MLB Ads on Shoulder Patches

Well, they finally went ahead and done it. Pretty soon, MLB players are gonna look just as silly as soccer players or racecar drivers.

Let’s take a look at the best and the worst. Or should I say, the worst and the least worst?

Least Obtrusive

Cards – Stifel

I gotta give em credit – it’s small, it’s the same color as the unis & it’s just the company name. 

That said, who the heck is Stifel? According to their website, they’re “one of the nation's leading wealth management and investment banking firms.” Funny, I’m in the same business, and I never heard of ‘em.

Also, you’d think they could up with a better name. “Yeah, I really want to stifle my investing. Guess these are the guys I wanna go with …”

It’s almost like it’s (thankfully) not there

Most Obtrusive

Astros – Oxy

Geez, it’s bigger than the logo on their hat. I tell ya, it takes up most of the sleeve.  Were they paying by the square inch?

Also, what the hell is Oxy? Do they make opioids?

Ah, it’s just another oil company. Surprise, surprise. I gotta tell you, though, maybe they need to have a little rebranding too.

Standin up to bat for hillbilly heroin!

Worst Color Coordination

Blue Jays – TD 

The Jays’ color palette is a nice mix of white, grey, a couple of shades of blue & a nice little grace note of red for the Canadian maple leaf. The TD logo is lime green. Stands out like a sore, gangrenous, neon-colored thumb. These two do not go together.

Poorest Use of White Space

Mets – NewYork Presbyterian

Man, that thing’s huge! And it’s mostly just white space. Tighten that baby up a little, folks.

Most Obscure Sponsor

Yankees - Starr

The Cards are definitely in the running here. As are the Angels, with FBM (Foundation Building Materials).

I’m gonna have to go with the Yanks, though, and their sponsor Starr Insurance. And that’s just because we’re basically combining the biggest marketing force in MLB with an insurance agency I’m thinking few people have ever heard of (including me, who’s in the biz). 

"Gerrit Cole’s serious about his insurance. 

That’s why Gerrit Cole gets his insurance from Starr."

Most Embarrassing Sponsor

Braves - QUIKRETE

They make concrete. Yup, concrete.

Now, what does that imply about the Braves? They’re target audience is construction workers? Their baserunning is slow and plodding? Watching them is like watching concrete harden?

Gonna also deduct some points for the color clash (see Blue Jays, above).

Most Embarrassing Logo

Padres – Motorola

I know it’s a fairly well-known name (though rather dusty), but when I look at that logo, all I can think of is Batman.

Send out the bat signal, Commissioner Manfred!