Last year, we took on the seemingly impossible task of ranking each MLB team’s uniforms from worst to first. Needless to say, controversy ensued: Fans thought their team was ranked too low, others thought we ranked certain teams too high, and everyone generally agreed we were just wrong. It was fun.
So with a number of new uniforms set to debut in 2016, we thought it’d be just as much fun to rank ’em all over again. Like we said last time, there aren’t any bad uniforms in baseball, per se. There are boring ones, ones that could be pared down, and ones that have overstayed their welcome. The perfect ones are still perfect, and a few teams made changes that could go either way. Where does your team fall in our rankings?
Here they are, from the worst uniforms to the best:
30. Tampa Bay Rays
The worst thing you can say about a team’s uniform set is that it’s boring, Unfortunately for the Rays, that’s the one term that comes to mind when talking about their uniforms. Their logo is bad, their colors are uninspiring, and their jerseys are just “there.” Their faux-throwbacks are kind of silly, but at least they have some personality.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – JUNE 23: Chris Archer #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the first inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 23, 2015 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
29. Cleveland Indians
If the Indians plan on dumping Chief Wahoo, they need to come up with a better logo than the block C they’re been using. They also need to establish a better uniform identity, since none of their sets seem to go with one another. The plain, block-lettered road jersey is a prime example of this when comparing it to the more ornate home and alternates versions. They need more consistency across the board.
CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 13: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Indians celebrates with Yan Gomes #10 after scoring against the New York Yankees during the third inning of their game on August 13, 2015 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The Yankees defeated the Indians 8-6. (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images)
28. San Diego Padres
Good news: the Padres don’t have the worst uniforms in baseball anymore! Bad news: they’re still not that great. The addition of yellow to color scheme went a long way in sprucing up their look, but it wasn’t enough. Their wordmarks and logos are still too generic-looking, and they even managed to screw up their new brown alternates with boring lettering across the front. Just go back to the old brown uniforms already.
PEORIA, AZ – FEBRUARY 26: Outfielder Wil Myers #4 of the San Diego Padres poses for a portrait during spring training photo day at Peoria Sports Complex on February 26, 2016 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
27. Houston Astros
Good for the Astros in adding a new alternate jersey that pays tribute to their rainbow-colored heritage. But the rest of their set feels like a team that decided understated uniforms were the classy way to go and worked backwards from there. They’re just missing something. And it doesn’t help that the lettering for the jersey’s wordmark on the front and the player’s names on the back are the same size.
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 12: George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros celebrates with Colby Rasmus #28 after scoring the go ahead run on an RBI double in the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals during game four of the American League Divison Series at Minute Maid Park on October 12, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Eric Christian Smith/Getty Images)
26. Texas Rangers
It’s time to put “Rangers” on the front of at least one of their jerseys, isn’t it? And their design is starting to look dated, with unnecessarily ornamental lettering cluttering things up. Overdue for a redesign.
ARLINGTON, TX – OCTOBER 11: Josh Hamilton #32 of the Texas Rangers stretches after hitting a double in the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the American League Division Series on October 11, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
25. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies may not need a total makeover – the home jerseys are still a modern classic, and the interlocked “CR” logo is fine – but the rest of their look needs work. There’s something to be said for never changing your logo or colors since your team’s inception, and the Rockies have been around for almost 25 years now. The purple alternate jersey is still an abomination, though.
DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 04: Nolan Arenado #28 and Carlos Gonzalez #5 of the Colorado Rockies celebrate their victory over the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on September 4, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. Arenado and Gonzalez had back to back solo home runs off of Chris Heston #53 of the San Francisco Giants in the first inning as the Rockies defeated the Giants 2-1. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
24. Miami Marlins
The Marlins brought back the gray road uniform, which was nice. But they shelved their orange cap for some reason, which wasn’t so nice. It might be time to look at their radical redesign from a few years back as a failure, since they don’t seem to be committed to it (or like it very much). Plus everyone in America is probably tired of their orange jersey by now, thanks to Marlins Man.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 4: Ichiro Suzuki #51 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch during the eighth inning of an MLB game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on October 4, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Marlins 7-2. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
23. Milwaukee Brewers
Props to the Brewers for trimming the number of jerseys down and dumping the awful gold alternates, as well as for adding a new road alternate that actually says “Milwaukee.” Major props for incorporating the “MB” glove logo across the board in their current colors, too. But their overall look is still too much, and the old logo in the new colors should have been the jumping off point for a redesign.
ST. LOUIS, MO – SEPTEMBER 24: Jason Rogers #15 and Domingo Santana #16 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after scoring against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium on September 24, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)
22. Minnesota Twins
The new red alternate jersey is a nice addition and the gold outline on it looks so good, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Twins incorporate it in all of their looks. But when a throwback alternate jersey looks worlds better than the team’s current set, that’s a problem. And Minnesota’s 60s-inspired throwback is still their best look by far.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 8: Brian Dozier #2 of the Minnesota Twins reacts to striking out against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning of the game on June 8, 2015 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Royals defeated the Twins 3-1. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
21. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners’ color scheme is dangerously close to looking dated, thanks in large part to how nice their original colors look on the throwback alternate that was introduced last year. A good uniform set generally, but it might be time to dump the teal and silver for blue and yellow. What’s old is new again, and the M’s throwback is so appealing it’s enough to push them into Twins territory.
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 7: Seth Smith #7 of the Seattle Mariners walks off the field after an at-bat during a game against the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field on September 7, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. The Rangers won the game 3-0. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Seth Smith
20. Arizona Diamondbacks
A hard one to rank. The D-Backs’ redesign doesn’t leave a lot of middle ground between love and hate, and it’s hard to make any kind of judgment without seeing them in action. Some of the looks are great (the teal/red combination works surprisingly well), and some of them are pretty ridiculous (like the gradient snakeskin patterns). But points to Arizona for trying something different: They were badly in need of a new look, and instead of tweaking things they threw everything out the window and went for something bold and new. Reserve judgment until they’re seen on the field, but this is a ranking that could easily go way up or way down next year.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 28: David Peralta #6 of the Arizona Diamondbacks poses during photo day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 28, 2016 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)
19. Washington Nationals
The Nats could very quickly nosedive into the boring category if they don’t make a few changes to their look. They’re too reliant on the cursive “W” logo, and while it’s a nice touch to reference DC’s baseball past it shouldn’t be the centerpiece of the entire look; after all, the Senators were the definition of baseball failure (twice). Reference the past, sure, but maybe it’s time for the Nationals to forge their own identity.
PHOENIX, AZ – MAY 12: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals walks out of the dugout during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 12, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
18. Atlanta Braves
The Braves’ home and road jerseys are aging well, but their alternate looks are a mess. The red, the blue-on-blue, the stars and stripes – they’re just not very nice-looking. Some teams can get away with a lot of alternates, but Atlanta isn’t one of them. Time to streamline.
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 01: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after flying out in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Turner Field on October 1, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
17. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds could have a top 10 uniform set if they’d just make a few minor changes. Dropping the black drop shadow from their wordmarks would be a great start, as well as simplifying their letter/number styles. They should also dump their awful camo jerseys ASAP. They’re a team begging for a cleaner, more classic look.
CINCINNATI, OH – JULY 22: Ivan de Jesus #3 of the Cincinnati Reds is congratulated by Eugenio Suarez #7 after scoring in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs during the second game of a doubleheader at Great American Ball Park on July 22, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
16. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
A perfectly acceptable, nice uniform set that suffers because it’s too hard to write “Los Angeles of Anaheim” across the road jerseys. The ornate numbering and lettering works here. It wouldn’t hurt to re-introduce dark blue as a uniform color, either – sometimes all the red is a bit much.
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 16: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim reacts after striking out with a runner on first to end the top of the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on September 16, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
