Baseball cleats come in different lengths and stud types. The position you play, weather conditions, and field type will determine what cleats you’ll need. Low-tops offer mobility at the cost of ankle support. High-tops provide ankle support with less mobility. And of course, mid-tops offer a bit of both worlds. Also, those who want the best traction on the field should look for cleats with metal studs. However, not all leagues allow metal studs in which case molded cleats will work as a cheaper and more durable option. Lastly, use turf shoes for training, practice, and for fields with artificial turf. If you’d like more advice, read our guide on how to choose baseball cleats for a more thorough explanation of what to look for in a pair of cleats. But if you’re confident in what you need, here are our top picks on the best baseball cleats.

Tips on Picking Baseball Cleats

Best Baseball Cleats of 2018

Best Metal Baseball Cleats

Cleats with metal studs provide the best traction for baseball fields with hard dirt or compact grass, as the thin spikes easily dig into the ground. Being stable on the ground allows you to take off and slow down with lots of control. Pitchers and batters especially benefit from metal cleats as they allow you to dig your toe into the ground. They are almost exclusively used in high competition leagues such as high school or college baseball. That’s because there’s the potential of kids getting injured in youth leagues and metal studs can ruin artificial turf as well. Although they’re more expensive than other options available, they offer the highest performance.

The best metal baseball cleats right now include the Afterburner V from Adidas, the new Dominant IC Mid from Mizuno, New Balance’s ever-popular 4040v4, the Nike Force Zoom Trout 5, and the Under Armour Deception Low.

Best Molded Baseball Cleats

Next, we’ll be talking about molded plastic cleats, which are a cheaper and more durable option than metal cleats. They can also be worn on a variety of surfaces, including concrete and asphalt. However, molded cleats lack in performance compared to their metal stud counterparts, as they don’t offer the level of traction thin metal spikes do. Molded cleats are best suited for soft or muddy fields, as they don’t dig down deep into the ground in these conditions.

For the best molded plastic baseball cleats, we chose the Adidas Icon Bounce TPU, Mizuno’s 9-Spike Advanced Franchise 9, the 4040v4 TPU Mid by New Balance, the Nike Force Zoom Trout 5 MCS, and the Leadoff Mid RM from Under Armour.

Best Turf Baseball Cleats

Last but not least, we have turf shoes that are meant to be worn during practice, training, and on artificial ground. Turf shoes should primarily be worn anytime you aren’t playing an official game, as they don’t wear out the field. Turf shoes rely on small rubber studs to provide traction, and they are a lot more comfortable than metal or molded cleats. You should definitely consider purchasing a pair of turf shoes along with metal or molded cleats to be used in conjunction with each other. Turf shoes when practicing or training, metal or plastic cleats when it’s time to get serious. Another thing, turf shoes can also be worn on multiple surfaces without fear of premature wear.

For our top picks for turf baseball cleats, we chose the highly reviewed Speed Trainer 4 by Adidas, Mizuno’s Player’s Trainer 2, the turf version of New Balance’s 4040v4 (notice a pattern?), Nike’s Force Zoom Trout 5 Turf, and Under Armour’s Ultimate Turf shoe.

Best Youth Baseball Cleats

If you didn’t already know, most youth leagues do not allow metal cleats to be worn on the field, as this can pose a serious threat to the safety of kids. Therefore, most youth cleats have molded rubber studs to prevent injuries. Our top choices for best youth baseball cleats include the New Balance 4040v4 Molded, Nike Force Trout 5 MCS, Mizuno 9-Spike Advanced Franchise 9, and Under Armour Leadoff Low RM.

Best Baseball Cleat Brands

As far as what the best baseball cleat brands are, there are a few major players. Adidas, New Balance, Nike, Mizuno, and Under Armour are the most popular. There are also other smaller brands such as Asics and 3N2, although they aren’t as prominent in baseball as the other big names.

Not all baseball cleats are made the same, however. Each brand has their own pros and cons.

For example, Adidas has fewer cleats available, but they are lightweight and budget friendly. Mizunos have great support and unique cleat configurations for excellent traction, although they are a relatively new player in the baseball cleat market. New Balance cleats are high quality yet affordable, although most of their cleats have a plain vanilla style to them. Nikes are very durable and stylish, but most of them aren’t cheap. Last but not least, you have Under Armour, which have great high-top cleats and offer flexibility and breathability. However, their cleats aren’t the most durable. With that said, the best baseball cleats for you will mostly depend on your personal preferences and needs. Good luck!

Adidas	Mizuno	New Balance	Nike	Under Armour