Has it really been almost 20 years since the Expos departed Montreal to head south of the border and become the Washington Nationals? Time sure flies.
Yesterday, the Nationals announced “NATS20,” which will be a season-long 20th Anniversary celebration, designed to thank Nationals fans for their 20 years of support. A large part of the yearlong NATS20 will be the “Cheers to 20 Years Sweepstakes,” (in-park giveaways, special alumni appearances and the chance for fans to relive their favorite memories from the first 20 years of Nationals baseball).
Most of the news centers on fan-friendly events, but there’s also a uni-related aspect as well: Throughout the regular season, the Club will recognize the milestone with special “20th Anniversary patches worn on the team’s home and away caps” (a nugget relegated to the last paragraph in this article).
Of course, in the linked article, there was a mention of, but no graphics for, the “20th Anniversary Patches.” I did some digging, and found what I believe will be the cap patch:
If this is indeed what the patch will look like (and I believe it will), it’s a riff on the Nationals current roundel logo, featuring the number “20” in the team’s bespoke number font, along with a graphic of the Nationals’ ballpark. It’s a ligature of current and past typography combined with the current logo.
Here’s a comparison of their current roundel logo and the NATS20 design.
I’ve never been a fan of patches on caps, but with most MLB teams now wearing sleeve ads, the cap is becoming one “open” spot left on the uniform where a patch could be displayed, unencumbered by any nearby ads or other patches that now appear on sleeves.
The Nationals are actually one of the few teams who don’t have a jersey advertiser, so in theory the team could place the patch on the uniform sleeve — but putting the patch on the cap frees up sleeve space for any future ads. Does a cap patch indicate the Nats will get a uni advertiser? No, but it certainly leaves that possibility open.
As far as the design of the patch? I like it! I’m a big fan of circular logos, and this one is easily recognizable as the Nationals.
What do you think of the special logo?
[My thanks to William Yurakso for pointing me towards the article first mentioning the anniversary patch!]
Wait…you mean it’s not their 120th season?:
link
; )
As a since birth everything DC sports fan, I will have to have this hat.
20th anniversary is correct though.
If they did this last season, then the 20th SEASON phrasing would have been the right way to go
“I’ve never been a fan of caps on patches,”
I think you mean patches on caps. And I agree.
Ugh. Yes.
Now fixed (thanks!)
It’s a good patch – the Nats have used that number front since the beginning (good choice Todd Radom) and the skyline is a good touch.
Wow, this celebration hits me especially hard. MVP Baseball 2005 came out around the time when I really got into baseball, and of course the Nationals were the shiny (kind of) new franchise in that game. I played the game for many years, but it’s still hard to believe that it’s been 20 years.
Growing up in the DC area and getting jilted by MLB so many times, I was so shocking that they actually happened. It was probably 2010 when having a DC baseball team felt “normal.”
I hope this means they bring back through all Navy road caps which are the best caps in DC baseball history.
First season was 2005, so 2025 is the 21st season and 20th anniversary. No need for quotes around the word “anniversary.”
Yeah, I screwed that up. Keep thinking 2024 in my mind, but they’re obviously talking about 2025.
Now fixed.
It’s a sharp-looking patch. I got to experience Washington on our family vacation in 1979, and so the skyline silhouette brings back those fond memories of experiencing our nation’s capital. It’s too bad that the patch will get thread-scrunched on their caps; why not have it in place of their sleeve logo patch for the season?
Side note: When I typed 1979, it made me think, wow, that was still the same decade in which the second Senators became the Texas Rangers in 1972. Back then, seven years (from age 5 to 12) seemed like forever.
It’s a nice patch, my beef is it has Nationals Park on it which didn’t open until 2008. The team played their first 3 seasons at RFK Stadium. I would have preferred it with the DC-centric imagery in the background alone in the foreground and hold off on this design until a stadium anniversary.
I’ve been a Nats seasons plan holder since ‘05. As someone else mentioned, this is the Nats 21st year playing in D.C. I like the patch but as relates to the Nats uniforms, the team has regrettably de-emphasized the curly W for several bogus alternatives. I despise the block W with the capitol dome in the background. Stay true to the curly W!
Phil, I think you were spot-on in reading between the lines. The Nats say this will be used as a cap patch all season long. What they’re really saying is they are reserving space for an ad on the uni in 2025. Let’s just hope it’s a Walgreens ad.
I don’t love this, but that’s par for the course for this team for me. But credit to the Nats for not reusing the illustration of the ballpark from either their 2008 inaugural season patch or the stadium logo. The latter of which you can see here: link
I see the 20 logo as a nod to this patch which has a certain continuity to it.
The team has been increasing the use of navy in branding and uniforms. I love navy, it’s my favorite color, but I spent 20ish years getting used to red across most DC teams…
Good logo, wasted on a cap with all its details which will not translate well to needling. Unless they print it like a sticker…Should look great on a t-shirt or a sweatshirt/hoodie.