Jayson Werth Thinks MLB Has An Oven Mitt Problem, And He Is Absolutely Correct

Retired MLB player Jayson Werth is cooking up a theory about current big leaguers that plenty of parents can get behind. Oven mitts have no place in baseball.

Louder for the people in the back!

"You've got 12-year-old kids wearing the oven mitt. Like, why," Werth asked the Pardon My Take podcast.

For those of you who haven't had the joy of spending countless hours in the sun on a Saturday afternoon while the heat beats down on you and the 11u team walks the bases loaded again, "oven mitts" on players are now as common as cleats. And they ain't cheap.

You can thank MLB players for the pricey, unnecessary eyesore your little league player suckered you into buying.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser is one of many MLB players who wears an "oven mitt" when he rounds the bases. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Sliding mitts, which look very much like slimmer oven mitts, have become increasingly popular over the last 4-5 years across MLB and on down through all levels of baseball. Players wear mitts for added protection to their hands and fingers when sliding into bases.

You know, because there are oh so many finger and hand injuries as a direct result of sliding head first into bases each year…

Jayson Werth Isn't A Fan Of MLB's Oven Mitt Trend

Werth recognizes the ridiculousness of it all. He spent 15 seasons in the bigs, mostly with the Nationals and Phillies, and had no such reason to combine his kitchen equipment and his ballpark equipment.

"I played a long time and I never had any problem sliding into the bases with my hand," Werth said, via PMT.

Somehow, Werth was able to steal 132 big league bases without the assistance of a glove most commonly used to keep one's hands from burning up when taking a bird out of the oven. Ricky Henderson stole an MLB-best 1,406 bases during his career. None with an oven, excuse me, sliding mitt. 

Mind blowing, right?

Jayson Werth played 15 MLB seasons without a sliding mitt. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images)

In case you were wondering, the mitts that Werth is so found of can be found at Dick's Sporting Goods for anywhere between $49.99 and $69.99.

Not exactly a recipe for success.

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