MLB power rankings: 30 best baseball uniforms of all time
In an effort to find the greatest design in Major League Baseball history, we rank the 30 best MLB uniforms of all time.
Team logos and jersey designs have always been a fun part of baseball. Some franchises made great aesthetic decisions from their inception, while others took a long time to put a good-looking uniform together. Others still haven’t gotten it right.
It might not seem like it, but we are currently in a golden era of big league uniforms. Sure, everyone loves throwbacks, and it’s fun to relive some of the crazy uniform concepts we’ve seen in decades past, but almost all 30 MLB teams currently wear good, classic uniforms (in their home whites and road grays, at least). The primary exceptions, of course, are the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins, and only the D-Backs have a truly hideous primary uniform set.
Therefore, it’s reasonable that teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals, and others have great looking uniforms that would rank among the best all-time in any era. Those four franchises have worn similar uniforms for the vast majority of their histories, and for good reason.
The best ideas have staying power, so as we rank the 30 greatest uniforms in major league history, there should be no surprise that traditional concepts often rank highest. However, innovation should be rewarded when done well. Some teams have made improvements over the years, and several teams look better than ever in their current uniform.
Which is best and why? While such attempts are difficult because of personal preferences, we rank the 30 best baseball uniforms in MLB history.
Note: When necessary to provide more information of the logos and uniform designs discussed, links have been provided to Chris Creamer’s SportsLogos.net.
30. 1961 Cincinnati Reds (Home)
A charter member of both the American Association and the National League, the Cincinnati Reds have a long rich history in professional baseball. And, despite a pretty tame name and plain red and white color scheme, the Reds have looked good far more than they have looked bad since the current franchise began play in 1881.
In 1961, the Reds were at their best, aesthetically speaking. Of course, the club was also very good on the field, capturing the National League pennant with an 83-71 record before falling to the Yankees in five games in the World Series.
At home, the Reds not only featured red pinstripes on the uniform, but also implemented them on a white cap with a red bill. Instead of black, which the team has used off and on throughout its history, Cincinnati used navy blue as a secondary color. Navy blue was utilized as an outline on the wishbone C logo on the cap, in the background of the logo on the left breast, as well as unique piping at the edge of the sleeveless vest.
Navy blue was still present on the road uniform, though only as an outline for the cap logo, as well as the lettering and numbers on the jersey. Also, from 1961-66, the Reds used a gray-crowned cap with a red bill on the road.
There is something that just looks right about a gray cap. The Pirates, Orioles, Royals and others experimented with a gray cap in the 1990s, and the Tigers and Yankees are among those that have implemented gray into their spring training and batting practice caps in recent seasons, but for better or worse, no franchise has fully embraced it in decades.