MLB has officially released the spring training hats, marking the beginning of the season.
Unlike the few teams who got new hats, the 2025 Chicago White Sox spring training hat exhibits no differences from their 2024 design.
The Sox will continue playing with New Era’s plain gray caps that almost resemble the color of a silver Apple iPhone or MacBook with the standard black Sox logo on the front.
Subtle scoring on the front, back, and sides adds texture to an uninspiring hat. But at least it pairs well with their current road uniforms.
Compared to past spring training hats, the 2024-2025 style lacks creativity. The Sox made a callback to their 2001 alternate home uniform, with the O and X nestled in the corners of a thick black S checkered with white stars.
In 2020-2021, Chicago went the eclectic route, overlaying their current black Sox logo on top of their 80s logo of a baseball player holding a bat, but in black instead of red, white, and blue.
Stacked against other 2025 Spring Training hats, the Sox are in the middle of the pack.
The Mariners take the top spot for the best hat, and it’s not even close. Seattle’s classic compass and baseball logo sits on a beautiful seafoam blue, which contrasts perfectly against the navy blue hat bill. The Marlins also have a great design that balances their vibrant blue with black.
It would be amiss not to give a shout-out to the Diamondbacks and Mets, too, who took unconventional routes that worked out well. The Diamondbacks used their City Connect red snake with a baseball in its mouth, and the Mets decided to highlight Mr. Met sporting a blue hat with sunglasses.
Deciding not to take an artistic risk didn’t hurt, but it didn’t help the Sox.
If Chicago wants to create a ball cap that will sell fast and get its fans hyped for the season, it should print its 2021 City Connect logo on the front of the hat. But perhaps it should wait until it’s further along in the rebuild.