Minor League Baseball has just unveiled a new logo, based on MLB’s longstanding silhouetted batter mark. The new design replaces MiLB’s own batter-based logo, assorted versions of which have been in use at least since the 1990s (although the most recent iteration has been used only since 2021).
Quoting from the press release:
The modernized logo features the iconic MLB silhouetted batter design, representing the lasting connection between MiLB and MLB as part of the new “MLB Player Development” league structure, as well as an angular four-star motif, reflecting both the player progression through the Minor League system and the star MLB players of the future.
[…]
The new logo will begin appearing on Saturday night’s broadcast of the Triple-A National Championship Game in Las Vegas and will be used extensively within the production of the new MiLB Awards Show on MLB Network on October 2. Throughout the remainder of the offseason, the logo will be updated across all MiLB-owned and operated media platforms and incorporated further across league touch points beginning Opening Day of the 2024 season.
When they talk about updated MiLB’s media platforms, they might start with the page on which the new logo was announced, because it still shows the old logo on the toolbar and as a favicon, at least on my browser:
Ditto for MiLB’s social media avatar, including on the tweet announcing the new logo:
Seems like they should have had those ducks in a row, no?
Anyway: The new mark is fine from an aesthetic perspective, but it lacks the charm of the old one and reinforces the notion that MiLB is just a wholly owned corporate subsidiary of MLB instead of something with its own distinct identity. Too bad.
This new identity rollout is still going faster and better than Twitter-X
Wellllll, not really it isn’t…. X is still THE go-to media method for almost all pro teams and colleges for debuting new logos, uniforms and mascots and even announcing months in advance…..
X has proof of positive feedback simply by the sheer number of users and content exchanged every minute of the day….and I don’t know anyone who has ditched it
This poor excuse of a logo has been skewered already by this site and every (so far) comment has been negative….it will last about as long as their last one….(what, 4 years, I think?)
It’s Twitter. Who the hell has actually bought into the whole X nonsense?
It’s not really about “buying in”, that’s what it actually is now.
start selling “I still call it Twitter” t-shirts
“Lasting connection” is one euphemism you could use to describe the takeover and forced servitude of the minors.
I’ve never noticed it until now, but the absurdly triangular nose on the batter’s silhouette makes it look like Guy Smiley is at the plate.
Tremendous!
My younger mind in the ‘90s thought there was an identity in that batter, and now you’ve shown me a memorable and worthy one for the logo’s retirement.
I just see a bird head with a roid-thickened neck…
link
I don’t mind basing the concept of the MLB logo, but wouldn’t it have been cool to go with a similar styling, but of a pitcher instead of a hitter?
Since teams already bastardize the MLB logo by using team specific colors, this is essentially the MLB logo from the Blue Jay’s caps with 4 stars added. link
I’m curious if the logo will match team colors on the hats or stay one solid color.
I assume it will match team colors since that’s what they do with the old logo
The batter being off-center looks awful. The whole thing feels off balance. What a terrible logo.
I think I agree. We have the MLB logo so ingrained in our minds, probably as much as any pro sports logo in the world (at least from an American perspective), that seeing it off-center looks kinds strange.
But why give it a distinct identity when it clearly IS just a wholly owned corporate subsidiary, and MLB so obviously doesn’t care for it to be anything else?
Could be worse – could be a Brandiose design!
I think you nailed it here….it’s unlikable because of its “ad” looking design….
As much as I hate all the changes that have been forced on the minor leagues in recent years, there’s one good thing about this logo: the batter could conceivably be left-handed, whereas in the old logo he is explicitly right-handed. Left-handers are underrepresented in promotional materials and logos because right-handed marketers and focus groups think they look “wrong”. I’m always happy when I see a lefty in something like this.
Looking at the old logo now and it looks to me like it could be a lefty after his follow-through.
Moot point, I guess. What a downgrade.
Before we know it the word Minor will be replaced by Development, as it sounds more professional to businessminded people. Minor just sounds too small. Or We will get Major League Plus for the Big Show and the lower levels will be named Major League A-D. Anyhow, the word Minor will be replaced very soon. Unfortunately. Not in favor of sanitizing sports in this manner. The new logo is off balance.
I don’t know. The stars behind the batter makes it feel like he took a pitch. Logo for logo’s sake.
I liked the old logo.
I have a feeling the lords of baseball will be bringing back the banner logo from the 70s that just said “baseball”.
That’s unfortunate.