Whether your young player is sliding into bases, catching ground balls or leaping for the sky, a high-quality pair of baseball pants will help protect their knees and shins. The best baseball pants are designed with flexible materials, double-reinforced knees and back pockets that can hold a variety of gear. Many baseball players prefer a solid color style that can easily go with any team colors and uniforms.
During the early years of professional baseball, the pants worn by MLB players were long and baggy. These pants were stylish and popular at the time, but they were not very practical. They were prone to bunching up around the ankles and could be caught on fences, which caused them to become a nuisance and safety hazard for players who regularly tripped over their own legs. This led to the development of one of baseball’s most iconic uniform accessories; a belt.
Today, baseball pants come in various lengths and styles to suit different tastes and playing styles. Some baseball pants are cut to only extend midway between the knee and shoe top, a look that is often associated with knicker-style pants, which feature looser legs than standard baseball pants. This style is often preferred by younger players, including Houston Astros shortstop Gerrit Cole, who said in 2014 that young players “want to earn the right to wear long pants.”
Other types of baseball pants are cut more like jeans and run full length until they taper into an elastic bottom, which allows the pants to stay on the player’s feet, but only a small amount of their socks can be seen. This is a popular style that has been worn by a wide range of MLB stars, including Philadelphia Phillies superstar Buster Posey.