6 Best Baseball Sliding Pants (Explained)

Baseball has had many names, but it’s thought to have originated as the English game called Rounders. Other names included ‘base’ and ‘town ball.’

That’s not the only thing in baseball with multiple titles. Sliding pants and sliding shorts are names for the same gear. What are the best sliding pants for baseball?

What Are The Best Baseball Sliding Pants

The best sliding pants in baseball are durable, well fitted, and protective.

You may not need to slide into every base, but it’s going to happen, and if you aren’t careful, it will hurt. Instead of risking your skin, wear sliding pants to help cushion the blow and absorb some of the friction, so you don’t get injured.

Best Nike Baseball Sliding Pants

The Nike Men’s Pro Heist Dri-FIT Baseball Sliding Shorts from Amazon are the best Nike baseball sliding pants. These are available in black and white for cooler summers and warmer winter playing.

The Dri Fit material helps wick sweat away from your body to keep you comfortable in any weather. Plus, they come from a well-respected company that is known for its high-quality sportswear.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Best Under Armour Baseball Sliding Pants

Under Armour Men’s Utility Sliding Shorts 21 are new on Amazon.

However, this brand is well known for its exceptionally high-quality outdoor wear. In the companies’ own words, “Under Armour’s mission is to make all athletes better through passion, design, and the relentless pursuit of innovation.”

UA offers HeatGear for warm weather, ColdGear for the chilly season, and an in-between option called AllSeasonGear for when the weather isn’t extreme.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Best Adidas Baseball Sliding Pants

I suggest the Adidas Fielder’s Choice Men’s Baseball Sliders from Amazon.

These fantastic sliders are 91 percent polyester and 9 percent spandex for an excellent fit.

Better still, the strategic ventilation helps your skin breathe as you play, and the protective hip padding is placed ergonomically to help absorb shocks well while not interfering with your range of motion.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Best Men’s Baseball Sliding Pants

The best overall men’s baseball sliding pants are Easton Elite Sliding Shorts from Amazon.

These 90 percent Biodry polyester, machine washable shorts are great for wicking moisture away from your skin.

Meanwhile, the targeted foam padding is covered in 5-millimeter 2-ply neoprene for durability. Best of all, these are form-fitting and have superb ventilation.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Best Youth Baseball Sliding Pants

G-Form Baseball Pro Sliding Shorts come in both adult and youth sizes. They are nearly tied with Eastons in the men’s category and top in the youth sliding pants category.

You will appreciate the three body-mapped, impact-absorbing SmartFlex pads down each side, placed for maximum efficient padding with minimum impact on your range of motion.

The cup pocket stops your protective gear where it matters most. Best of all, the moisture-wicking, UPF 50+ compression fabric fits exceptionally well and helps prevent sunburn.

Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

What Are Sliding Pants In Baseball

Sliding pants or sliding shorts are worn under the pants and over any additional protective underclothing like cups.

These unique legging-like pants can be mid-calf length or look more like bicycling shorts, but either way, they have added padding for the hips. You wear them for sliding.

Baseball is a game that can be incredibly tough on the legs. Playing in a sand, dirt, or gravel field makes it easy to skin your knee or elbow, but when you throw your body under another player to reach the base before they tag you, it can skin a lot more.

By wearing sliding pants, you protect the sides of the legs so you can play with less concern and less pain.

Do You Need Sliding Pants For Baseball

Sliding pants are an essential part of any athlete’s baseball equipment. The pads are there to help prevent serious injury.

After all, no one wants to score a point that lands them in the hospital for a skin graft. You can skin more than a knee when sliding in the clay without the right protective clothing.

According to MV Organizing, “They are not a required piece of equipment, but an extra layer between your body and a hard infield can be beneficial if you want to avoid getting scratched up.”

How Should Sliding Shorts Fit

Sliding shorts should fit tightly, but not restrict your movement. Much like compression shorts, these are made to fit snugly, but they aren’t supposed to hurt, bind, or cut off circulation.

In fact, doing so would defeat the purpose of a tight short, which is to help with circulation.

If your style goes below the knee, it should cover the kneecap and come all the way down to mid-calf.

Meanwhile, if it sits above the knee, you want good thigh coverage, and it’s more important to ensure the pads sit well and cover you than it is to measure a certain length.

Helpful Tips To Know About Baseball Sliding Pants

Sure, you can play baseball without sliding pants, but it’s not a good idea. If you have the option, more protection and padding will help you spend less time picking clay out of your legs and hips. If that sounds gross and uncomfortable, it’s because it is.

Here are more helpful tips to know about baseball sliding pants.

• Compression shorts and sliding shorts are often mistaken for one another. Both offer excellent form-fitting hold and help with proper circulation. However, only sliding shorts provide padded protection for your body while you play.

• In baseball sliding pants, tighter is better. However, the material is stretchy, so you can size up to find the right fit for unusual inseams. Always go up a size rather than down to find the best fit or custom order.

• Girl’s and women’s baseball also includes sliding pants. While they look mostly similar, the boy’s or men’s version should have a little more leeway where a cup belongs. Women’s pants don’t need this particular protective piece, so the fabric is made to fit the female form.

• Softball and baseball both use the same style of slider pants because they also use the same field and have a very similar play style that involves running bases and occasionally sliding into home base.

Final Thoughts

If you’re going to play baseball, it pays to have the best sliding pants around. When you hesitate to slide because you’re afraid of getting hurt or tearing through your pants, it makes the game less fun.

Of course, it’s worse if you actually get injured. That’s where sliding pans come in. A layer of well-made, high-quality padding will let you go all out for your team.

You’ll steal more bases and get more home runs if you don’t have to worry about a little slide.