The return of baseball in 2021 has been long awaited for Padres fans and followers of the game alike. With a truncated 2020 season and fears of a similar outlook this year, MLB has decided to trudge ahead with a standard-looking schedule. Beyond changes to how fans will attend games and health protocols is a change to this year’s Padres headwear lineup.
Thanks to some unfortunate design choices in last year’s logo-in-logo design, the Padres will embark on this year’s Spring Training journey with some fresh headwear. The Padres will be the only team in MLB to debut a new design for this year’s ST. Let’s take a closer look at the new look for our brown-clad Padres:
Brown crown and brim, white New Era logo
White and yellow interlocking SD
White, brown and yellow Swinging Friar
The only return from last year’s caps is the material. The feel of the cap is best described as a lightweight jersey mesh material that feels great to the touch and is light on the head.
Here’s a closer look at the interlocking SD. This is the first time the dual-color SD has appeared alongside the new brown colorway. The last appearance of a white/yellow SD was on the short-lived yet well-loved 2016 Padres uniform set. It was stated during the uniform survey conducted by the team prior to the 2020 season that a white/yellow SD was among the proposed designs for the new-look Padres.
Here’s a better look at sidepatch, which features our favorite Swinging Friar.
This year’s Spring Training logo is found at the red of the cap in the form of a vinyl patch surrounding the Jerry Dior logo. A saguaro cactus is seen inside aviator glasses alongside AZ lettering, indicating the Padres’ participation in the Cactus League.
The underneath of the cap is standard on-field black with a black sweatband.
Green crown and brim
White SD and New Era logo
White and green Swinging Friar
It wouldn’t be Spring Training without a St. Patrick’s cap. The Padres have also opted for a standard SD on this year’s version for a clean, unobtrusive look.
The Swinging Friar is swinging his shillelagh, as Mark Grant would say.
A favorite detail of mine in the St. Pats caps is the use of the shamrock inside the MLB logo.
The underbrim is matching green; the sweatband remains black.
Cap Availability Status: Common
These caps were released just after the end of the football season and should remain on the market throughout Spring Training. You’ll be able to find one for your archive through many of the usual hat retailers.
SD HAT COLLECTORS 