PHOTOS: Which MLB team has the best uniform?
Spring training is now less than a month away, and with MLB releasing new preseason gear for all 30 teams on Thursday, fans are anxiously awaiting seeing their favorite clubs don their iconic jerseys once again in 2016.
But which of those uniforms rank as the undisputed aesthetics champion? Here are seven candidates that could be worthy of the honor:
Chicago Cubs (Home)
The Chicago Cubs became the first team in baseball to sport pinstripes when they added the look to their road jerseys in 1907. However, in 1958, the Cubs swapped the stripes to their home whites, and the look has endured at Wrigley Field for more than five decades since.
Detroit Tigers (Home)
The Detroit Tigers' giant "D" on their jersey dates back to 1904, and despite disappearing and returning multiple times over the years has largely remain untouched since then. Due to its years of usage, the Old English script has become virtually synonymous with the Tigers.
Los Angeles Dodgers (Home)
The Los Angeles Dodgers' cursive insignia has been often imitated, but never replicated. Like the Cubs, the Dodgers' use of a contrasting deep red on the front adds a perfect kicker to the look that was carried over when the team moved west from Brooklyn in 1958.
New York Yankees (Home)
The most widely recognized uniform in baseball. The New York Yankees were not the first to don pinstripes, but the franchise has made the look its staple, along with the iconic interlocking "NY" logo. Many of the game's greats, including Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, and Derek Jeter, have sported the historic jerseys in the years since the style was first introduced in 1912.
Philadelphia Phillies (Away)
The Philadelphia Phillies get it right with their road gear. Their home get-ups, which look more pink than American red? Not so much. The light gray works much better as a canvas than the overloaded stripes, effectively bringing out the star-spangled cursive logo.
Pittsburgh Pirates (Alternate - black)
Though it's predominantly a Pittsburgh thing (see: Penguins, Steelers), it's a little surprising that more teams haven't ventured into the black and gold/yellow look. The Pittsburgh Pirates have owned the color scheme in baseball since 1948, and the all-black approach in their recent alternates is definitely one of their best looks.
St. Louis Cardinals (Away)
You need to go back to 1922 to find the first instance of the "birds on the bat" logo, but the St. Louis Cardinals went outside the box and it's worked superbly for them for over 90 years. While the home whites are nice, the softer road grey doesn't compete against the bright yellow bat, and still allows the flush red to stand out.