With absolutely zero sports being played right now, I’ve gotten into ranking various things. I started by tweeting out my rankings of the four seasons, which, if you’ve ever spent any time on Twitter, you know ended in debate. That being said, I’m sure that my definitive rankings of all 30 Major League Baseball team logos will receive no pushback whatsoever. Yes, this list is 100 percent correct, but it’s also all my opinion. If you disagree, please leave a comment because, really, what else is there to do right now?
THE WORST LOGOS
30. Cleveland Indians
I went back and forth when deciding which logo should come in last, but ultimately, Cleveland’s logo is the worst. It’s a red capital “C”; it’s tough to get less creative than that. The block lettering is better than just a regular “C”, but it’s nothing special.
29. San Diego Padres
The Padres logo isn’t a huge improvement from Cleveland’s. Having the letters overlap spices things up a bit, but again, it’s just letters. When you consider the fact that the team is based in San Diego it makes the logo even more disappointing. Maybe toss in a palm tree next time.
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
Rounding out the bottom three is the Pirates logo. I bet you’re starting to see the trend here: I usually don’t like logos that are just letters. The reason the Pirates logo tops the previous two is because the color yellow is much more representative of Pittsburgh than the other colors are to their respective cities. Also, the shape of the “P” makes me think of the structure of the Roberto Clemente Bridge, which is a nice touch. However, it’s still pretty boring.
27. Chicago Cubs
After staring at these logos for so long trying to make this list, I can only see the Target symbol when looking at the Cubs logo. Maybe I would like it more if they took out the blue ring around the word “Cubs.” Honestly, it just looks outdated to me. A cub is a pretty interesting concept to build a logo around, so if they ever change it up, I think there’s a lot of potential there.
26. Colorado Rockies
We return to the “basic letters” category with the Rockies at number 26. I like the black outline with the grey filling in the middle and I appreciate the overlapping letters, but there isn’t much creativity outside of that. The old logo with the baseball flying over the mountains was much better. I will add that purple and black is a very unique color scheme, but that isn’t even on full display here.
25. Kansas City Royals
The crown on top of the “KC” is creative because, you know, they’re the Royals. When I look at this logo, I can’t get over the image of a shield. I refuse to believe that the shape in the middle is supposed to be home plate, and if it is, this logo should be last because the proportions are way off. The crown combined with the shield look makes me think of medieval times, which I don’t think was the goal. But hey, at least it’s not just letters.
NOT TERRIBLE LOGOS
24. San Francisco Giants
There is an iconic feel to the orange and black on the logo, and the baseball in the background is fitting. That being said, there isn’t anything that really grabs my attention with this logo; it’s just kind of there.
23. Miami Marlins
The Marlins logo certainly gets my attention. The color scheme is unique (I didn’t say it was good) and I like the lettering a lot. However, there isn’t a big baseball feel to this logo. Yes, I know there is a baseball in the logo, but it kind of feels like an afterthought. To me, it looks more like a Miami logo rather than a Miami baseball team logo.
22. Washington Nationals
The infamous Walgreens symbol gives the Nats logo a spot at number 22. The red, white, and blue is fitting to Washington D.C. and I don’t think the overall design of the logo is that bad. The fact that I’ve seen this logo so much from living outside of D.C. my entire life probably helps its cause, but the fact that I’ve also lived near a Walgreens definitely hurts it.
21. Oakland Athletics
Just like the Nationals’ logo, the A’s logo falls into the “Circle logo” category. The style of the “A’s” in the middle is really different, but in a good way. Additionally, the green and yellow isn’t like anybody else in the league. The simplicity of this logo is fine with me, but there’s nothing all that special about it as a whole.
20. Houston Astros
I liked the one with the asterisk better, but hey, this one isn’t bad either. Another circle logo here with Houston, but they have enough creativity to make up for it. I like the block lettering on the “H” and the star behind it. The filled in background is alright, but there are better alternatives.
19. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles have one of the most unique logos in the game. Besides the “O’s” on the ball cap, there are no letters at all. I really appreciate the creativity of this logo, but it kind of looks like clip art. I don’t dislike this logo at all, and I would imagine many others have it higher than I do, but for me, 19 is the right spot. Also, the brim of the bird’s hat is absurdly long.
GOOD LOGOS
18. Texas Rangers
The red, white, and blue color scheme on this logo is great, but that’s not all it has to offer. The “T” has a shadow behind it which gives it a nice 3-D look. The thing that separates this logo from the other circle logos is the baseball in the background. There’s not much I would change here, but also not much that pushes it beyond number 18 on my list.
17. Minnesota Twins
The Twins logo, similar to the Rangers’ logo, also uses the baseball background, but it’s slightly better overall. First, the font on “Twins” is classic, and the underlining is a nice addition. I love, and I mean love, the fact that it says “Minnesota Baseball Club” in the outer ring. For some reason, the word “club” gives this logo a little bit of a leg up on some other ones.
16. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays logo has a simple, but creative look to it. First off, it’s not a circle logo, which is refreshing. There are also a few small details that I like on this logo: the star on the “R” makes me think of Florida, and the stingray tail is very cool. The color scheme is nice too, making this just a solid overall logo.
15. Cincinnati Reds
I’ll admit that there may not be anything all that special about the Reds logo, but I really like it. The “C” is in a pretty fun font, and the fact that it surrounds the other letters is original. The logo also has an iconic feel to me, as the team has had a similar looking logo for most of their long existence.
14. Arizona Diamondbacks
I love how well this logo incorporates the team name into its design. The “A” is obviously for Arizona, but the zigzag design on it represents a diamondback snake. Also, the color scheme fits the state well if you ask me. If you are going to do a letter logo, this is one of the better ways to do it.
13. Atlanta Braves
(I am strictly commenting on the design of the logo, not what it represents or the team name itself.)
The Braves logo uses a very unique font to go along with a nice color scheme. This logo is somewhat similar to the Rays logo, but is a little more detailed and unique, giving it a spot at number 13.
GREAT LOGOS
12. Seattle Mariners
Seattle’s logo does one thing that I think a good logo should do: it takes something unique about either the team name or city and puts it on display. The use of a compass in this logo to represent a mariner is very clever. The compass doesn’t seem out of place at all, and the color scheme reminds me of the sea even more. This logo would be higher on my list if it were slightly more modern, maybe in terms of the baseball in the background.
11. Chicago White Sox
Yeah, yeah, I know - it’s just three letters. Hear me out though, they’re cool letters. The design is original in that “Sox” is spelled out diagonally. Combine that with the fact that the logo also uses a terrific font and here we are at number 11 in the rankings. Side note, I can’t believe this logo is from 1991 because it feels a whole lot newer.
10. New York Mets
I’m not going to lie to you, the Mets have a pretty sub-par color scheme, but boy do they make up for it with a phenomenal design. The font? Beautiful. The background being the New York skyline? Superb. The bridge? A nice touch. Now consider that all of that is inside of a baseball that gives it almost a snow globe-esque feel and you have a top ten logo.
9. Detroit Tigers
A one letter logo in the top ten? This is not your standard letter. I have no idea what font this is, but I do know that it might be the greatest font of all time. There’s a certain level of class that this logo embodies that I really appreciate. It simultaneously has a retro look, as it hasn’t deviated much from some of the early 1900s Tigers’ logos, and a modern feel.
8. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels logo is simple, but effective. The red “A” has an effect which makes the letter appear almost raised up and 3-D. I’m not sure what the little spikes are on the sides of the “A,” but I love them. Finally, we have the halo on top, which fits perfectly with the team name, of course. The Angels have themselves a modern looking logo that’s simple, but not plain, with nice details scattered throughout.
7. Toronto Blue Jays
Blue Jays fans, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that before I remembered that the Blue Jays switched their logo for the 2020 season and beyond, I had it ranked as the second-best logo in baseball. The good news is that I still have the new logo at number seven, which is still very good. This Blue Jays logo kind of pops out at you. The light blue, bright red, and white is a slight variation on the semi-common red, white, and blue scheme, giving it a refreshing feel. The Blue Jay itself looks sweet, and the Canadian Maple Leaf is an obvious, but still smart inclusion in the logo.
ELITE LOGOS
6. New York Yankees
With likely the most recognizable logo in Major League Baseball, the Yankees find themselves at number six. This logo has been around since the 1960s, with just a slightly different version existing as early as the 1940s, and deservingly so. There’s the element of the circle design, but the bat sticks out, showing some creativity and boldness that no other team even attempted. The Yankees literally thought outside the box (well, outside the circle, but you get my point). The top hat goes with the team name, and the font has a New York feel to it.
5. Boston Red Sox
Boston’s logo is exactly what a logo should be: a visual representation of a brand. This logo doesn’t need any words in order for you to know what brand it represents, which is why it’s so great. Much like the Yankees emblem, Boston’s logo is iconic. The pair of red socks first appeared as the team’s logo in 1924, and while the logo has taken on slight variations since then, the base of the design has remained the same.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
When I see this logo, I think of a hot summer day at the ballpark, which is perfect because, well, it’s a logo for a baseball team. The font in the Dodgers’ logo is unique to their team, and the fact that it’s paired with a light blue and red color scheme only helps the overall look. The baseball in the background has an older feel to it which is a nice contrast to the slick and modern font.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals logo is truly a great logo. The Cardinal perched on the wooden bat is a smart way to link baseball to the team name. Further, I love the fact that the “C” on the word Cardinals is wrapped around the bat, with the bottom part of the letter acting as a small underline. Lastly, this logo is historic, which only helps its cause in the rankings. This logo would have a shot at the number one spot if it somehow incorporated the Gateway Arch, but even without it, it’s still a strong logo.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies switched their logo last season, and I love it. As I’ve said, one of the best things a sports logo can do is incorporate something unique to its city or team in the logo, and the Phillies symbol certainly does that. The cracked Liberty Bell in the background instantly puts this logo toward the top of my list. As with some other top logos, the font here is strongly associated with the team. My only issue with this logo is the stars above the “i’s,” but it’s a minor detail that is covered up by other positive factors.
1. Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers claim the number one spot in my logo rankings. The decision to go back to the retro logo was nothing short of brilliant. There’s a twist on this new version of the logo, with navy blue filling in the background rather than light blue, which still goes great with the gold secondary color. The fact that the glove has the letters “M” and “B” hidden inside of it as a token to the team name is clever. Lastly, you can’t go wrong with putting the baseball in the center of the mitt.
(Cover photo by mlb.com)