2022 MLB Uniform Rankings

Uniforms are a huge passion of mine, and baseball uniforms may be my favorite of them all when it comes to admiring them and talking about them. Here, I will rank each team in the MLB based upon their uniform set as a whole. If a team only has one uniform that I'm really fond of, that will hurt them in these rankings, even if that one uniform is one of the best in the league. However, in some cases, one good uniform can be enough to put a team near the top of the rankings. There are a lot of really good uniforms in professional baseball nowadays, so let's get right into it.

30. Cleveland Guardians

Getty Images

Even though Cleveland's new uniforms are solid, I was really disappointed in their rebranding and thought that it lacked effort and creativity. All the team had to do was go back to their roots and rename the team the Spiders. There are a boatload of mockups out there as to how they could have rebranded to the Spiders, and it would have been much more unique and creative than this. Nonetheless, Guardians is decent, but this look lacks creativity and somebody had to finish in last place. Also, it should be noted that the bottom ten or so teams on this list kind of fit in with one another, with most of them being very average looking uniforms that are lacking excitement.

29. Colorado Rockies

USA Today

The Rockies uniforms are solid, and I even enjoy the purple pinstripes on the home whites as well as their alternate purple jerseys. However, their black vests are really bad, even if Rockies fans think they are iconic. I really like the purple in Colorado's color scheme, and I actually think they should do a total rebrand of the logo and uniforms. In this theoretical rebrand, they should move away from black and focus more on purple and white. I think that would especially make the home pinstripes look appealing and would add a lot more pop to that purple. Also, I am really not a fan of their logo and think that they should shoot for something that is a little less boring. Maybe put some more emphasis on the mountains? (after all, your franchise is named after them...)

28. Boston Red Sox

The Boston Globe

The Red Sox have a really traditional look and it would be peculiar for them to ever go away from it. However, tradition doesn't mean as much to me as it probably does to many others when it comes to uniforms. Their uniforms are not bad by any means and I like the red and blue alternates, but there are just so many better ones.

27. Los Angeles Angels

Associated Press

The Angels are another ball club that has a nice set of uniforms, but they are just not good enough to distinguish themselves from the mediocre group. The A with the halo is a solid logo, and each of their jerseys have the exact same design laid out on a white, grey and red jersey. My only complaint is that I prefer their throwback look that they still wear from time to time, which has a yellow halo and navy blue hats.

26. Tampa Bay Rays

USA Today

Similar to the Angels, until this season each of the Rays jerseys had the exact same design, but they were just in different colors. However, they replaced their traditional baby blue jersey with a look that was previously exclusive to Spring Training, and it features an alternate logo on the chest as opposed to the Rays script across the front. I like the Rays colors a lot, but I just think their uniforms and logo are a bit too bland to push them up higher on this list. Additionally, I unpopularly am not a huge fan of the Devil Rays look, even though it is much more flashy and unique than their current threads.

25. Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins

In 2019, the Marlins unveiled another total rebranding, and with this new look they simplified their uniform set as well as altering their colors to a bright blue and red instead of orange. The simple look is really clean and looks good on the whites in particular, and their shades of red and blue are unique amongst other MLB teams. Also, I really enjoy the red and light blue city connect uniforms that they rolled out last season. However, I have a couple critiques if I am being nitpicky. First, I think their black uniforms need altering, as the script is also black which makes it hard to read from a distance. Second, they never wear their blue alternate jersey (except for as a Spring Training jersey), which I think would be a really good look for regular season games since it is such a unique shade of blue. On top of that, I slightly prefer the original look of the Florida Marlins with the unique Marlin logo. The original Marlin logo was really cool and the black and teal looked nice on a baseball uniform.

24. Texas Rangers

Getty Images

The Rangers went with a new look to go with their ballpark in 2020, and it definitely was a bit of an upgrade. The script on the whites and baby blues is a better look than the 'Texas' script on their other jerseys in my opinion, and the addition of a baby blue uniform usually is a win for most teams. However, a royal blue hat would go with those baby blue threads much better than the one they rock. The baby blue cap is overkill.

23. Cincinnati Reds

Associated Press

When it comes to their home and away uniforms, the Reds go with a clean and classic look that they most likely will not be going away from anytime soon. Their white jerseys are distinctive because they don a logo on one side of the chest and a number on the other, which is a look that no other team even attempts to go for. More importantly, the implementation of the red alternate jerseys pictured above really enhanced Cicinnati's set as a whole. This is probably one of my favorite alternate jerseys in the league and it looks even better with the retro alternate logo on the sleeve.

22. New York Yankees

USA Today

The Yankees have the single most traditional and distinguishable look in baseball. The NY logo and navy blue pinstripes are an iconic look that they certainly will never go away from. However, as I touched on earlier pertaining to the Red Sox, tradition doesn't mean a whole lot to me here. Also, I actually wish they were willing to branch out just a little from being so traditional and incorporate a navy blue alternate jersey (they usually wear one for Spring Training but never do during the actual season). This will probably be my most unpopular ranking because most baseball fans agree that the Yankees easily have one of the best uniforms in all of sports. To me, they are just average. Still a good look though.

21. Detroit Tigers

USA Today

The Tigers are another team that rocks a very traditional look. There might not be another uniform in baseball that is more old-school in appearance than their home whites. That should not take away from how good they look though. Sometimes, having the ultimate amount of simplicity is exactly what a uniform needs, and that is true pertaining to Detroit's threads.

20. New York Mets

USA Today

The Mets sport a clean, classic look, and that is especially the case when it comes to their pinstriped white uniforms. The blue and orange is a timeless look, and the reimplementation of the alternate black jersey and cap rounds out this uniform set even more and makes it a really solid one.

19. Atlanta Braves

Getty Images

The Braves have had a really solid look for decades now, with a unique script font running across the chest of each of their uniforms with their signature tomahawk below, which gives them a distinctive look. I really like both their red and navy blue alternate jerseys, and I would expect them to keep this look for years to come.

18. Arizona Diamondbacks

mlb.com

When the Diamondbacks debuted a completely new set of uniforms in 2016, they were met with a vast amount of well-deserved backlash. The uniforms featured a gradient pattern on the hat, shoulders, and pants, and their grey uniforms were a much darker shade of grey than what's typically found on MLB away uniforms. Overall, these uniforms were utterly atrocious, and Arizona took feedback from fans and simplified the look in 2020. This simplification significantly improved the uniforms, as it got rid of all of the gradient patterns and lightened up the shade of grey used on the away uniforms quite a bit. I think the font they use on the lettering and number screams the look of a snake. I also really like the alternate logo that they put on the sleeve of their jerseys. However, I actually prefer the original teal and purple look of the franchise and I wish that they would go back to those colors. It was just such a unique colorway and made them really stand out amongst many of the traditional looking threads found in the MLB.

17. Chicago White Sox

USA Today

The White Sox are another club that dons a really classic looking uniform set. Nonetheless, the black, white and grey looks really good for them and they have a unique logo to go along with it. On top of that, they have some of the best looking away uniforms in the MLB (side note: I generally don't like grey baseball uniforms very much). Their all-black City Connect uniforms with pinstripes are probably my favorite ones in their set, as this is definitely a little more out there in comparison to their primary uniforms.

16. Seattle Mariners

Getty Images

The Mariners have a really well-rounded uniform set, and I absolutely love their alternate teal jerseys. They have good colors to go with a name and logo that is successful in representing the Seattle area. They also have some nice cream alternates to give their uniform set a little bit of a throwback flare. However, I do wish that they would add their baby blue spring training jerseys into the mix as another alternate for the regular season too.

15. Chicago Cubs

Getty Images

The Cubs rock one of the most iconic looks in baseball, especially when it comes to their royal blue pinstripes. I think both of their logos are super cool, and they do royal blue and red better than almost everybody in the league. I also think the origin story of their name is super cool, as it drew inspiration from the Chicago Bears. Overall, an iconic look for an iconic franchise.

14. San Francisco Giants

mlb.com

The Giants are one of the only teams that rock cream as the color of their home jerseys, but it looks excellent with the black and orange. I also really like both of their alternates, which include a black jersey with an SF logo on the chest and the orange jersey pictured above. If I am being really nitpicky, I wish they would bring back those alternate grey jerseys with the SF on the chest and make those their fulltime away jerseys.

13. Houston Astros

Associated Press

The Astros are another team that has some extremely nice orange alternate jerseys. Also, I have always really liked their logo, and I am glad that they decided to go back to this color scheme and branding as opposed to the maroon and gold phase they previously were in. Overall, they have a simple and clean look that will likely be around for the long haul. If I could change one thing, I would love to see them incorporate the rainbow jerseys that they wore in the 70s and 80s as an alternate jersey today.

12. Washington Nationals

The Athletic

Most people would probably place the Nationals somewhere closer towards the bottom when it comes to uniforms, but I have always been really fond of their set. They do alternates right; their navy blue, red, and white alternate jerseys are all really sharp. On top of that, they wore the navy blue alternates during the majority of their World Series run a couple of years ago and it will therefore always have a bit of a special place in the hearts of Nationals fans. Plus, they still manage to have really nice uniforms even though their logo is basically identical to the Walgreens logo. It actually looks pretty cool on the chest of two of their jerseys.

11. Kansas City Royals

sportslogos.net

The Royals unveiled a completely new set of uniforms for 2022, and I have to say I was really impressed. Even though the changes aren't major, the execution was really good. They simplified the baby blues by getting rid of all of the royal blue that was on them, and they went with an old school look for both of their away jerseys, reverting back to lettering that they used in the 70s. With this change, the Royals greys have become one of my favorites in the league. The change in font and removal of white borders on the lettering and numbers makes them look much better. For whatever reason, the simplicity of their uniforms looks great to me. The old school vibe is just fitting.

10. Pittsburgh Pirates

USA Today

You can never go wrong with black and yellow, and that is exactly why each of the professional sports teams in Pittsburgh utilize those colors. Similar to the Royals, the Pirates recently went back to their roots for the lettering on their away uniforms, and it looks especially good on the black alternates shown above. The Pirates really just have it all pertaining to their uniforms: great colors, a cool name, and a timeless logo and font.

9. Minnesota Twins

USA Today

The Twins have a well-rounded set of uniforms to go along with a good color scheme and great logos. There aren't many logos in the MLB that are cooler than the TC and the Minny and Paul logo, and they also sport some of the best baby blues in the league to round off a few exceptional alternates. Additionally, they have a couple different variations of the 'Twins' script that fit perfectly onto a baseball jersey, both old and new. All in all, they do a great job of blending old school and more modern elements into their uniforms.

8. Los Angeles Dodgers

Getty Images

In my opinion, the Dodgers rock the single best old school look that baseball has to offer. The royal blue cursive script with the red number makes their uniforms pop quite a bit for such a traditional design. However, there is one area where I wish the Dodgers would loosen things up when it comes to keeping with tradition: they could easily have one of the best alternate jerseys in the league if they made their royal blue Spring Training jersey a full-time fixture in the regular season. Sadly, they are too unwilling to branch out just a tiny bit, leaving us to just have to enjoy those jerseys as a preseason-exclusive.

7. Baltimore Orioles

Getty Images

The Orioles have a unique and fun team name to go with uniforms that were executed almost flawlessly. Their black and orange alternate jerseys are some of my favorites in the league, and they have a logo that stands out quite a bit amongst a league where most of the logos are just letters. Their logo is an oriole wearing an Orioles hat. How cool is that?

6. Philadelphia Phillies

USA Today

The Phillies have one of the most complete uniform sets in the majors, having hit on all five of their different uniforms. Whether it's the red pinstripes, the throwback baby blues, or the alternate creams, they each hit the mark and do a really good job of complimenting the team's colors and logos. When a team has a cream and baby blue alternate, they are bound to be pretty high on this list.

5. Toronto Blue Jays

Associated Press

The Blue Jays combine a reliable color scheme with an amazing logo that represents their identity and location really well. The combination of their logo and font makes for one of the most bold and unique looks in the majors. Additionally, they have a set of baby blues that are beautiful to go along with a really good royal blue alternate jersey. You couldn't ask for much more here. Also, we should all be really grateful that they went back to this look as opposed to the branding they used in the 2000s.

4. San Diego Padres

USA Today

The Padres did an exceptional job with their full-on overhaul of their color scheme and uniforms. Even though the last uniforms were good, the brown and yellow take them to another level and make them elite. I have so many good things to say about these uniforms. The implementation of the pinstripes compliments the brown and yellow perfectly, and the addition of the throwback Padre logo onto the sleeve is awesome.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

ESPN

The Brewers genuinely could not have done a much better job with their rebranding. If they still wore their old uniforms they would easily have ranked dead last on this list. First and foremost, they brought back one of the best logos in all of baseball. Secondly, each of the jerseys looks amazing with yellow trim instead of gold. They kept it simple with the great logo and colors and it came together wonderfully.

2. Oakland A's

USA Today

The Oakland A's just make green and yellow look right on a baseball uniform. They have had basically the same identity for so long, but there's a reason they have never gone away from it. I especially love their dark green and kelly green alternate jerseys. The A's logo and Oakland script also look really nice on a baseball jersey. However, I really wish they would start wearing their alternate yellow jerseys again. Those were certainly one of my favorite jerseys in the league.

1. St. Louis Cardinals

USA Today

The Cardinals have such unique look with great colors that made it very easy in determining who should be number one on this list. That design on the front of their jerseys with two cardinals sitting on a bat is just so creative and could never quite be replicated elsewhere. On top of that, their baby blue uniforms are probably my favorite uniform in all of baseball.

 

The One Thing That Has Been Holding the Timberwolves Back (but also keeping them in MN?)

 

Pioneer Press

Billionaire Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, who also owns other entities like the Star Tribune, bought the Timberwolves in 1994 in a move that actually prevented them from being moved to New Orleans. In 2021, Taylor agreed to a deal with successful businessman and former Walmart CEO Marc Lore as well as with former baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez. During Taylor's tenure in Minnesota, he has been largely criticized and has had his fair share of blunders and questionable decisions. Throughout his time here, there has been a wide variety of different front office workers, coaches, and players, and they have been one of the worst professional sports franchises to exist in a big-time league when it comes to the actual performance they put out for fans. In the midst of all of this turmoil and turnover amongst the front office and team members, there has only been one consistent factor in it all: Glen Taylor. They say that a good business starts at the top, and that certainly seems true in this case. However, even though Taylor has made his fair share of mistakes and questionable decisions, he has done one thing that makes true Minnesota sports fans and me have a little more respect for him: he has been adamant on keeping the team in Minnesota. In fact, he even made it clear that in his sale of the team, part of the contract stated that the team must remain in Minnesota and that was always important to the negotiation process. Here, I will be looking to shed light on some of Taylor's biggest and most interesting blunders that have led to this team being known as a poverty franchise.

First, let's take a look at a somewhat random but important example in the form of the Joe Smith scandal. In 1995, Joe Smith was the number one overall draft choice of the Golden State Warriors after being a standout at Maryland. He ended up not living up to the hype, having career averages of 10.9 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. Nonetheless, he still had a respectable NBA career. He looked promising in his first few seasons in Oakland, but was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers after turning down an $80 million contract extension from the Warriors. He struggled with the '6ers and became a coveted free agent in 1998. He ended up curiously signing a one year, $1.75 million deal with the Timberwolves that immediately garnered attention around the league because of how much it was under his expected market value. This is because Smith and the Timberwolves came to an agreement where Smith would sign three one year deals for almost the vet's minimum so the team could acquire his Bird rights (Bird rights allow a team to go over their salary cap to sign a player). Before the beginning of the 2000 offseason (in which Smith signed his third one year deal with the Wolves), the NBA completed an investigation on the matter and severe punishments were enforced onto the team. Minnesota was fined $3.5 million and they had to forfeit their next FIVE consecutive first round picks (this was eventually toned down to only four firsts). Glen Taylor and then Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin Mchale were also each forced to serve suspensions. Mchale actually denied any knowledge of the scandal, saying at the time "I haven't read a contract in four or five years...there are eight to ten NBA teams that do this all the time. They're just good at it. We're bad." Whether that is true or not is not necessarily important in this situation. The fact that Smith was projected to get a salary that gave him about $80 million in total but instead only took small, one year contracts is super suspicious to begin with, and it is utterly ridiculous that the Wolves thought they would get away with it and be able to pull a fast one on the NBA. Additionally, they took this risk on an average player. It would have been one thing if they were doing it for a player who would have a huge impact on the team. But no, let's make a super shady agreement for a guy who is going to be a role player for us. This is also just an embarrassment for an organization that is already ridiculed enough for chronically performing poorly. On top of that, this was right when Kevin Garnett was entering his prime years. If they would have possessed those four first round picks they got stripped from them they would have had an opportunity to do a much better job of building around their franchise player than they did.

Getty Images

On the long list of mistakes Glen Taylor has made as the Timberwolves owner, souring his relationship with Kevin Garnett is up there with the worst of them. KG is far and away the greatest player to don a Timberwolves jersey; he is an NBA legend that has an MVP, a ring, a defensive player of the year award, and is well-known as one of the greatest power forwards to play the game. He is an icon in Minnesota and deeply beloved by the fanbase. His persistent energy, fiery competitiveness, and passion for not only the game but also for the state and its fans is what makes him loved by so many in Minnesota. On top of that, if it was not for him the team very realistically could be playing in a different state right now; their current group is finally starting to truly find success for the first time in the post Kevin Garnett era. To put it bluntly, Garnett despises Glen Taylor after years of turmoil and KG not being afraid to publicly bash him. According to Garnett, what put him over the edge was when Timberwolves legend Flip Saunders passed away back in 2015. Saunders is loved by not only Minnesota fans but especially by Garnett himself, as Saunders was a huge part of molding KG into the player he eventually became. KG has publicly stated that Glen Taylor made an informal agreement with him and Saunders that once KG retired, he would get a role in the team's front office, and eventually, Taylor would sell the team to a group revolving around Saunders and Garnett. However, KG has made it clear that when Flip died, apparently the deal died with him. Garnett also tried to put together a group to buy the team in 2021, but ultimately ended up pulling out of the running, criticizing Taylor for not changing his ways. However, interestingly enough, Taylor denies that KG ever even made an offer. Most fans like myself are going to err on the side of trusting Garnett instead of the owner who has gone against his word plenty of times. The feud has gotten so bad that Garnett refuses to even allow for his number to be retired by the team, which is really a shame considering how important he is to the franchise. Hopefully when Lore and A-Rod take over full time and Taylor is out of the picture, they will prioritize welcoming KG back with open arms and put number 21 in the rafters where it belongs. It really is a shame because Garnett has expressed how much he loves Minnesota time and time again, which is rare for a small market team like the Wolves. This is wishful thinking, but it would be really cool if they offered for KG to buy a share of the team. But we can't get our hopes up too much.

Lastly, it would not be right for me to end this post without talking about Taylor hiring Tom Thibodeau as not only the Timberwolves head coach but also as their president of basketball operations in 2016. Hiring him as the head coach is fine. It was not the hire I had wanted but it was very reasonable at the time. But hiring him as the president of basketball operations, a role that he had no experience in, was a huge mistake by Taylor that ended up being very costly for the franchise. As a coach, Thibodeau continued to partake in some of his peculiar ways, such as playing his best players for forty minutes every night and constantly barking at players on the court all game. But none of those things are nearly as bad as the decisions he made as the president of the team. He immediately moved on from fan-favorite Ricky Rubio in favor of a worse, more expensive point guard in Jeff Teague. He also weirdly was attempting to turn the team into the "Timberbulls" (as fans started calling them), because of the additions he made of former Bulls that played for him, including Taj Gibson, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Luol Deng. Speaking of Butler, the Jimmy Butler trade in 2017 for Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn, and Lauri Markannen turned out to be a total disaster. The Wolves got one full year of Butler, and with him they were only good enough to be the eighth seed in the West and get smoked by the Rockets in the first round (granted, they were hovering around the fourth or fifth seed before Butler sustained a midseason injury). It should be noted that they actually had to play a game 83 against the Nuggets that year in order to even stamp their postseason bid. Anyway, after getting dominated by the Rockets in five games, Butler ended up demanding his way out of Minnesota in the most unprofessional way, even going out of his way to set up an interview with ESPN's Rachel Nichols just to bash the team on television. All in all, he ended up certainly not being the leader that Thibs was hoping for and the one that the young guys needed. Instead, he thought he was too good for the Timberwolves and was not pleased with the supposed nonchalant style of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. But at the end of the day, this falls on Glen Taylor hiring Thibs as the president of basketball operations. It could be argued that this trade was an understandable risk at the time, as the Timberwolves were a team desperate to even make the playoffs. However, it ended up flopping and Zach Lavine blossomed into a star in Chicago (as he was expected to). It left fans to only be able to wonder what the team would have looked like if the trio of Towns, Wiggins, and Lavine would have been able to develop alongside one another. Luckily enough, it may have actually ended up working out better for the Wolves considering that they were able to draft Anthony Edwards after being so bad in 2019. Ant certainly has a higher ceiling than those three and has the potential to take the Wolves to places they have never seen before.

To sum it up, Glen Taylor has made more than enough mistakes as the T-Wolves owner, especially including the Joe Smith contract scandal that cost them years of draft capital, the ongoing rift with franchise legend Kevin Garnett, and the failure that was hiring Tom Thibodeau as the team's president of basketball operations. Thankfully, the Wolves are in a really good place right now with the team having one of the best seasons in recent memory in the hands of young stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. It is fun that Timberwolves fans finally have something to look forward to!

Below, I clipped a Beef History video by SB Nation's Secret Base, which dives deeper into KG's beef with Glen Taylor and provides all of the important details as to how and why things unfolded this way:

The Timberwolves are Good?!

 

espn.com

Last year, I wrote a blog post about the rise of the Timberwolves and young star Anthony Edwards. I talked about how, even though they were one of the worst teams in the league, Minnesota had a lot of potential and had the talent to make some noise in the Western Conference if they were able to stay healthy and put it all together throughout an entire season. Well, I am pleased to inform my last year's self that his Timberwolves are currently 42-30, which is good enough for the six seed in the West, and they have been firing on all cylinders lately, with a record of 11-2 since the All-Star break. Here, I am going to discuss the biggest factors as to why the Wolves have blossomed into a legitimate playoff team, and what has made them one of the most exciting teams in the league in 2022.

KAT

The most important factor to the Timberwolves successful season thus far has been the elite play of big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who is having the best season of his career up to this point at the age of 26. He's putting up his usual statistics, averaging 25 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, 1 steal and 1 block while shooting over 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from deep. However, his stats do not fully tell the story of the year he is having. He has always been ultra-talented on the offensive end of the floor, but he has become much more assertive this season, and you can see when watching the games that he knows he can dominate whoever is across from him. He is truly the only player in the NBA who possesses his combination of size and scoring versatility. The game has never seen a true center shoot the long ball at the efficiency and consistency that Towns does, while also being able to score on anyone down low and take bigger guys off the dribble with ease. To add to that, it appears that he is also growing into the leader the Wolves have needed him to be, and that is because of the apparent chemistry this team has developed thanks to guys like Edwards and Patrick Beverley (who will be touched on next), as well as the guidance of second year head coach Chris Finch. It looks like Towns is finally in a stable environment around people that embrace him for who he is, which is something that he has mostly lacked in his NBA career so far.

Patrick Beverley

Getty Images

I will readily admit that I was not a fan of Patrick Beverley before he came to Minnesota. I always looked at him as a pest and agreed with Russell Westbrook when he proclaimed that all Pat Bev does is run around, and that he doesn't actually guard anybody. My opinion could not be much different now that he has been on the Wolves for almost an entire season. Beverley has become the heart and soul of this team and is exactly what Minnesota needed in order to go from a bottom of the barrel team to legitimate playoff team with hopes of making some noise in the Western Conference. Upon arriving in Minnesota, Beverley joined a group of young guys with almost no playoff experience to be found, as well as a lack of focus on the defensive end of the floor. KAT and D'Angelo Russell have been known as below average defenders for their entire career's, and Anthony Edwards had shown flashes of potential on that end but was lacking the focus to truly be considered a good defender. With the combination of head coach Chris Finch putting more of an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball and veteran Patrick Beverley's presence, this team has seen a total shift from years past where they consistently had one of the worst defenses in the league. Now, there are not many teams that play harder on that side of the ball than the Timberwolves do, and Towns and Russell have dramatically improved in that area as well. This team has developed a culture in which anything other than winning basketball is unacceptable, and that largely has to do with the leadership and energy of Patrick Beverley.

The Leadership of D'Angelo Russell

USA Today Sports

Timberwolves point guard D'Angelo Russell has been a highly criticized player since entering the league. He got traded by the Lakers and Magic Johnson because Magic said that he needed a "leader," and that he needed somebody "that can make the other players better and also that players want to play with." Russell even later said that "Magic kicked me in my ass on the way out." DLo has also been criticized for his lack of effort and skills on the defensive side of the ball. His ability to score and play make has never been in question, but there were always concerns about his lack of athleticism and motivation to play winning basketball. However, Russell has been a crucial part of the Wolves success this season and they certainly would not be in the position they are in without him. He has grown into a quarterback type of role for these young Wolves, as he runs the offense and is constantly seen coaching guys up and communicating where they need to be, especially on defense. Even though Russell's scoring stats are a bit down this season, he has begun doing so many important things that do not show up on the stat sheet. His passing ability is underrated; he sees the floor very well and makes a lot of impressive passes each game that most players can't make. His off-ball defense has improved tremendously; he makes a lot of subtle plays on defense each game especially when it comes to help defense and communicating. And most importantly, he leads the Wolves in clutch scoring. He has always been trustworthy with the ball in his hands late in the game, and he has only built on that quality on a Minnesota team that was in need of leadership and a steady hand at the end of games.

The Role Players

The Timberwolves have had so many role players step up this year and become integral to the season this team is having. First and foremost, Jarred Vanderbilt has improved mightily and fits excellently in the starting lineup at the four. His high-energy play has been key to the culture that Minnesota is building. Nobody is going to outwork Vando out there, and if you watch a Timberwolves game you are going to notice that he is the scrappiest player on the floor who rarely gets beat on 50/50 balls.

Their second most important role player so far has been Jaden McDaniels. The second-year player is oozing with potential and will only keep growing. He has improved as a shot-maker and his long arms and quick feet have already translated to a lot of success on defense early in his career. The Wolves are really going to need him to get healthy come playoff time.

A few other Wolves have made this team's bench unit one of the best in the league. You get reliable offense and crafty scoring from backup big Naz Reid. Malik Beasley is starting to show why he was one of Minnesota's most impressive players the last few years, as he is the ultimate sharpshooter who is lethal when he gets hot. Even though he has been having a down year he has still shown that he is deadly when he finds his rhythm from beyond the arc. Jaylen Nowell has really grown into his own as a player, providing scoring at every level off of the bench. Taurean Prince has also stepped into a three and d role for this team, adding to their improved defense. These guys have all helped fuel a bench that is not only exciting but does their job in providing a spark when the starters need a breather.

Anthony Edwards

I feel as if I would have been doing Ant a disservice if I didn't go into a little more detail about how much he means to this Minnesota team moving forward. He is maybe the most exciting player to watch in the league who is full of energy and has such a fun personality. He is also a freak-athlete who has all of the tools to be a full-blown superstar in this league soon. His elite athleticism and growing offensive game are already pretty polished for a guy who was considered "raw" as a rookie just a year ago. His biggest issue right now is consistency. On some nights, he is the best player on the floor who cannot be stopped, driving to the rim and finishing over bigger defenders while also hitting contested jumpshots. However, on other nights he shoots dismally from the floor and barely makes an impact on the game. Once he can learn how to bring it on a consistent basis, look out. The scary thing about Ant is that he is only 20 and is actually younger than some of the best rookies currently in the league, like Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes. He still has so much room to grow and he was right on the cusp of being an All Star this year as a sophomore. The sky is the limit for him in the years to come.

USA Today Sports

If the Wolves want to win in the playoffs this year and even advance into the second round, they will most likely need Ant to be at his best on a consistent basis. However, if the Wolves want to be a true contender in the West with this core, Ant is going to need to establish himself as the guy in Minnesota in the next few seasons. This current group has shown it is good enough to compete with the best squads in the league, but it is unlikely that they are actually able to make a deep playoff run. Nonetheless, if Edwards blossoms into the superstar that Timberwolves fans know he can be, this team truly could be a force to be reckoned with in the West that would have the ability to beat anybody, even in the playoffs.

All in all, this has been the most exciting season I have ever watched as a Timberwolves fan, and only the second time I will have ever seen one of their teams in the playoffs. Unlike the team in 2018, this team is exciting and likable, and there is a lot to look forward to when it comes to the young talent they have on their roster as well as what looks to be an established head coach in Chris Finch. Hopefully this is the start of a standard being set in Minnesota that the Timberwolves are no longer going to suck every year.

Below, NBA Youtuber Tukeeknows shares some really good insight into why this Wolves team is so exciting and how much potential they have for the next few years:

My thoughts on the current state of Major League Baseball

mlb.com

Luckily for us fans, the MLB and the MLBPA have finally come to an agreement to have a baseball season in 2022. However, it took a lockout that lasted for about three months that came with a lot of criticism directed towards league officials and owners. The owners and players could not agree on arbitration rules, minimum salaries, and various other potential rule changes. Nonetheless, the two sides (that being the owners and the players) did agree upon a few rule changes that will go into place for the 2023 season, including bigger bases, banning the shift, and adding a pitch clock. Each of these are important rule changes in their own way and have the potential to really change how baseball is played at the Major League level. Below, I will dive into these new rules for 2023 as well as give my thoughts as to some of the things that concern me about baseball moving forward.

Larger Bases

Many fans were a little confused as to why the MLB is going to have larger bases in 2023 and what impact that could have on the game. First, the number one reason the MLB wants to increase the size of the base is because they believe that this will lead to fewer injuries for runners on the basepaths. The logic makes sense, as bigger bases would allow runners more room to avoid defenders when sliding, which in turn would lead to less collisions between runners and defenders, and ultimately less injuries occurring. The MLB is also hoping for more bases to be stolen as a result of this change, since the runners will have a slightly bigger target to slide into when trying to swipe a bag. This change comes at a good time, as stolen base numbers have been way down from where they were many years ago. Stolen bases are such a small part of the game now. In fact, going all the way back to 1887, Hugh Nicol set the single-season stolen base record, stealing 138 bases. But if that example is too far in the past for you, then take Rickey Henderson's season in 1982, where he stole 130 bases. Now compare that to the MLB's stolen base leader in 2022, Starling Marte, who stole 47 bases. Yes, you read that correctly. That stat alone is all that needs to be said when it comes to explaining why the league is hoping for more bags to be swiped, especially considering how much humans have grown athletically since 1887. No offense to Hugh Nicol, I have never watched him play and am certainly not brushed up on him as a player, but you would have a hard time convincing me he was even close to as fast as Byron Buxton.

Banning the Shift

mlb.tv screen-grab

Ever since the announcement came out that the shift was being banned, there have been a lot of different opinions flying around as to why this is really good or really bad. I, for one, am on the side that thinks this is a bad idea. Do I think the shift has become overused and annoying in the modern-day MLB? Absolutely. But do I think it should be banned? Absolutely not. These days, hitters are much more focused on hitting for power than hitting the ball to all parts of the field and limiting their strikeout numbers. The shift encourages players to become better overall hitters who can use the entire field as well as become good at bunting. Major League hitters should be able to lay down a bunt or hit a routine ground ball the other way if that side of the field is left completely uncovered. All banning the shift does is cater to the guys who are .215 hitters that hit lots of home runs but hit for contact very poorly. This shows me that the MLB is pleased with the current hitting philosophy in the league, which is analytically driven and focused on hitting for power at the expense of seeing historic strikeout numbers among batters. In fact, in 2021 Yankees outfielder Joey Gallo hit .199 and struck out a whopping 213 times (good enough to be the fifth most strikeouts by a batter ever in a single season), but hey, at least he got his 38 home runs, right? He is the prototypical player that will reap benefits from this rule change, as he probably saw the shift as much as anybody the last few seasons. Some would say that this brand of baseball is more exciting, but when it comes down to it in the playoffs, teams usually lean on great pitching, and with that comes the importance of situational hitting, which is sadly becoming a bit of a lost art in the MLB. Below is a gem of a video where former Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter goes against the shift, doing what a lot of fans like me have been begging players to do for years. Sadly, we will never get to watch an exciting play like this happen again starting in 2023 when the shift is banned.

Pitch Clock

I have some mixed feelings on the implementation of a pitch clock, but overall I am anticipating it to be a positive change for Major League Baseball. Many people complain that the games are way too long, and that nobody wants to sit through a three hour game that is not loaded with action constantly throughout the game (NFL games take about the same amount of time as MLB games, interestingly enough). So, the MLB decided that one way to combat this issue was to implement a pitch clock. The MLB decided to test this idea out by implementing a pitch clock in Low-A ball in 2021, and it came back with very positive feedback on the pace of play from the players, coaches and umps at this level. In fact, they saw the average game time dip from three hours and one minute down to two hours and 41 minutes. As to how this pitch clock works, the one that was tested out in the minors gave pitchers 15 seconds to throw a pitch with the bases empty, and 17 seconds to throw a pitch with runners on base. If pitchers did not start throwing their pitch on time, the home plate umpires could automatically call a ball. We are not sure as to if this will be the same for the big leagues or not, but I would expect something similar to this in 2023. I think this change will be welcoming in the sense that some MLB pitchers like to work extremely slow, and it will be nice that they will be held accountable for that soon.

Modern MLB Pitching Philosophy

This isn't a rule change, but another thing that I feel needs to be touched on is how much pitching has changed in the MLB. Pitching used to be dominated by starters, and the really good ones would typically go as deep as they could into all of their starts as long as they were having a good outing. Nowadays, starters are really only expected to get through 5 innings or so, and anything higher than that is a bonus. This is mainly for two reasons: first, teams are now taking a much more analytical approach to managing a game, and will make decisions on when to remove a pitcher and who to put in for him based on matchups, and how many times the batting order has seen that pitcher. This sounds great, except this lead to many managers not managing the game with any feel, and just solely relying on what the numbers tell them when it comes to making a pitching game. I think managers and teams in general need to find a balance between using analytics to the fullest and managing the game with feel at the same time. Secondly, teams are now significantly more concerned about the health of their pitchers arm's than they used to be, wanting to avoid the feared Tommy John surgery. While this sounds great too, it actually has not worked, as the number of guys tearing their UCL and needing Tommy John surgery has only been increasing from where it was at all the way back in the 1990s. The reason for this is not known for sure, but I suspect that it is because of a few different possibilities, the first of those being that pitchers are now conditioned to not have to throw as many pitches, so their arms naturally are unable to handle as much as they used to. A second possibility for this is that now, starting at a young age all the way through high school, the top baseball prospects basically are playing baseball year round. It has been proven that a pitcher's arm needs rest in the offseason, and a lot of kids may not be getting that needed rest. A third potential reason is that pitchers nowadays are throwing much harder than they used to, on average. There are a lot of guys in the majors who can throw a baseball 95 miles per hour, and throwing a baseball is not a natural movement to begin with, so throwing the ball with that much force while doing a movement that is already unnatural could lead to more injuries. But there is also the factor that there are much more resources available now to take better care of your arm.

Here is an example of why this change in pitching philosophy irks me so much: Let's go back to 1991. Many people consider Game 7 of the 1991 World Series to be one of the greatest MLB games ever played. For those that aren't already aware, this is the game that Jack Morris and John Smoltz had the ultimate pitcher's duel and completely dominated the game right from the get-go. Smoltz threw 7 and 1/3 shutout innings, and Morris threw 10 shutout innings on 122 pitches while picking up the biggest win of his life. Guys who participated in that game look back on it as one of the most dominate displays of pitching the game has seen. One story that the old Twins manager, Tom Kelly, has told is that he was going to take Morris out of the game after the 9th inning, but changed his mind after confiding with some of his assistant coaches. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, former Twins outfielder Randy Bush had said "I want to know one thing: Who was going to take (Morris) out of this game? I don't think anyone would have done it. If it was (Tom Kelly), Jack would have punched him, kicked him--he might have killed him." If this quote doesn't exemplify how epic of a performance that was, then I don't know what does. It should be mentioned that Morris also miraculously pitched two games on three days rest, which was pretty unheard of even back then. Also, Smoltz was rolling through the Twin's lineup but was pulled for a reliever in the 7th.

The whole point of that example is that we will never see a game like that ever again in the modern-day MLB. It feels like a fan like me who is part of the younger generation has been stripped of potentially seeing true pitcher's duels that go down to the wire on the biggest stage because most managers are too worried about how many times a batter has seen his starting pitcher (even if he is dominating), or what kind of matchup he is going to get with the next batter. Now, while I think knowing this data is important and can help one successfully manage a game, it should not be the sole factor when it comes to decision-making. All in all, it just makes me sad because it feels like the younger generation will never truly get to experience an epic form of baseball like that Game 7 in 1991.

The MLB is in a lockout disaster...

 

Getty Images

Ever since Rob Manfred took over as commissioner of the MLB for Bud Selig in 2015, he has been under harsh public scrutiny for some questionable decisions and comments he has made. Whether it was the lack of harsh punishment against players involved in the Houston Astros cheating scandal, seriously souring relationships with the MLB's Player's Association (MLBPA), unfortunate lack of public speaking skills, or referring to the World Series trophy as a "piece of metal," Manfred has accumulated more than his fair share of blunders as baseball's commissioner. These mistakes, as well as many others, have made Manfred out to be disliked by almost everybody that is a fan of baseball and has led to the MLB looking bad since his takeover. However, none of those are worse than where baseball is at right now, and that is in a lockout that has lasted for over three months up to this point.

For some context, the MLB is currently in a lockout because the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expired between the owners and the players on December 2, 2021. Sadly, the league and the players have been pretty far apart on many issues, such as rules pertaining to arbitration, minimum salaries, an expanded postseason, and other areas of concern. Many players have even been publicly criticizing the league and the owners for the handling of things. Even Mike Trout, who usually keeps to himself on matters like these, went on Twitter to say that negotiations and bargaining were not done in good faith by the MLB, and that the players stand together for the fans because they owe it to the generation that will succeed them.

Although many of the MLB's players have been putting the league and owners on blast, one interesting perspective that really stands is that of Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward. Heyward took to his Instagram profile to roast Manfred and the MLB, and he did not hold back on any punches. But what made Heyward's perspective really unique and interesting was that he has the opinion that, since the CBA expired, the MLB has been operating with the intention of starting the season late. His reasoning for this is because he believes that the MLB has their own ideal amount of games they hope are played during the season in order to make the owners the most money they can. He thinks that the MLB continuously made offers that they knew the players would refuse in hopes that the season would be delayed.

Getty Images

Now you are probably asking: How would cancelling games benefit the owners and put more money in their pocket's? Well, as Heyward alluded to, the owners basically view the entire first month of the MLB season as debt. In fact, it is well known around the MLB that April is usually a month of low attendance and dips in revenue for many teams, especially for those that play in colder temperatures.

The best players in the game make a LOT of money, so that probably leads for many fans to wonder why they have anything to complain about. However, there are a lot of players that are in undesirable situations, such as those that play minor league ball and barely make enough money to make it as a professional baseball player. They also believe that players should be in control of their free agency sooner, and that arbitration should not last for as long as it does. All in all, if the MLB and its players are going to want to have a season, both sides will need to give a little bit in order to make that happen. The players might have to accept some of the unfair rules for a little longer, and the owners might have to be willing to change some of the longstanding rules that have been a staple to the MLB when it comes to salaries and contracts.

It should also be noted that this is a really bad time for the MLB to have a lockout. Obviously, there is never a good time for a professional sports league to have a lockout, but this is particularly bad because of the current state of the MLB. There are still a lot of MLB fans out there, but the game is not growing when it comes to the younger generations, and the biggest chunk of MLB fans out there are middle-aged folks. There are already a lot of people on the fence about the MLB. The longer the lockout lasts, the more there will be that are just going to decide that they do not care anymore, and that they are tired of the state of the league. However, there are a plethora of young, exciting players currently in the MLB, such as Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr., Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Javier Baez, Tim Anderson, Vladdy Guerrero Jr., and the list goes on and on. Players like these are bringing a swagger to the game of baseball that is unique to this generation, and the MLB should be working as much as they can to market these players to the younger generations. As fans, we hope that the MLB can get things together sooner rather than later. If not, they are at risk of seeing their ratings tumble even more.

Below is Ken Rosenthal's perspective on the current state of the MLB's lockout. Rosenthal is one of the most respected MLB journalists and insiders and he is a writer for The Athletic. Here, he provides a lot of insight into why things are still at a standstill and what the league could look like post-lockout:

NFL Helmet Rankings 2022

 

Courtesy of nfl.com

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a HUGE uniforms guy in sports, especially the sports I closely follow (baseball, basketball and football). I have been wanting to mix it up and do a blog post about uniforms for a long time, so here we go.

DISCLAIMER: Opinions on uniforms vary significantly from person-to-person, so that must be kept in mind here. On top of that, my opinion could definitely change when it comes to the order of these rankings. Nonetheless, I have provided my 2022 NFL Helmet Rankings below as of the day this was written.

1. Los Angeles Rams

Getty Images

The Rams came out with completely new uniforms in 2020, and these are beautiful. The royal blue and yellow pop off of each other so nicely, and the horn is classic and looks amazing here.

2. Minnesota Vikings

USA Today

Not much needs to be said here. The horn is a staple in the Vikings uniforms and looks great on a helmet. The matte purple looks pretty sweet too. However, I think the black facemask could go. Purple would look much better in my opinion.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

USA Today

Another absolute classic. The black and silver look of the Raiders is undefeated. Try to tell me that logo doesn't look super cool too. You can't.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

USA Today

Black and yellow go together perfectly (hence why all of Pittsburgh's sports teams go with that color scheme). The all black looks great with the yellow stripe down the middle, and the logo only being on one side of the helmets make these especially unique. This helmet is another staple to the NFL.

5. Buffalo Bills

Getty Images

Going with the white facemasks full-time this season was a wonderful idea by the Bills. The all-white looks so clean with the royal blue and red logo that is pretty cool itself. This is one of those that I could have even ranked higher on this list. It is that good.

6. Cincinnati Bengals

USA Today

The tiger stripes have become an iconic look for the Bengals over the years. This is a really unique and clever design, and they go together with their new uniforms excellently. Also, the black and orange go with each other very nicely. And you will even find colleges and high schools copying this design nowadays, like the Memphis Tigers.

7. Los Angeles Chargers

chargers.com

I'm going to say it...The Chargers currently have my favorite football uniforms EVER. I love baby blue and yellow, so it makes sense as to why I love them so much. This helmet doesn't cut any corners; the lightning bolt looks super cool, the number is a nice touch below it, and the yellow face mask pulls it all together.

8. New York Jets

USA Today

Another team that did a great job with their rebranding. This metallic Jets helmet looks really nice with the new uniforms, and that Jets wording across the side of the helmet has a touch of old-school combined with new-school that really brings this helmet together.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars

USA Today

Shiny black helmets are usually a really solid look in my eyes. These are so much better than the atrocity that was their previous helmets. They went simple with their new uniform design, and it was a win. Also, that logo is sick.

10. Philadelphia Eagles

USA Today

Even though I wish the Eagles would go back to the kelly green, this deep shade of green looks awesome here. Those wings have become an iconic look for the Eagles though. I have no complaints here.

11. Cleveland Browns

USA Today

The Browns could never go away from this look. For some reason, the plain orange helmet works and looks great for a team named the Browns. This is another classic look.

12. Seattle Seahawks

USA Today

The matte navy blue looks really good with the green accents to help the whole helmet pop a little more. The bird design on these helmets is super creative and looks really cool too. This is a look that Seattle should never go away from.

13. Miami Dolphins

USA Today

This is a really clean look that just screams Miami to me with the white, teal and orange coming together nicely. However, I actually kind of miss their old logo that had the Dolphin wearing a helmet. I certainly would not be complaining if they went back to that and I even think they will one day in the future.

14. San Francisco 49ers

USA Today

Having a gold helmet is sick, and the 49ers red and gold go together really well. Their whole uniform set is really simple but it looks great on the field, and this helmet is no different. It is all just iconic.

15. Arizona Cardinals

Getty Image

This is the lone bright spot of the Cardinals uniforms that could desperately use an update. Even though this is the simplest of looks, it is really clean and it would be a shame if they ever decided to go away from this helmet.

16. Kansas City Chiefs

USA Today

The Chiefs are another example of a team who has basically had the same uniforms for decades. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Kansas City is the only team in the NFL with a red helmet, and the white Arrowhead logo and white facemask complement it really well.

17.  Houston Texans

USA Today

I really like shiny navy blue helmets, and these are a perfect example. They are really simple, but the glossy looks pops and that logo on the side is pretty solid too. Now the Texans just need to get their mess of an organization cleaned up a little.

18. New Orleans Saints

Icon Sportswire

As I stated previously, gold helmets are sick. The Saints black and gold looks really good, and this helmet incorporates those two colors very well. These look especially good when the Saints wear all-white or all-black, for some reason. Another look that will probably never change but that's okay.

19. Tennessee Titans

USA Today

The Titans made a good choice when they switched over to navy blue helmets a few years ago. I really love their colors, and they all look clean on this helmet with the grey facemask. However, I do not love their logo or the stripe down the middle, so that's why this one is not higher.

20. New England Patriots

USA Today

This silver Patriots helmet is one that they have won all six of their Super Bowls with. The Patriot logo isn't anything flashy but it fits the team's identity, and the red facemasks look really good and make this simple helmet pop a little more. This is a good helmet. I should add that I really like the Patriot's throwback white helmets and I am excited to see those come back soon.

21. Indianapolis Colts

USA Today

The Colts are yet another team that basically has not ever changed their uniforms, but that is usually only the case if there is no reason to switch. The horseshoe logo compliments this simple look nicely.

22. Washington Commanders

USA Today

Washington came out with a full rebrand this offseason, going from the Football Team to the Commanders. I am not a huge fan of the new uniforms, but I think the team name is solid. I do actually like the helmets though, and they could move up or down this list depending on how I feel when seeing them on the field for real.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Green Gridiron

The Bucs made the right choice by going back to their old uniform design while adding an all Pewter alternate. Pewter is probably one of the most unique team colors I have seen in all of sports, and it looks good for Tampa Bay. The big pirate flag logo looks pretty sick too.

24. Atlanta Falcons

Sports Talk ATL

The Falcons tweaked their helmet a few years ago with the new uniform design, making it matte black, changing the facemask from black to silver, and making the Falcon logo a little bigger. Overall, I think the helmet looks better, but the uniforms took a step back.

25. Denver Broncos

USA Today

Like I said earlier, I really like shiny navy blue helmets, and I actually kind of like that Bronco logo on the side of the helmets. On top of that, navy blue and orange look good together. However, I am not a huge fan of the weirdly shaped stripe in the middle of the helmet. This is also another case where I prefer the team's old helmet. That throwback D logo is pretty sweet.

26. Chicago Bears

USA Today

Shiny navy blue again. The Bears have had this look forever so it would not make sense for them to move away from it anytime soon. This simple design will always look good with the Bears uniforms.

27. Detroit Lions

USA Today

This is a really solid helmet overall. The Lions made a good decision of getting rid of the black in their uniforms altogether a few years back. It makes the blue and the silver pop even more. That is also a solid Lion logo.

28. Carolina Panthers

USA Today

I really enjoy the Panthers color scheme and logo, but I think there is a lot left to be desired with their uniforms. They aren't bad at all, they just desperately need an update in my opinion. I have always thought trying out a black helmet would be cool.

29. Dallas Cowboys

USA Today

This is the ultimate classic look, but I do not think there is anything special about it to be honest. It also bothers me that the shades of blue in the Cowboys uniforms do not match. I know this is an unpopular opinion though.

30. New York Giants

USA Today

This is a very basic helmet and there is nothing wrong with it. However, if they made the facemask white and went back to the "Giants" wordmark across the side of the helmet it would be a lot higher on this list.

31. Green Bay Packers

USA Today

If I wasn't such a huge Vikings fan I am sure I would like this helmet a lot more, but for some reason I just can't get myself to like it even though I love yellow. However, it would be super weird if the Packers went away from it, but I know they would never do that.

32. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens

There is nothing really wrong with this helmet, but somebody has to come in last. However, I do not necessarily like it either and I think they could think of something better to do with it. There is just something about their whole uniform set I do not really like. Maybe it is the weird font?