After seeing the Phillies throwbacks recently, and with some of the saucy alternates already out there, I got to thinking: what’s the best alternate uniform in baseball? There’s a lot of bias with the traditional jerseys, so I left them out entirely—lets just focus on the alternates. While I thought long and hard about it, I still may have left some off this list, so PLEASE comment your write-in vote!
Here are my finalists, and I’d love to hear what you guys think in the poll and comments.
BEST ALTERNATE UNIFORM IN BASEBALL
OAKLAND A’S KELLY GREEN
In my opinion, the list of best alternate uniforms must begin with the A’s kelly greens.
Maybe its the uniqueness of the color combo, maybe its the helmet, or Khris Davis’ stirrup socks, but the Oakland A’s kelly green uniform pushes all the right buttons for me.
It feels classic while still being one-of-a-kind, simultaneously vibrant and clean. These are not actually throwbacks, but the kelly green is a nod to the A’s jerseys of the past. You can get the kelly green Athletics jerseys at this link.
MONTREAL EXPOS WASHINGTON NATIONALS
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It’s ridiculous we lost the Expos…for their uniforms alone. @nationals looked amazing today.
The first of the powder blue trio that made this list… There is a nostalgia to the Expos, their logo, and the jerseys that the Washington Nationals have worn in 2019.
They represent more than a uniform—they’re an international MLB relic. Specifically, these uniforms were worn during the Expos inaugural season in 1969 through 1977.
When Gary Carter was a perennial MVP candidate for the Expos back in the late 70s and early 80s, powder blue Expos uniforms were the bee’s knees. Low attendance killed the Expos in 2004, but the soul of the Expos has never died in the hearts of baseball fans. The tri-color hats, the full-length piping, and the Expos logo all make this one of the best uniforms of 2019. There isn’t much out there for powder blue Expos gear seekers, but there’s some stuff on MLB.com.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES 80’s THROWBACKS
More powder blues, this time paired with maroon, these Phillies throwbacks are another favorite of mine.
The powder blue Phillies throwbacks originated in 1984 when Mike Schmidt was the best hitter in baseball, and still look sexy in 2019. The clip above shows Schmidt’s 500th HR in 1987 in the powder blues.
Like the kelly green for the A’s, the maroon look is totally unique to the Phillies. The matching helmets, piping and other accessories make it one of the best unis of 2019, at least for me. You can get Harper, Hoskins, and Nola jerseys in these colors, as well as a Schmidt and a really strong selection of other items at MLB.com.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS POWDER BLUES
Yes I know I’m addicted to powder blue—but these Cardinals alternates might be the best of all.
Combine the colors with arguably the best sports logo ever, the birds on a bat (not to mention the socks), and you might have the best uniforms in sports history.
While the Phillies and Expos uniforms featured in this post are throwbacks to past uniforms of that franchise, surprisingly, the Cardinals powder blues are totally new. The powder blues they wore in the 70s and 80s were v-neck pullovers, not buttoned like the 2019 uniform. There are many powder blue options at MLB.com for the Cardinals, including their 80s v-necks which are also v-sick.
TAMPA BAY RAYS 90’s THROWBACKS
The Rays came into the league in 1998 as the Devil Rays, with a logo and color scheme that was unlike anything that Major League Baseball had ever seen.
The expansion Rays were abysmal, but the unis are still burned into my 90s memories. While there were few highlights in this uniform, legend Wade Boggs picked up his 3000th hit, a home run, in Tampa Bay’s vibrant colors.
The rainbow gradient color fade has aged so well that the Rays brought it back, with a new, even wilder cap and helmet. You can shop these uniforms at MLB.com.
The Phillies wore the powder blues over a decade before you claim. http://wearefanatics.com/evolution-philadelphia-phillies-uniform/
We referenced http://www.sportslogos.net/. These particular uniforms were worn in the 80s, according to that site. Thanks for your input.