Minnesota Twins Pitcher Wears Nike Kobe 6 "Reverse Grinch" Cleats

Don't look now, but we have a new contender for best cleats in MLB. Baseball is full of former multisport athletes who are also sneakerheads. One of which is Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober.

On Tuesday night, Ober and the Twins faced off against the New York Yankees. The 6'9" pitcher looked like a basketball player on the mound thanks to his towering height and choice in footwear. The Twins lost the game, but that is an afterthought after seeing Ober's cleats.

Ober had a pair of Kobe Bryant's signature Nike basketball shoes turned into baseball cleats. Below is a detailed look and breakdown of Ober's impressive kicks.

Ober wore a custom pair of the Nike Kobe 6 Protro in the "Reverse Grinch" colorway. The retro basketball sneakers were released in December 2023 for $190 and now cost more than $425 on average on the sneaker resale website StockX.

The "Reverse Grinch" colorway flipped the script on one of Bryant's most iconic sneakers. This holiday-inspired colorway features a Bright Crimson upper with Electric Green detailing.

The faux-snakeskin design on Bryant's sixth signature sneaker makes the model one of the most beloved hoop shoes in Bryant's signature line. Thanks to Ober, we now know the shoe is capable of looking good on the baseball diamond as well.

Baseball players are bringing the heat this season and it is safe to assume their kicks will only get better with time. Fans can count on Sports Illustrated for all their sneaker news from the sports world and beyond.

Rankings: The 10 best cleats of the 2024 MLB season (so far).