Remember when the Twins unveiled their new uniform set back in November? It turns out that they were keeping one additional element under wraps, as they announced yesterday that they’ll be wearing an old-style tri-colored batting helmet design with their home uniform.
It appears that they’re going with a matte shell and a raised “TC” logo. Here’s a closer look:
I think this really improves the home uniform, because the red chest script looks much better with this helmet than it does with the primary home cap. Here’s a side-by-side comparison, so you can see what I mean:
Byron Buxton sure likes that bat-behind-the-back pose, eh? Anyway, I think they should just go ahead and have a tri-colored cap. It would work much better with this uniform, instead of the navy cap.
This isn’t the first time the Twins have worn tri-colored headgear, but the new design is slightly different than the version they wore back in the Rod Carew days, when the the white-on-white “T” was hard to make out:
In other Twins helmet news, the team announced that the road helmet will be a matte-finish version of the road cap:
And the home alternate helmet will be a glossy version of the home alternate cap:
So the Twins will have three different batting helmets — at least so far.
Count me as a big fan of that helmet. It takes a uni set that I thought was already pretty strong and elevates it further.
Indeed! I’ll miss the powder blues and haven’t particularly like the new set (at least yet), but this takes me back to my childhood in a great way. Definite upgrade.
I love the tri color helmet! Great choice by the team.
Liking the tri color helmet. And as much as I love uniform consistency, I do appreciate little quirks like this, having a batting helmet that isn’t the same as their actual cap. That said, I hope it doesn’t become a thing league wide and remains a Twins only quirk.
Though every time I see their new M cap logo I cringe. Feels incredibly generic, their classic underline M logo is the way to go.
“Twins only quirk”?… *arches eyebrow Oriole-ishly*
The Orioles actually have a tri colored hat though. So their tri colored helmet matches their hat. Right?
Twins quirk is that they have a batting helmet that is not like any of their actual hats. Unless I am missing something.
The TC cap is so superior to even the old M cap I can’t even.
On the “Is this good or stupid” scale, this is good. Very good.
WONDERFUL!
I see the old Marlins logo every time when looking at those road caps and helmets. Not too late to change, Twins!
Me too!
Agreed, just too similar and can’t be unseen.
Totally agree. Road cap is disappointingly Marlins-esque!
The helmet doesn’t exactly knock my socks off (although I do like the matte finish and raised letters). The rest of the uniform set, IMO is a major fail.
This is a nice looking tri-color helmet. Like the way the white is angled in from sides. I wish the Orioles would update their tri-color helmet to have more of this angle or even do the curve like the originals.
Why not also have a white front panel hat for the home set?
I happened to like the new Twins’ uniform set when it was announced. This just makes a good set great. Now if my Mets could come up with some interesting uni changes like this…
I was skeptical at first with the new Twins uniforms but the overall design is growing on me and this is turning in to a very nice upgrade. Simplified and modern with a bit of historical touch.
Three batting helmets seems excessive, but at least they will only have one for the road and traveling.
My only suggestion would be to maybe outline the red “Twins” script with some navy blue and also get rid of those “stripes” down the side of the gray road pants. Leave the pinstripes but get rid of red/white/blue stripe down the side. It seems unnecessary for a pinstripe uniform.
this is great. rod carew was my favorite player. i love these redesigned Twins unis. classic/modern mix. the alternative home are just fantastic.
Is it just me or does the word-mark look like the Turins?
I’d say Turns, with a wayward dot over the r.
Turins. Can’t. Unsee. It. Now.
The tri-color helmet makes me want a tri-color cap to go with it, at least as an alternate cap.
Great look!
Love this helmet! Great nod to the past.
A great helmet and I agree a tri-color cap would look good with the home uniform.
I really love this font they’re using now. Excellent upgrades to their sets.
The more I see this uniform, the more I love it. Some unique touches.
The white panel on the helmet makes the classic TC logo really pop, more so than the blue cap. I’d expect a white panel hat to be introduced in ‘24.
Looking at the matte finish on the tricolor makes me wish that the other two helmets were treated the same way. Maybe I’m an absolutist in this, but the other two helmets being “shiny” diminishes their look.
Actually, the road helmet is also matte. Only the alternate helmet is glossy.
When the Twins add ads to those sleeves, what will become of the Minnesota logo patch? Will that switch to the right side (for right handed batters)? Looking at the patch on a right-handed batter (link), it would seem to me the team will want to slap their (inevitable) ad on that shoulder for maximum exposure.
Any thoughts?
Really cool! Glad to see something the Uni Watch community is unanimously behind. Such a rarity!
Literally the only thing I find objectionable in these new sets is no pinstripes and no Minnie and Paul. Otherwise, they’re a huge improvement IMO.
I like the helmet, but that TURNS on the chest is laughably bad.
Lee
Not a fan of the matte look, feels played out to me. Big fan of the tricolor look though.
Still doesn’t work as a set. Too minimalist.
And if you’re going to go minimalist, with the introduction of a new cap logo for the away set, you probably shouldn’t go retro with the tri-colored helmet in the first place.
Matte/glossy finish aside, still not good overall.
Too much red for me. The Twins, to this fan, should be a navy team with bold red highlights and accents, like the jersey script. Too much red elsewhere – cap panels & bills, belts, socks, undershirts – makes the chest lettering or numbers pop way less for me.
Also, I think I see why they went for matte; it fits thematically with the flatness of the colors in the uniform. But I think gloss would have worked better here. Yes, the jersey decoration is flat, as in it lacks apparent dimensionality that outlines or shadows would give, but I’ve seen the home uniform up close and it’s a bright uniform. Like, on a scientific scale of brightness, the categories would go, The Sun; Polished Chrome In Sunshine; New Twins Home Uniform. The red lettering especially just assaults the eyes with brightness. It’s almost palpably cheerful. It calls for a gloss helmet.
The helmet logo, though, is perfect. Huge improvement over the old, which was bad in just the most Griffith way possible. Cheap and dumb. I do like seeing that a blue/red TC will get some on-field wear.
Here’s hoping the catchers, home road and alt, wear a similarly styled helmet.
I like the look, but I really dislike both the raised logo and the matte finish. Both of those trends can absolutely go away
Looks like they avoided the red color of the bill being cut off like the orioles’ tricolor helmet (the black on the back of O’s helmet overlaps the orange on the bill where the bill meets the helmet, which has always bugged me).
Yep, they need the tri-color cap for this uniform. Not a fan of the “Twin Cities” uniform and cap just bring blue and white, with no red.
Like the tri-color helmet; but wish teams would go away from matte. A cap would be a nice addition. The tri-color reminds me of Joe Mauer, who often wore a tri-color helmet when catching.
Twins did an awesome job here. Beautiful.
I’m torn in that, I think these uniforms are very strong. But I would have preferred they keep the old grey, old navy Minnesota alt, then used the throwback cream colored pin stripe as the default home. Essentially a somewhat modernized version of their original home shirt. Perhaps use that new Twin Cities as a home alt.
That said, the batting helmet is a nice addition to a good set.
A 3d logo with interlocking letters need each letter to have their own depth. The way the T and C intersect at the top looks screwy.
I’m ok with the tri-color helmet. I don’t like the uniforms at all, as I’ve previously stated. I dislike the new “M” hat more than any other MLB hat I’ve ever seen. Just a yucky, yucky set altogether.
I originally thought the uniform update was a downgrade but these set is really growing on me! I especially appreciate how it simultaneously is “on trend” in the number of uniform options while being more traditional in their designs—as opposed to teams with a few good traditional designs and one weird uniform!
I originally thought the uniform update was a downgrade but these set is really growing on me! I especially appreciate how it simultaneously is “on trend” in the number of uniform options while being more traditional in their designs—as opposed to teams with a few good traditional designs and one weird uniform!
The home unis need some kind of an outline around the script.
That new helmet friggin rocks man! (The Twins “Away” ‘M’ cap totally sucks though- It’s like: Dude! Who on earth designed that?!)
I like the new Twins (home) jerseys… (the typography for the numbers look pretty weird/ off though)
I can’t stand white panels on caps or helmets. The rest of the Twins’ set looks pretty good, but those helmets guys who get nostalgic for 70s doubleknits and Dairy Queen sundae hats.
…helmets ARE for… I shouldn’t type while watching a game…
The helmet is about the best part of this new set. No outlines on the wordmark, no Minnie and Paul means no Twins to me.
As a kid who attended his first Twins game during the Carew/Killebrew era, and loved it when Joe Mauer revived it as a part of his catcher’s gear, I just simply love this. Especially since I didn’t see it coming, but now that I’ve seen it, I works so well with the jersey.
The red script home jersey is fantastic. Twins moved way up on the likability scale..