MLB team colors are the official brand colors each of the 30 Major League Baseball clubs uses on caps, jerseys, and merchandise. Below is every team with its primary and secondary color and the HEX values listed in team style guides and widely cited color references. Baseball palettes lean heavily on navy and red, so the trick to a good fan shirt is often the third color, not the first.
- Teams
- 30 (15 American League, 15 National League)
- Most common pairing
- Navy and red
- Only brown primary
- San Diego Padres
- Name change to note
- The Athletics dropped "Oakland" after leaving Oakland
MLB team colors chart
This chart lists each club's lead color and its main supporting color. White is part of almost every MLB palette (home uniforms are white), so we skipped it unless it is truly one of the top two. Some clubs have extra accent colors, like the Marlins' Slate Gray (#41748D) or the Giants' Beige (#EFD19F), that are worth pulling in for retro designs.
| Team | Primary | Secondary | HEX values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Sedona Red | Sonoran Sand | #A71930 / #E3D4AD |
| Athletics | Green | Gold | #003831 / #EFB21E |
| Atlanta Braves | Scarlet | Navy Blue | #CE1141 / #13274F |
| Baltimore Orioles | Orange | Black | #DF4601 / #000000 |
| Boston Red Sox | Red | Blue | #BD3039 / #0C2340 |
| Chicago Cubs | Blue | Red | #0E3386 / #CC3433 |
| Chicago White Sox | Black | Silver | #27251F / #C4CED4 |
| Cincinnati Reds | Red | Black | #C6011F / #000000 |
| Cleveland Guardians | Navy Blue | Red | #00385D / #E50022 |
| Colorado Rockies | Rockies Purple | Silver | #333366 / #C4CED4 |
| Detroit Tigers | Navy Blue | Orange | #0C2340 / #FA4616 |
| Houston Astros | Navy Blue | Orange | #002D62 / #EB6E1F |
| Kansas City Royals | Royal Blue | Gold | #004687 / #BD9B60 |
| Los Angeles Angels | Red | Blue | #BA0021 / #003263 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Dodger Blue | Red | #005A9C / #EF3E42 |
| Miami Marlins | Miami Blue | Caliente Red | #00A3E0 / #EF3340 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Navy Blue | Yellow | #12284B / #FFC52F |
| Minnesota Twins | Twins Navy | Scarlet Red | #002B5C / #D31145 |
| New York Mets | Blue | Orange | #002D72 / #FF5910 |
| New York Yankees | Navy Blue | Gray | #0C2340 / #C4CED3 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Red | Blue | #E81828 / #002D72 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Black | Yellow | #27251F / #FDB827 |
| San Diego Padres | Brown | Gold | #2F241D / #FFC425 |
| San Francisco Giants | Orange | Black | #FD5A1E / #27251F |
| Seattle Mariners | Navy Blue | Northwest Green | #0C2C56 / #005C5C |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Red | Navy Blue | #C41E3A / #0C2340 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Navy Blue | Columbia Blue | #092C5C / #8FBCE6 |
| Texas Rangers | Blue | Red | #003278 / #C0111F |
| Toronto Blue Jays | Blue | Navy Blue | #134A8E / #1D2D5C |
| Washington Nationals | Red | Navy Blue | #AB0003 / #14225A |
Navy and red: the baseball default
Look down the HEX column and you will see #0C2340 over and over. It shows up for the Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees (as their navy), and Cardinals. That is not a coincidence. It is a stock navy that many sports brands land on. On a shirt, it means a navy and red design without extra cues could belong to a dozen teams.
What separates them is the detail color. The Tigers have orange (#FA4616). The Cardinals have a bright yellow accent (#FEDB00). The Twins have Kasota Gold (#B9975B). Use those, and the design reads as one team instead of a generic Americana shirt.
Teams with palettes nobody else has
- Padres: brown and gold. Brown prints dark and rich with DTF, but it needs a light shirt (cream, sand, natural) or a gold outline on dark garments.
- Diamondbacks: Sedona Red and Sonoran Sand, with teal (#30CED8) as a throwback accent.
- Mariners: Northwest Green is a muted teal. It looks great on heather gray.
- Rays: Columbia Blue (#8FBCE6) is soft and easy to wear. It works on navy shirts because it has enough contrast.
- Athletics: deep green and gold. Gold on green is classic and high contrast.
Choosing a blank for baseball designs
Baseball fan wear is built around a few garment colors: navy, gray, white, and the occasional cream. The 3/4 sleeve raglan with a contrast sleeve is the classic fan shirt, and it is a good fit for DTF because you can press a full color chest print without changing anything about the garment.
- Gray is the safest blank. Road uniforms are gray for a reason. Navy, red, orange, and green all read cleanly on it.
- White or cream for vintage looks. Old script styles and faded color work best on light blanks.
- Navy for teams with a bright second color. Astros orange, Brewers yellow, and Rays Columbia Blue all pop on navy. Navy art on navy fabric does not.
If you print on performance jerseys for a rec league, see our notes on pressing DTF on jerseys. Polyester needs a little more care to avoid dye migration.
Why the print will not match the HEX code exactly
HEX values describe screen color. The transfer you press is CMYK plus white ink on film, then bonded to fabric with adhesive. Every step shifts color a little. Bright oranges like Mets Orange (#FF5910) and Giants Orange (#FD5A1E) are among the more difficult to hit, because they are close to the edge of the process color range.
Pantone values get you closer when a team publishes them, but they are spot ink specs, not DTF specs. Read our Pantone color chart guide for how those numbers convert. For any order where the color has to be right (a team sponsor, a booster club), order one test transfer, press it on the exact blank, and compare it in daylight.
Colors are free to use, logos are not
MLB club names, caps logos, the interlocking letters, and team wordmarks are trademarks. Major League Baseball licenses them through its own licensing program, and unlicensed use on products for sale can draw takedowns or worse. The colors themselves are not owned in a way that stops fans from wearing them.
So a navy and orange shirt that says "Bring Back the Day Game" is fine. A shirt with a team cap logo is not, unless you have a license. If you need a refresher on what counts, our post on copyright and DTF transfers walks through the basics. For ideas that do not lean on marks, see our team shirt ideas list.
FAQ
Why do so many MLB teams use the same navy?
#0C2340 is a common stock navy that many sports brands use. It is listed for the Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees, and Cardinals. The accent colors are what make each team distinct.
What are the Athletics team colors now?
Green #003831 and gold #EFB21E, with gray and white as supporting colors. The club now goes by Athletics after leaving Oakland.
Which MLB colors are hardest to match on fabric?
Bright oranges (Mets, Giants, Orioles) and saturated royal blues (Cubs, Royals) shift the most. A test press on your exact blank is the only reliable check.
Can my softball team use MLB colors?
Yes. Colors are free to use. Just design your own name and logo instead of copying an MLB team mark.
Make the fan shirt yourself
Lay out your design in team colors, upload it to the gang sheet builder, and press it at 300°F, high pressure, for 10 seconds. We print in house in Chatsworth with no minimums.