Glove of the Series: Great Falls Voyagers
Glove of the Series: The JAX DM-5
by Kyle Robinson
The Ballers head to Great Falls today to kick off a series against one of the most unique franchises in professional baseball.
The Great Falls Voyagers trace their identity back to a well-documented 1950 UFO sighting over Legion Field, where multiple people reported seeing unusual objects in the sky. Whether you view it as local folklore, deep-seated human history, or something in between, the event became part of the city's identity. Decades later, the club embraced that history and rebranded as the Voyagers, giving Great Falls one of the most recognizable names in the Pioneer League.
For this matchup, let's discuss a glove that also exists because somebody was willing to challenge convention.
Unlike Rawlings, Wilson, or Nokona, JAX isn't a company with a century of history behind it.
The company was founded by Try Payton, who entered a market already dominated by some of the biggest names in baseball equipment. Instead of trying to out-market those companies, they focused on something much simpler: building the glove they wanted to use themselves.
That philosophy shows up immediately.
The DM-5 is an 11.5-inch infield pattern manufactured in Japan, where some of the world's most respected glove makers continue to operate. JAX has been unusually transparent about that connection, openly emphasizing Japanese manufacturing, pattern design, and craftsmanship rather than treating those details as marketing footnotes.
The result is a glove that feels remarkably intentional.
The shape is clean. The construction is precise. The leather feels substantial without being bulky. Every detail seems to have a purpose. What I find most interesting about JAX is that the company exists at all. Baseball already has its giants. Rawlings has generations of history. Wilson has championships and iconic patterns. Nokona has built an identity around American manufacturing. Most people would look at that landscape and decide there isn't room for another glove company.
JAX looked at the same landscape and reached a different conclusion. Not that the existing gloves were bad. Just that there was still room to do something well.
That mindset feels fitting for a trip to Great Falls. The Ballers have put together good games this season, but they have room to grow.
The Voyagers, meanwhile, embraced a story that made their city different from everywhere else. JAX embraced the idea that there was still a different path forward in a crowded glove market. Neither exists because somebody followed the obvious route. And that's part of what makes both of them interesting.
The more time spent around baseball, the more I realize the best stories begin with people paying attention to details most others tend to overlook. Most innovations start that way. Baseball's history is rich with traditions everyone can see. Its future has always belonged to the people paying attention to the details most others overlook.
Kyle Robinson is a transplanted Texan with a lifelong passion for the game of baseball. Residing in Oakland with his wife Randi, their daughter India, and a menagerie of pets. When he’s not slyly convincing his wife to name their pets after legendary baseball broadcasters (e.g. our corgi Milo Hamilton Robinson) he is probably balancing parenthood with trying to cram in as much baseball as possible. Whether it’s keeping the dream alive as a weekend warrior behind the dish, or on the sideline as a coach, volunteering, rest assured he has baseball on the brain. Find him on Instagram: @krob452
