MLB failed its brightest starts during the 94th annual All-Star Game by providing the American and National League teams with some very bright and very poorly-designed uniforms, which garnered attention for all the wrong reasons.
Despite using Globe Life Field in Texas as the hosting spot for the 2024 Midsummer Classic, MLB elected to go with a more Miami Vice-esque colorway for both uniforms, featuring a salmon, teal-plastered jersey for the AL and NL. Unlike last season’s All-Star ensemble, which was slightly less horrendous but did feature Seattle’s signature navy and teal colors, this season’s hat, pants and jerseys resembled an NBA City Edition uniform.
To make matters worse, the All-Star Game patch — and the team logo patches — are barely recognizable on the NL uniforms. For some reason, MLB reserved its worst All-Star Game uniforms for the big leaguers while allowing the prospects of tomorrow to wear the much better — and much simpler — Texas-inspired jerseys in the Future’s Game.
Viewers from home, too, couldn’t stand the awful attempt at MLB being creative:
Granted, the All-Star Game is an event bigger than just the uniforms worn. However, it drags the overall aesthetic of the once-a-year festivities down when looking back at the atrocity that was the on-field eyesore. Classic uniforms, a clean emblem, and a solid gathering of the biggest names in baseball could make or break the viewership quality of any All-Star Game, regardless of the sport.
The easy solution? If MLB can’t recruit any designers capable of out-doing a teenager customizing an MLB The Show uniform, just let both sides wear their respective home team uniforms with an All-Star patch, hat and socks. Plain and simple.
Until then, MLB can only improve before the AL and NL meet again next year in Atlanta.