A Uniform Renaissance

Since I finished classes a week ago, I've been watching a moderately insane amount of MLB content including games, highlights and commentary.  We're also in the middle of another week of Interleague Play; normally I pay much closer attention to the NL teams, but this week I've been glued to the action coming out of the AL, too.  While watching so much baseball, I came to realize that we are at a high point for MLB uniforms (at least in my lifetime).  Between the teams that have always had great duds and the teams that recently made massive upgrades, the number of sharp-looking uniforms far outnumbers the ugly ones.  As someone obsessed with team merchandise, I appreciate this more than you could possibly imagine.

First, we have the teams who have always had - and, hopefully, will always have - classic uniforms.  While I guess we have to start with the New York Yankees and their trademark pinstripes, we shouldn't forget about teams like the Giants, Dodgers, Red Sox and Tigers.  All of these clubs have maintained a traditional look for most (if not all) of their existences, which I really appreciate during this era of companies like Nike and Under Armour doing everything they can to "modernize" sports apparel.  Although I admit I'm biased, my Braves have always had a cool, unique look, and the throwback-style jerseys they've been sporting this season are particularly cool (see below).  Throw in the Cubs, Cardinals and others, and baseball has arguably the most stable crop of classic jerseys of any professional sport.

Jason Heyward rocking the awesome new Braves alternate jerseys.

In addition to these teams, there have been a number of teams that have made significant upgrades to their uniforms.  This is particular true in the American League, where the Blue Jays and the Orioles returned to more classic looks this year - a particularly huge improvement for Toronto, who went from having one of the the worst uniforms in baseball to one of the best (see below).  While less pronounced, other teams have recently made some solid improvements, too.  The Mets got rid of all the black and went back to a 1960's-style cream-colored look that suits them well.  The Rays have finally found a color scheme that works (compare those to these or, perhaps even worse, these).  The Pirates realized that sleeveless jerseys were an awful idea and went back to something more mature, and I love how Washington ditched the "Nationals" jerseys for the script "W" ones.  As I watch baseball this season, I'm really liking the uniforms that I'm seeing from most of the clubs.

Toronto made MLB's biggest uniform upgrade that I can ever remember.

This isn't to say that there aren't some bad ones out there.  I write this post even in spite of the fact that the Marlins are wearing perhaps the worst set of jerseys I've ever been alive to see - the alternate orange ones are particularly offensive (see below).  I don't mind Arizona's red-and-black color palette, but the giant "D-backs" across the chest looks terrible.  The Padres jerseys are pretty uninspired in my opinion, and Houston is (as always) a disaster.  In spite of these duds, though, I still love what I'm seeing on MLB diamonds these days.  If only I could say the same of the NBA hardwood and NHL ice.

Miami Marlins: worst uniforms in sports?