Both teams have been bounced from the postseason, but remain the most popular franchises in all of Major League Baseball.
Jay-Z once said in Empire State of Mind, “I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can.”
And while we can’t confirm he’s responsible for it, we do know that the Yankees led the majors in team gear sales this season at Lids.
The sportswear subsidiary and mall-based retailer shared its sales data on Thursday for top-selling team gear over the course of the 2022 MLB season.
A team that’s certainly no stranger to history, the New York Yankees sold the most gear in a league-high 23 states amid a season in which Aaron Judge passed the legendary Roger Maris for the most home runs in American League history.
While no active Yankees cracked the top-10 in jerseys sold, Derek Jeter’s navy blue retro piece was the second-highest-selling jersey this past season.
The most popular? Two-time World Series champ Mookie Betts. He batted .269 this season with 35 home runs and a league-high 117 runs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers sold the second-most gear of any club, while selling the most gear in seven states. Betts topped the highest-sold jerseys, followed by Jackie Robinson (No. 5) and Cody Bellinger (No. 7). Freddie Freeman finished fourth for most embroidigraphs, which are athlete autographs that Lids embroiders onto hats and apparel at their customization stations.
As we’ve seen in recent years, sports fans around the globe have a craving for nostalgia. The vintage look is back — and Lids absolutely crushed sales with retired MLB players occupying five of the top-10 spots.
- Jeter: No. 2
- Ken Griffey Jr.: No. 3
- Jackie Robinson: No. 5
- Roberto Clemente: No. 8
- Nolan Ryan: No. 10
Other teams outside of the Yankees and Dodgers made some noise, too. The AL champion Astros sold the seventh-most gear. Jose Altuve ranked sixth for most-jerseys sold and Yordan Alvarez finished with the seven-most embroidigraphs. Additionally, the White Sox were third in gear sales nationally.
Still, it comes as no surprise that the Yankees and Dodgers were the top dogs in this race. They’re two of the most storied franchises with the two highest valuations in the sport (Yankees $6B; Dodgers $4B).
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