$480
US Kip Leather: Tighter fibers creating more durability and a premium, soft feel for top of the line performance you can trust.
Shell Leather Palm Liner: Same premium leather on the outer shell of the glove as the palm liner, giving you a durable and consistent feel.
Comfortable, hand based patterns: Sets your pocket under the web and helps to shape your glove like a pro.
Player Pocket Designs: Pockets tailored specifically to the player’s needs and how they prefer to break-in their glove. Recommendations: Shallow: Middle Infielders. Regular: All. Deep: Shortstops and 3B.
$190
US Steerhide Leather: Premium US Steerhide is firm and built to hold up to the rigors of a full season.
Steersoft Elite Palm Liner: Elite Leather palm liner provides exceptional feel.
Comfortable, hand based patterns: Sets your pocket under the web and helps to shape your glove like a pro.
Player Pocket Designs: Pockets tailored specifically to the player’s needs and how they prefer to break-in their glove. Recommendations: Shallow: Middle Infielders. Regular: All. Deep: Shortstops and 3B.
Thumb slot: Provides additional comfort and a solid, secure fit.
$190
The new Mizuno Prime Elite series is crafted with soft, smooth, mahogany-colored leather that is durable with a pro-level feel.
UltraSoft Pro Palm Liner: Palm liner with excellent feeling and a soft finish.
Professional Patterns: Glove patterns created for the best players in the world.
Roll Welting: Provides a cleaner look and stability through the fingers.
Rugged Silicon Patch
Finger Core Technology: New finger stall shape to help improve flexibility and control when making a tough play.
$120
Bio Soft Leather: Professional style smooth leather that has the perfect balance of oil and softness for exceptional feel and firm control that serious players demand.
Center Pocket Designed Patterns: Pattern design that naturally centers the pocket under the index finger for the most versatile break-in possible.
Professional Level Lace: Same durable lace that’s offered in our professional-level gloves.
Outlined, embroidered logo: For a rich, premium look.
PlusGrip Thumb: Ultra comfortable padded thumb slot.
Mizuno's lineup may seem limited with only four models, but the similarity in names can be quite confusing.
Undoubtedly, Mizuno stands as an underappreciated glove brand, particularly within the US market. Their range offers solid options across the board. However, they often pepper their descriptions with terms that seem more imaginative than informative.
Terms like "Steersoft Elite," "UltraSoft Pro," "Finger Core," "Bio Soft," and "PlusGrip" sound impressive but lack tangible meaning. While not inherently flawed, these terms lack the rigor of substantiation.
The primary discrepancy among these models lies in the leather selection. The "PRO" boasts kip leather, renowned for its quality, while steerhide follows closely behind. The ambiguity surrounding the "Prime Elite's" leather is notable, and terms like "Bio Soft Leather" raise eyebrows. Despite this, personal experience suggests that models like the MVP Prime offer surprising quality for their price.
Phrases such as "hand-based patterns," "player pocket designs," and "center pocket design" may enhance a glove's functionality and potential performance, yet they do not directly impact the leather's quality or the glove's overall durability.
Beware of features like the "Rugged Silicon Patch," which often serve as mere aesthetic embellishments rather than functional enhancements.
Mizuno's example underscores that flashy marketing terms don't necessarily equate to inferior gloves. Despite reservations, opting for the "Prime Elite" over the "MVP Prime" seems logical, considering the potential disparity in quality. However, price discrepancies aren't always indicative of quality differences, emphasizing the importance of thorough research before making a purchase.
