We're much too early into the 2023 Major League Baseball season, but we already have a leading contender for the worst attempt at introducing a new jersey.
And if the online rumors ring true, the Boston Red Sox might see them plenty this season, courtesy of their Americal League East rival the Baltimore Orioles. Then again, for a team with nothing interesting attached to them aside from newly-introduced ballpark dimensions in a stadium (Oriole Park in Camden Yards) that never has to worry about packing a full house, the theme seems pretty on-brand.
Reminiscent of the Great Britain uniforms in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, also known as the tournament's all-time worst jerseys which featured microscopic font and letters that peeled by the third inning, the Orioles quickly emerge as the leading favorites for the MLB's most boring uniform this season. The jersey, predominantly black, features a squished font spelling 'Baltimore' in white with an orange Nike swoosh, which comes off as it's only attempt to add some sense of flare.
Check out the rumored city connect Orioles jersey here:
With a team that's historically had some of baseball's most classic uniform features. In the 80s, the Orioles ran with a script font across their chest, and in the 90s, they integrated a clean Oriole bird patch on the sleeve that aged incredibly well. So this abomination begs the question: Where did the Orioles go wrong?
Who knows.
Then again, the leak is just a rumor. Therefore, hope is (somewhat) alive for the O's. ... for now.
Final verdict: 2.8 out of 10.
