The MLB All-Star hats have leaked and yeah, they're not great.
Every year, the MLB designates a city to host the All-Star Game. And every year, the MLB comes up with uniforms that pay homage to the city and the home team.
This year the event will take place in Seattle, Washington on July 11. Seattle is a staple of the Pacific Northwest — a city with deep roots in sports history and a rabid fandom. The Mariners have some of the cleanest, most classic uniforms in the sport. Elegant navy or white interwoven with brilliant turquoise and that classic compass logo.
It can't be hard to put together aesthetically pleasing uniforms for All-Star weekend in Seattle, right?
Right???
MLB All-Star hats leak and send fans into frenzy of disappointment
Yiiiiiiiikes. The Mariners' classic navy and turquoise has, in this instance, been swapped out for… light green? But not even grassy, color-of-nature light green; it's more of an ugly pastel green that feels more at home on a knockoff Mountain Dew can.
Those Mariners colors peak through on the sides and the little star above the logo is a nice touch, but it's hard to get excited about the uniform reveal when the hats are starting from such a position of weakness. There's simply no reason for this to be the color scheme. It's like camouflage without the camo. It's that green tinge the bread you forgot in the pantry starts to take on after a couple weeks. It is, evidently, an homage to Seattle sports?
The MLB can still save face with more elegant uniforms that aren't puke green. A good white-or-navy base with Seattle turquoise is the way to go. It's the obvious way to go. That could be enough to overlook the ugly hats, which might be less offensive at a distance or on the television screen.
That said, putting all the best players in the league in those hats is an admittedly funny bit that probably won't do much for MLB merchandise sales. Bold, brave, inventive uniform choices are always welcome, but it's important to make it look good. This does not check that very important box.