Former Giants Farmhand Adding Style, Value to Batting Glove Market

Image credit: Mark Minicozzi's new line of PRIMAL Baseball batting gloves are redefining style at the plate

After 12 years as a pro, Mark Minicozzi still struggled to find the perfect pair of batting gloves. Every pair he’d try would either stretch or rip, and the grip just wasn’t quite right. Not to mention he’d never been able to find something with enough style to justify the price tags. Enter PRIMAL Baseball, a quality product that’s not only more affordable, but can appeal to all players, even those on a budget.

Upon being sent samples, some of the Baseball America editorial team weighed in on their favorites:

Carlos Collazo: These are all dope. I prefer the blue and red line flag gloves, particularly the red since I come from a family of firefighters. They have a sleek, clean look and I like the message behind them both. Hard to go wrong with a joker-themed set, though, and I bet those will be super popular among players.

Justin Coleman: My favorite pair of gloves is the Tiger black and orange. The design in and around the eyes is well done. I think the colors contrast nicely, and they look fierce yet professional too.

Kyle Glazer: I’m a fan of the Tiger eyes. Sleek, fierce design that embodies strength, power, and style.

Teddy Cahill: I’ll take the Bull design. It’s a great way to stand out on the field. I could see a bunch of players wearing them.

We sat down with Minicozzi to learn more about these products and his mission:

Baseball America: So much goes into the name of a new company. So, why “PRIMAL?“

Mark Minicozzi: Our logo is the PRIMAL lion. A PRIMAL lion represents the king of the jungle, a leader and the most feared animal by its competition. At PRIMAL, our slogan is “FEAR THE GEAR.” We want our customers to feel that same confidence as they step between those white lines, knowing that they have the highest of quality products that will not only look good and feel great, but will outlast the competitors.  At Primal, our goal is provide a high-quality product that’s fun, instills confidence and allows our players to excel on the field. The greatest feeling is to hear the testimonials of how players put on a pair of PRIMAL gloves and first game go 5-for-5, hit a home run, made a great play or just can’t wait to get back to practice to use their gloves. Sports are meant to be fun, and at PRIMAL we want to make sure we get kids away from the video games and back to the playing fields.

BA: Interesting. So if I’m in the market for a new pair of batting gloves, what is it that makes PRIMAL stand out from the rest of the industry? 

MM: PRIMAL gloves are designed and tested by professional players with decades of playing experience. We incorporated what professional players need, want and what was missing in the glove market and wanted to offer that same pro quality to everyone. Our moisture-wicking Lycra gloves offer a soft, flexible backing that fits comfortably while able to endure sweat on the hottest days. Our straps are double-stitched to ensure hundreds of uses with even the most rugged players, without tearing or pulling. We also offer the softest and most durable European leather that will give our players an optimal grip so they can focus on crushing pitches at the plate. At PRIMAL, we don’t offer different quality of gloves for pro and amateur players like most brands do. We offer one quality to all our customers: professional-quality products.

BA: Do you offer any kind of customization or personalization with your gloves?

MM: At PRIMAL, we offer a wide range of customizable products. Customers are able to add their name and number to our batting gloves. We also offer a wide variety of intimidating gloves such as “SMILEY” and “EYE OF THE TIGER.” Additionally, we offer fully customized pro-quality fielding gloves and all the additional swag and accessories to make you look good on and off the field. For our teams, we offer the option of custom team logo gloves available for travel, high school, and collegiate collegiate teams that allows them to set themselves apart from their competition.

Visit PRIMAL Baseball  to see all their latest products, and inquire here for more information on product customization.