By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst
With just two weeks to go before Opening Day, it’s time to get out your favorite jersey.
Between home and away uniforms, alternates and throwbacks, each MLB team provides plenty of options for fans, with new duds debuting every year.
As the jerseys get washed and pressed and prepped for the 2021 season, let’s rank the best looks in the sport.
1. Philadelphia Phillies’ Hudson Blues
When I think about these jerseys, two things come to mind. One of my memories is more recent: when Bryce Harper hit a walk-off grand slam against the Cubs and went sprinting around the bases. The other image that comes to mind is Mike Schmidt at third base at Veterans Stadium, making incredible plays and destroying baseballs.
2. Oakland Athletics’ Kelly Greens
This one is simple: Rollie Fingers, standing on the mound with his incredible handlebar mustache in one of the most beautiful jerseys I’ve ever seen. Legend.
3. St. Louis Cardinals’ Creme Jerseys
I love the Cardinals’ logo on the front of these jerseys: the bat with two birds on the ends, with St. Louis wrapped around the bat. It’s a perfect logo, and the creme jerseys are an awesome touch.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers’ Home Whites
In my opinion, this is the sharpest home white uniform in the game, with the classic Dodgers writing in cursive going across the chest in Dodger Blue.
5. Atlanta Braves’ Home Reds
Ah, the Braves’ Sunday home reds. I grew up a huge Atlanta Braves fan, and I used to live for those Sunday day games, knowing the players were coming out in the red uniforms. Chipper Jones was my favorite player growing up, and the memory of him coming to the plate on Sundays wearing red will be in my brain forever.
6. New York Yankees’ Pinstripes
The word “iconic” certainly applies here. It’s the Yankees. It’s pinstripes. They are synonymous. The history with the Yankees is as deep as it gets, and every step of the way, the players can be seen sporting pinstripes. From Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter, from Mickey Mantle to Aaron Judge, every picture you see, the pinstripes are there.
7. San Diego Padres’ Home Pinstripes
The Padres listened to the fans and went back to their brown and gold color scheme, and their home whites are a perfect combination of new-school and-old school. They nailed it. I’m going with the home whites here, but I have to give an additional shout-out to the brown and gold unis and one of the best hitters of all time, Tony Gwynn.
8. Baltimore Orioles’ Black Jerseys
I love a nice black uniform. And the Orioles’ black jersey with the orange script is my favorite. I was once at a playoff game at Camden Yards, with the Orioles wearing those black uniforms and the sell-out crowd twirling the orange rally towels, and I just sat there thinking how cool it looked.
9. Milwaukee Brewers’ Navy Blue Jerseys
In 2016, the Brewers unveiled their new navy blue uniforms with the ball-and-glove logo on the hat and Milwaukee written across the chest in yellow. I’ve always loved their ball-and-glove logo. In case you didn’t notice: It has a lowercase “m” for Milwaukee and a lowercase “b” for Brewers, and it puts them together in the shape of a baseball glove. I think it’s one of the coolest logos out there. Pair that with this new navy blue jersey, and the Brewers crack my 10 favorite jerseys in the game right now.
10. Chicago Cubs’ Home Whites
This is another one with so much history: the Cubs’ home whites, with the blue pinstripes and the legendary Cubs logo on the chest. Wrigley Field day games and those home white pinstripes make for a baseball pair unlike any other. One moment with these uniforms that sticks out to me is the infamous play with Moises Alou going up into the stands and Steve Bartman taking the ball away from him. (Sorry, Cubs fans. At least the jerseys are sick).
Ben Verlander spent five years in the Detroit Tigers organization. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.
Get more from Major League Baseball Add to your favorites to get information about games, news and more.