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Contents
- Best baseball hand guards for batting
- Best overall: EvoShield Pro-SRZ 2.0 Hand Guard
- Best leather hand guard: Bruce Bolt Original Series
- Best budget: Franklin PRT Protective Hand Guard
- Best signature series: Bruce Bolt Ketel Marte Hand Guard
- Best for a different look: EvoShield X SRZ Realtree EDGE Camo
- More Bruce Bolt colorways
- Hand guard specs at a glance
- How to choose a batting hand guard
- Hard shell or soft shell?
- Which hand?
- Youth or adult size?
- Hand guard care
- Baseball hand guards FAQ
- You May Also Like
The best batting hand guard for most high school and adult hitters is the EvoShield Pro-SRZ 2.0, which molds to your hand and covers the outside wrist as well as the back of the hand. The Bruce Bolt Original Series guard is the pick for a leather feel and a guard that works on either hand, and the Franklin PRT soft shell is enough if you only want some padding at a lower price. A hand guard straps over the back of the bottom hand, the spot that takes an inside pitch. Last updated October 2026.
Buying for a Little Leaguer? Our best youth baseball hand guards guide covers youth sizes and compares Bruce Bolt, EvoShield and Franklin for kids. For the rest of your hitting gear, see the best batting gloves.
How we picked: we only included guards made for batting, from Bruce Bolt, EvoShield and Franklin, and the features come from each brand's product pages. Wrist guards and catcher's gear protect different spots, so they are not here. Prices change often, so check the store page when you click through.
Quick picks
Best overall hand guard
Evoshield Pro-SRZ™ 2.0 Hand Guard
Best leather hand guard
Bruce Bolt Original Series Hand Guard
Best budget soft shell
Franklin PRT Protective Hand Guard
Best signature series
Bruce Bolt Ketel Marte Signature Series Hand Guard
Best for a different look
Evoshield X SRZ Realtree EDGE Camo Batter’s Hand Guard
Best baseball hand guards for batting
Best overall: EvoShield Pro-SRZ 2.0 Hand Guard
Go all in at the plate with the Pro-SRZ 2.0 Batter’s Hand Guard, uniquely innovative hand protection crafted with a pair of form-fitting Gel-to-Shell Technology shields in one comprehensive design. Shields on the back of the hand and along the outside wrist transform from a flexible material out of the package to body-mapping, ball-deflecting shields in just 30 minutes. Ideal for players over age 10, the Pro-SRZ 2.0 Hand Guard features an ergonomic shape to match the hand without impeding your swing on high and tight fastballs.
EvoShield builds the Pro-SRZ 2.0 with two Gel-to-Shell shields, one on the back of the hand and one on the outside wrist, that start soft and harden to your hand's shape in about 30 minutes. An elastic finger loop and a wrist strap hold it in place, and EvoShield says it works with or without batting gloves. It is sold in one size for players over 10, in right- and left-handed hitter versions.
Best leather hand guard: Bruce Bolt Original Series
BRUCE BOLT's PREMIUM PRO Hand Guards feature a semi-moldable thermoplastic protective shell with a Cabretta leather outer and moisture wicking neoprene inner. 1.5" wide elastic strap locks the hand pad in place providing maximum protection for your hand and wrist at the plate. Moldable Thermoplastic Protective Shell Cabretta leather outer shell Moisture wicking neoprene inner 1.5" wide elastic strap to secure hand guard in place. Left hand protection for players who bat "righty"
Bruce Bolt's hand guard uses a semi-moldable thermoplastic shell inside a Cabretta leather outer, with a moisture-wicking neoprene inner and a 1.5 inch elastic strap. It is ambidextrous, so one guard fits either hand, and it comes in youth and adult sizes. The Original Series covers the basic colors, and other series change only the look.
BRUCE BOLT's PREMIUM PRO Hand Guards feature a semi-moldable thermoplastic protective shell with a Cabretta leather outer and moisture wicking neoprene inner. 1.5" wide elastic strap locks the hand pad in place providing maximum protection for your hand and wrist at the plate. Ambidextrous for either Right or Left hand protection Moldable Thermoplastic Protective Shell Cabretta leather outer shell Moisture wicking neoprene inner 1.5" wide elastic strap to secure hand guard in place
Best budget: Franklin PRT Protective Hand Guard
Protect yourself at the plate with Franklin Sports' PRT LG Baseball Hand + Wrist Guard. Give yourself when you step into the batter's box with this protective hand and wrist shield. With so many small and fragile bones in the hand, hit-by pitches can be costly in terms of pain and injury.
Franklin's PRT guards use a soft shell that Franklin says hardens on impact. They fit right- or left-handed hitters, with loops that slide over the middle and ring fingers and a bottom tab that tucks into your batting glove's closure strap. A soft shell is easier to get used to if you have never worn a guard.
Best signature series: Bruce Bolt Ketel Marte Hand Guard
BRUCE BOLT's PREMIUM PRO Hand Guards feature a semi-moldable thermoplastic protective shell with a Cabretta leather outer and moisture wicking neoprene inner. 1.5" wide elastic strap locks the hand pad in place providing maximum protection for your hand and wrist at the plate. Ambidextrous for either Right or Left hand protection Moldable Thermoplastic Protective Shell Cabretta leather outer shell Moisture wicking neoprene inner 1.5" wide elastic strap to secure hand guard in place
Bruce Bolt's signature guards use the same build in player colorways. Along with Ketel Marte's, there are Ian Happ and Harrison Bader versions.
BRUCE BOLT's PREMIUM PRO Hand Guards feature a semi-moldable thermoplastic protective shell with a Cabretta leather outer and moisture wicking neoprene inner. 1.5" wide elastic strap locks the hand pad in place providing maximum protection for your hand and wrist at the plate. Ambidextrous for either Right or Left hand protection Moldable Thermoplastic Protective Shell Cabretta leather outer shell Moisture wicking neoprene inner 1.5" wide elastic strap to secure hand guard in place.
BRUCE BOLT's PREMIUM PRO Hand Guards feature a semi-moldable thermoplastic protective shell with a Cabretta leather outer and moisture wicking neoprene inner. 1.5" wide elastic strap locks the hand pad in place providing maximum protection for your hand and wrist at the plate. Ambidextrous for either Right or Left hand protection Moldable Thermoplastic Protective Shell Cabretta leather outer shell Moisture wicking neoprene inner 1.5" wide elastic strap to secure hand guard in place.
Best for a different look: EvoShield X SRZ Realtree EDGE Camo
Gear up to hunt in the batter’s box with the X-SRZ Realtree EDGE Camo Batter’s Hand Guard, innovative hand protection crafted with a pair of form-fitting Gel-to-Shell Technology shields in one comprehensive design. The 3D Cloud Mesh base material features an exclusive Realtree EDGE Camo print, and an integrated wrist strap with an orange pull tab secures the guard around the player’s hand. Ideal for players over age 10, the X-SRZ Hand Guard features an ergonomic shape to match the hand without impeding your swing on high and tight fastballs.
An EvoShield batter's hand guard with a wrist strap and a form-fitting shield, in Realtree camo. EvoShield also makes a Julio Rodriguez design.
Strap in and safeguard your lead hand at the dish like Seattle superstar Julio Rodríguez with his STMNT-SRZ Batter’s Hand Guard, featuring a pair of form-fitting Gel-to-Shell Technology shields for a custom fit and protection on the back of the hand and wrist. Rodríguez relies on the Batter’s Hand Guard for its body-mapping qualities – the independent shields on the back of the hand and wrist transform from a flexible material out of the package to a pitch-deflecting guard in just 30 minutes. With colors of the pacific northwest, Julio’s signature and nods to the Seattle fans, the STMNT-SRZ Batter’s Hand Guard reps the Emerald City.
More Bruce Bolt colorways
The Chrome, Gold and Bear Series are the same guard in different finishes.
BRUCE BOLT's PREMIUM PRO Hand Guards feature a semi-moldable thermoplastic protective shell with a Cabretta leather outer and moisture wicking neoprene inner. 1.5" wide elastic strap locks the hand pad in place providing maximum protection for your hand and wrist at the plate. Ambidextrous for either Right or Left hand protection Moldable Thermoplastic Protective Shell Cabretta leather outer shell Moisture wicking neoprene inner 1.5" wide elastic strap to secure hand guard in place.
BRUCE BOLT's PREMIUM PRO Hand Guards feature a semi-moldable thermoplastic protective shell with a Cabretta leather outer and moisture wicking neoprene inner. 1.5" wide elastic strap locks the hand pad in place providing maximum protection for your hand and wrist at the plate. Ambidextrous for either Right or Left hand protection Moldable Thermoplastic Protective Shell Cabretta leather outer shell Moisture wicking neoprene inner 1.5" wide elastic strap to secure hand guard in place.
BRUCE BOLT's PREMIUM PRO Hand Guards feature a semi-moldable thermoplastic protective shell with a Cabretta leather outer and moisture wicking neoprene inner. 1.5" wide elastic strap locks the hand pad in place providing maximum protection for your hand and wrist at the plate. Ambidextrous for either Right or Left hand protection Moldable Thermoplastic Protective Shell Cabretta leather outer shell Moisture wicking neoprene inner 1.5" wide elastic strap to secure hand guard in place.
Hand guard specs at a glance
Prices are current merchant prices and can change.
| Product | Price | Material | Technology | Equipment Type | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evoshield Pro-SRZ™ 2.0 Hand Guard | $69.95 | -- | Flexible, Custom Form-Fitting Shield | Hand Guard | Shop Now |
| Bruce Bolt Original Series Hand Guard | $50.00 | -- | -- | Hand Guard | Shop Now |
| Franklin PRT Protective Hand Guard | $9.99 | Soft Shell | Flexible, Wrist Strap | Hand Guard, Wrist Guard | Shop Now |
| Bruce Bolt Ketel Marte Signature Series Hand Guard | $60.00 | -- | -- | Hand Guard | Shop Now |
| Evoshield X SRZ Realtree EDGE Camo Batter’s Hand Guard | $69.95 | -- | Custom Form-Fitting Shield, Wrist Strap | Hand Guard | Shop Now |
How to choose a batting hand guard
Hard shell or soft shell?
EvoShield guards use a rigid shell molded to your hand. Bruce Bolt's thermoplastic shell is semi-moldable, and Franklin's PRT is a soft shell that Franklin says firms up on impact. Soft shells are easier to get used to.
Which hand?
Most hitters wear one guard on the bottom hand, the hand closer to the pitcher, because that is the one that gets hit. EvoShield sells its guard by batting side, while Bruce Bolt and Franklin guards fit either hand.
Youth or adult size?
Bruce Bolt sells YTH for hands under 7 inches and ADLT for hands over 7 inches. EvoShield and Franklin are one size. The guard should cover the back of the hand without sliding when you grip the bat. Our youth hand guards guide has the full sizing details.
Hand guard care
Follow the care directions on the tag, and let the guard air out after games instead of leaving it in a closed bag.
Baseball hand guards FAQ
Do hand guards actually work?
They spread out the impact of a pitch on the back of the hand, which Franklin notes has many small bones. A guard lowers the risk from a hit-by-pitch but can't prevent every injury.
Which hand do you wear a batting hand guard on?
The bottom hand, which is the one closer to the pitcher. For a right-handed hitter, that is the left hand.
Do MLB players wear hand guards?
Yes. Bruce Bolt sells signature hand guards for MLB players Ketel Marte, Ian Happ and Harrison Bader, and EvoShield makes a Julio Rodriguez design.
Can you wear a hand guard without batting gloves?
Yes. EvoShield says its Pro-SRZ 2.0 is designed to work with or without batting gloves.
Is a hand guard the same as a wrist guard?
No. A hand guard covers the back of the hand, while a wrist guard covers the wrist. The EvoShield Pro-SRZ 2.0 covers both the back of the hand and the outside wrist.
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Zach Kerr
Zach is a former college pitcher & Founder of Baseball Near You.
