Wilson DP15 is named after Boston Redsox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
He may not be big in size, but he plays BIG.
As one of the greatest second baseman ever, he deserves his own game model.
DP15 pattern's most distinctive feature is 'tight hand stall'.
Pedroia has small hands apparently, and he prefers tight fit.
So, if you prefer small hand stall like Pedey, this is the glove for you.
You can just tell the difference right away.
I will elaborate more later.
DP15 models come in 11.5inch thesedays, but there was a time when
it came in 11.75 inch. Most second baseman in MLB use 11.5inch glove, but Pedroia used 11.75 inch glove for some reason.
As an amateur infielder, I don't feel so secure with 11.5inch gloves,
so I always loved his older models.
This glove is Wilson A2K DP15-C (C means camel color)
0. briefly on Wilson A2K vs A2000
Wilson's flagship line up is called A2K.
It's funny how they named their lineups.
(K which means 1000, makes A2K the same meaning as A2000.)
A2000 is Wilson's flagship model too, but A2K is simply their most prestigious line up.
(Also more expensive too)
All A2K are made in Japan.
While most A2000s in the market are made in Vietnam nowadays.
A2K and A2000 are both made of Pro Stock leather.
The only difference is that A2K is Pro Stock Select. It means it's the best of Pro Stock leather. (Pro stock leather is a steerhide leather from Japan.)
Long story short, the same leather, but A2K uses the best parts of it.
1. Leather
A2000 camel leather gave me nothing but disappointment. (to be reviewed)
But A2K certainly made me smile.
A2K's leather certainly feels much smoother and durable than A2000.
(Usually feels heavier and thicker too. but this accounts to thicker padding)
This Infield glove has a lot of wear and mileage on it.
Some natural cracks here and there too. But the lining inside is smooth.
After all this time, holding good shape, very firm and smells nice too.
The camel leather of A2K is just stunning.
Leather on A2000 fluctuates a little, but A2K is reliable.
(Still, the black leather is simply the best for Wilson gloves)
2. Padding
A2K is much thicker than A2000. So some people do not like it.
In my humble opinion, the thickness of A2K is
due to the thicker padding, not the leather itself.
So A2K takes longer time to break in, but holds it's shape longer.
And in many cases, A2K feels heavier than A2000.
On top of that, A2K gloves are dual palm structured.
(Do you see those dots on the palm? That's what dual palm inserts looks like.)
The structure will help the glove keep it's pocket in shape for longer.
However, some people prefer single palm gloves so they can feel the ball better.
I used to prefer single palm gloves, but A2K's dual palm structure gives me no discomfort at all. ( I use my gloves two in the pinky now. so it doesn't really matter any more)
So, if you get an A2K and maintain it with care, the pocket will keep it's shape for very long time.
May not be important, but I think this accounts to that loud pop sound when you catch the ball with Wilson A2K models.
3. Lacing and Webbing
A2K has thicker lacing than A2000 too.
I don't feel much quality difference in lacing really.
A2K and A2000 both has good lacing.
(But A2K's lacing is more reliable and thicker. A2000's lacing feels a bit dry)
Another I-web infield glove from Wilson..
Not much to say about it.
Like I have mentioned before, I had used Wilson A2000 1787 for very long time and I kind of got sick of the looks of it.
Neverthelss, the I-webs thesedays have double lacing structure.
I believe this will help I-webs keep it's good depth of the pocket and avoid tragedy of baseball penetrating the web or getting stuck in the glove.
4. DP15 Pattern
Feels similar to 1787 and 1786 pattern.
Square, nice standard depth and width of the pocket.
Compared to 1787 and 1786, DP15 has less padding in the palm,
and tighter hand stall.
Offers better control of the glove, but if you have got huge hands, you will suffer... I can assure you. So for those of you with big hands, get 1786 or 1787 instead.
If you are used to Rawlings Pro200 pattern,
17886,1787,DP15 should be fine.
DW5 pattern feels more similar, but DW5 is 12inch glove.
On the other hand, if you prefer gloves with shallow pocket like Rawlings TT2 or NP pattern, this glove may be too square or deep for you.
Overall, flawless infield glove pattern.
However, the DP15 pattern had some major changes over the last 2years, and 11.75 inch is not available anymore.
A bad news for those players with small hands.
To make things worse, Pedroia is suffering injuries and may retire in few years.
Wonder what Wilson will do with the pattern after Pedey retires.
5. Scores
Leather 4.0/5
Pattern 4.0/5
Colors 3.8/5
Satisfaction 3.0/5
Looks and Feel 3.0/5
Overall 3.8/5
