When I wrote about Brad Boxberger’s excellent emoji jersey, I also contemplated a some simple options for Mike Trout ( 🐟) and Chris Sale (⛵). Since that post, I’ve conducted an in-depth review of all the MLB rosters. I’m now pleased to present my favorite emoji representations in baseball. For those that remember Emojli, this post might alternately be called “The Best Emojli Usernames for MLB Players, if Emojli Still Existed”.
The 17 Best Possible Emoji Jerseys for the 2019 Players Weekend, in No Particular Order
🛡️🛡️ James Shields: Getting to use two of the same emoji really makes this one for me.
🎰 Mookie Betts: I’m actually rather shocked at how few gambling-related emoji there currently are.
🏰 Diego Castillo: You see, “castillo” is Spanish for “castle”
❓ ❔ ❓ JT Riddle: Fans of the campier versions of Batman will surely appreciate this one.
3️⃣ Trea Turner: Ridiculously, Trea (pronounced “Tre”) wears #7 for the Nationals, so this would result in a hilariously confusing jersey.
➡️🐂 Spencer Turnbull: Maybe this one is too obtuse, but think of the satisfaction folks will have once they work it out.
🆕🍓 Jake Newberry: There’s a “New Button” emoji, and by god, we’re gonna use it.
💥👨 Glenn Sparkman: I think the “Collision” emoji can read as a spark.
🤢👨 Robbie Grossman: Meanwhile, the “Nauseated Face” definitely works for “gross”.
⬛🔥 Clayton Blackburn or Paul Blackburn: I’m not sure why there’s a “Black Large Square” emoji, but several players can make good use of it, including these two.
🏹 Chris Archer: This one is a bit fanciful, but I think it works.
🕸️ Tyler Webb: Meanwhile, this one is very literal.
🍸 Nick Martini: It would be impossible to improve upon this one.
💪 Shawn Armstrong: Look at that biceps! It’s very strong! Also, it’s fun to refer (correctly) to the singular as a biceps!
👨🚢 Jeff Manship: These are literally the “Man” and the “Ship” emoji, making this compound very on the nose.
👃 Rougned Odor: Speaking of being on the nose. I know his name is pronounced “Oh-door”, but with a name like that, he really ought to have a sense of humor.
😉 Dan Winkler: Finally, this one isn’t perfect, but the wink itself acknowledges that.
In addition to the above, there are dozens of simple and straightforward options for players with common nouns in their names, like Aaron Judge (👨⚖️), Josh Bell (🔔), or Greg Bird (🐦). With so many possibilities, I certainly hope we’ll see more emoji on the backs of jerseys next year.