no bounds in this day and age but I can’t say I’m not a sucker for watching on-field baseball footage when it pops up on my TikTok ‘for you’ page. In the past, only Ray-Ban had a version of Meta glasses but Oakley has joined the party and they’ve done it through a sick design. 

I’ve been using these for the last week or so and my feedback on them is nothing but positive. Extremely easy to use, importing the footage through the Meta AI app is a breeze, and to be honest, they look so dope whether that camera is on or not. Just thinking back to possibly having these as a kid while I was playing… man. This may be the highest-priced item on this year’s holiday shopping guide, but they’re a really, really cool gift idea. 

Custom Numbered’s microfiber compression arm sleeve has become arguably the most important thing in my gamer bag – it has very much shifted from ‘accessory’ to ‘necessity.’ If you’re a returner to WPW’s gift guides year over year (we appreciate you), you may have noticed C# in one in the past… but there simply isn’t another company creating arm sleeves that are as comfortable and effective as these. New to their offerings over the recent past has been custom logos, unique elephant and galaxy prints, and gradient colorways.

BONUS: The wristbands are a very welcome addition to C#’s page. Whether your favorite ballplayer is an arm sleeve person or not (or maybe they’ve already got one!), these are a super cool alternative. To get the cross pictured above, type the plus sign (+) in the customizer. They’ve also got custom beanies as an option for $36, perfect for pre-, post-, and during those winter offseason workouts.

Bryce Harper sporting a Junk Brands ‘big bang lite’ style headband, perfect for keeping sweat and hair out of your face so you can stay locked in at the dish.

I first came across Junk Brands when I’d always see Bryce Harper rocking a different colored one under his helmet almost every game. Whether it was sweat or my own hair getting in my eyes while in the batter’s box, these have helped me a ton to eliminate all those distractions while also sitting comfortably. They offer different styles like flex ties and your traditional rectangular-shaped headbands, but I have at least six different colors of my favorite: the Big Bang Lite. They have a small stitch at the back so it stays wider in the front but smaller behind your head. Very affordable while also being able to wear these in game, at the gym, or when heading to/from a quick workout!

Players all around the league are rocking these G-Form Pro 3/4 padded compression pants under their baseball bottoms for that added protection when deploying that hard-nosed approach on the diamond. (Photo via gformofficial/IG)

Basketball pants in a baseball gifting guide?! Yes, absolutely. Hear me out. Earlier I mentioned the Custom Numbered arm sleeves migrating from ‘accessory’ to ‘necessity’ — I refuse to play in a baseball game unless I’m wearing these exact padded compression pants. Gone are the days of thinking just compression shorts are enough… as someone that dives all over the field on both defense and on the base paths, the knee pads on these things have saved me countless times from injuries which, of course, keeps me on the field! As they say: the best ability is availability, and these look to be in stock with a full size run at 40% off. 

Still skeptical about how effective they are? I can’t even take credit for discovering these. Take it from First Team All-MLBer Bobby Witt Jr. himself. Wish these were around sooner in my life!

Absolutely Ridiculous (Aria) has made one strong case as the leader in sliding mitts amongst the best players in the world. (Photo via ariabyx/IG)

Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap. Aria’s sliding mitts have a chokehold on the youth baseball industry for its bright colors, unique designs, limited quantities, and Major League roster of athletes. Not only have we identified players loving the ability to express their personalities on the diamond when they get on base, but even just having that loud Aria design poking out of the back pocket while on deck or in the batter’s box can contribute that extra little boost of confidence out there.

Jonathan India donning a custom Pro-SRZ batter’s extended leg guard.

Just like the C-flap helmet or the Aria sliding mitt, batter’s protective gear for the hand/elbow/shin all add to the completed look. EvoShield very simply has the batter’s protective game on lock. It has been well detailed how effective (and flat out dope) their custom molding technology is, and truthfully, I don’t see it going anywhere ANY time soon. I specifically opt for the extended leg guard because it not only gives you that extra coverage, but it also helps you stand out a little bit on the field — as you can tell by many items on this year’s gift guide, that seems to be many companies’ focus, too!