Shohei Ohtani Is So Good, He Got New Balance to Make Him a Baseball Glove
Shohei Ohtani is so damn good at baseball that even I, an MLB neophyte, am in awe of his skill. The 28-year-old Los Angeles Angels all-star is one of the only baseball players to simultaneously be a top-rank pitcher and hitter — "GOAT" is hardly an understatement, if perhaps a little premature (dude is just getting started, after all).
An athlete as good as Ohtani deserves tools to match, no? So his sportswear sponsor, New Balance, has delivered unto him a bespoke baseball glove, the first and only of its kind.
Admittedly, I think New Balance did Ohtani a little dirty by modeling his signature cleats after the rather pedestrian 574 — it's cool that NB revised a classic shoe in Ohtani's image, sure, but why not something a little more special? The classic 990, chunky 993, or even of-the-moment 550 — the options were myriad.
At least Ohtani's New Balance glove is as unique as he is. New Balance doesn't make pitcher's gloves or catcher's mitts by the way (just batting gloves), but because Ohtani is just that good, the Boston-based sportswear company was moved to bring in Wilson, which has been making gloves for over a century.
Ohtani's glove was made by hand — specifically the hands of Wilson's master glove craftsman Shigeaki Aso, who worked hand-in-glove (ha) with Ohtani to shape the design to the star player's needs.
There's a lot of special details to get into here across the glove, like a snug wrist strap, modified palm liner, and wool inserts at the thumb and pinky for added stiffness (Ohtani's request)
Melding tan Pro Stock leather with black laces and pebbled leather panels, Ohtani's new glove is nothing if not a looker. It's even got a little embroidered 574 sneaker on the rear as a nod to his New Balance cleats.
“New Balance’s dedication to product innovation, brand authenticity and letting me be myself is an important part of our relationship, and this glove shows that,” Ohtani said in a statement. He actually broke in a prototype of this glove during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where Ohtani took home the prize as MVP.
“From our very first conversation, Shohei has been a seamless fit into the New Balance family,” Chris Davis New Balance CMO and SVP of Global Marketing, continued.
“His passion for the brand and his trust in our team will allow us drive innovation, stylistic expression and inspire the next generation of athletes.”
