Mizuno PowerClose Youth Baseball Glove Review
My 8-year-old can close this glove on his own. The 11.5-inch Mizuno Prospect runs big for a 53-inch kid, but he'll grow into it.
The Mizuno Prospect PowerClose Youth Baseball Glove is worth buying for a kid just starting baseball. It arrived close to pre-broken-in, and the PowerClose design lets small hands squeeze it shut without the dexterity most 8-year-olds don’t have yet. The 11.5-inch runs big on a 53-inch kid, so plan on growing into it.
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How this review was made: written from my own video review of this product. Every opinion here is my own, from using it myself.
| Size reviewed | 11.5 inch |
|---|---|
| Hand | Righty (lefty also available) |
| Key features | PowerClose |
| Fit tested on | 8-year-old, 53 inches tall |
| Colors | Multiple options |
He Caught a Fly Ball With His New Youth Baseball Glove
My son is 8, about 53 inches tall, and he closed this glove over a fly ball in the backyard without me coaching him through it. That’s the whole review in one sentence. The Mizuno Prospect youth baseball glove on Amazon showed up close to broken in, which is not something I expected from a glove at this level.
I did rub it down with one of those lotions made specifically for baseball gloves, and I think that helped. But it was soft out of the wrapper. No two weeks of sleeping with a ball tied inside it.
Kids Don’t Fail at Catching. They Fail at Squeezing.
Here’s the thing most parents figure out two weeks into the season: young players don’t have the hand dexterity to squeeze a stiff glove shut. The ball hits the pocket and pops right back out. That’s not a skill problem, it’s an equipment problem.
The PowerClose design is Mizuno’s answer to that, and it works. The pocket is deep enough that the ball has somewhere to go, and the glove folds over with almost no grip strength, my son doesn’t muscle it shut, it just closes around the catch. He’s repeating that motion consistently now, which is the only thing that matters at 8: make the catch feel achievable enough that he wants to try again.
The flip side of a glove that closes this easily is that it won’t feel like much to an older, stronger kid. This is a learning glove.
The 11.5-Inch Runs Big. Mine Did That On Purpose.
It runs a bit big on him. I’ll say that plainly. At 53 inches and 8 years old, the 11.5-inch is a size ahead of where he is right now, and if your kid is similar or smaller, know that going in.
I bought it that way deliberately. He turns 9 soon, and I’d rather spend once on something he grows into than buy a glove that fits perfectly for one season and then goes in the donation pile. Mizuno makes smaller sizes in this series if you want an exact fit today. For what a youth baseball glove costs, getting two or three seasons out of one is the math I care about.
The price fluctuates enough that it’s worth a quick check before you buy. More than 100 people bought one in the past month alone, which tells you this isn’t some untested import. See today’s price on Amazon rather than assuming what you saw last time still applies.
Buy It for a First-Timer. Skip It for a Travel-Ball Kid.
If your kid is dropping routine catches and you’ve already ruled out footwork and focus, the glove is probably the problem, specifically, that he can’t squeeze it shut fast enough. This one fixes that. The PowerClose mechanism closes over the ball with almost no grip strength required, and once his hand learns the motion, it sticks.
If you’ve got a competitive 11 or 12-year-old who already has strong hands and a position he plays, this isn’t the glove. He’s past needing the assist. Righty and lefty are both available, along with a few colors, so you’re not stuck with one look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need glove oil if it comes broken in?
Not required, but I used a lotion made specifically for baseball gloves and I think it helped. A small amount on the pocket and the hinge is plenty. Don’t soak it, and don’t use household oils.
Can it stay in the car or get rained on?
It’s leather, so treat it like leather. Let it dry at room temperature if it gets wet, never near a heater, and don’t leave it baking in a hot trunk between practices. That’s what dries out the pocket and stiffens it back up.
Does it work for tee-ball or is it baseball only?
The 11.5-inch is bigger than most tee-ball kids need. If your player is in tee-ball, look at the smaller sizes in the same Prospect series so the easy-close benefit isn’t lost on a glove that swallows their hand.
Get it now
Mizuno Prospect Youth Baseball Glove
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