Ah. The phenomenon of the Twitter Hashtag. I once wrote a college application essay about the phenomenon of the hashtag. It was for the University of Chicago. I did well on my ACT, got very good grades in high school, and had my fair share of extracurriculars, but getting into a school as prestigious as UChicago was a long shot. I CRUSHED this essay. I will never write something better than that essay. I submitted that and had already declared myself accepted. Well. It worked. Kind of. I had no business getting in. The brilliant essay got me waitlisted. That’s a win, I guess.

What’s my point? I really don’t have one, except to tell you a story about hashtags. This blog is about MLB Twitter hashtags. You see the correlation? Good.

Let’s waste no more of your time. It’s time for the second annual MLB Twitter Hashtag Rankings.

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1. #SeaUsRise (Seattle Mariners)

Danny: The champ stays on top. Mariners sail the seas. Seas rise. Seattle is abbreviated to SEA. The Mariners just broke their 21-year playoff drought, so they’re on the rise. The whole thing is catchy, clever and perfect for the ascending Mariners.

Ryan: SEAttle. The Mariners are very much a team on the rise, led by one of the most exciting young talents in the game in Julio Rodriguez. The hashtag could not fit any better. A job well done to the Mariners social media team.

2. #NATITUDE (Washington Nationals)

Danny: The baseball natitude in DC might not be what it used to be, but they can still take pride in a top tier hashtag.

Ryan: A great NATITUDE is going to be vital, because they sure as heck aren’t going to win many baseball games.

3. #Ready2Reign (Houston Astros)

Danny: Alliterative and catchy, the Astros social team wants you to know they’re on the verge of a dynasty if this season goes as planned in Houston. Extra points for the clever use of the number two as the team looks to become the first back-to-back World Series champ since the Yankees in 2000. By far the best new hashtag.

Ryan: On the verge of a dynasty, Danny? The Astros have made 6 straight trips to the ALCS, winning the AL pennant 4 of those 6 times. They have won 2 of the 4 World Series’ they have played in during that stretch. They’ve lost key pieces like Cole, Correa, and Springer, but replaced them with guys who are just as good. Their level of sustained success makes them a dynasty already, and 2023 will fare no differently. The Astros and Alex Bregman (#2) are #Ready2Reign once again. Get past the cheating scandals already, you have to respect what the Astros have been able to do.

4. #ThisIsMyCrew (Milwaukee Brewers)

Danny: Giving a nod to the Brew Crew moniker, this hashtag radiates the pride that seems palpable from this fan base every time we get a playoff game in Milwaukee.

Ryan: The Brew Crew is iconic. This hashtag is brilliant. And the Brewers are off to a scorching hot start. I can only assume that the hashtag is the reason for that. The Brewers are soaring, and the Bucks are the #1 seed. Can life get any better in Milwaukee? Well, yes. Giannis could be healthy.

5. #RingTheBell (Philadelphia Phillies)

Danny: Referencing city landmarks is always a plus, especially when said landmark is in your logo.

Ryan: Citizens Bank Park needs a giant bell that rings every time the Phillies score a run. Imagine Harper hitting a walk-off home run to send the Phillies to the World Series and the entire crowd starts chanting “RING THE BELL” at the top of their lungs. If they can’t find a suitable bell, perhaps I could suggest borrowing the nearby Liberty Bell. Let’s make it happen, Philly.

6. #ForTheLand (Cleveland Guardians)

Danny: Huge props to Cleveland for successfully branding its city as “The Land”.

Ryan: I just love the notion of doing everything FOR THE city. It’s also cool that “The Land” has become synonymous with Cleveland. It’s like The University of Miami becoming synonymous with “The U.” I’m not sure how it happens, but it’s pretty freaking fun.

7. #ForTheA (Atlanta Braves)

Danny: Good stuff from the Braves. As per the rules “For The ____” hashtags are good but The Land > The A.

Ryan: The Guardians have the better similar hashtag, but the Braves have the better baseball team. Which one matters more? It’s closer than you think, but obviously the hashtag.

8. #RaysUp (Tampa Bay Rays)

Danny: You got to love it when a hashtag works on two levels. Some might even call it a poor man’s #SeaUsRise.

Ryan: I just now decided that Rays Up sounds like Rise Up, which reminds me of Hamilton. I’m a huge Hamilton fan. If I could revote, it would be #2. But a vote is a vote. I can’t break my own rules.

9. #DirtyWater (Boston Red Sox)

Danny: Love the reference but this hashtag definitely plays better than the product.

Ryan: I lived in Boston for the better part of a year, and I just found out the real reason that Boston is called Dirty Water. I was flabbergasted to find out it’s not in reference to the Boston Tea Party. Either way, it fits the personality of the city well and it’s the song played after the Sox win. Great hashtag, but let’s change it up for 2024.

10. #WelcomeToTheCity (Kansas City Royals)

Danny: It’s nothing special but this one works well enough. I haven’t heard anyone call KC “the city” but the Royals are the only MLB team with the word city in their name so why shouldn’t they capitalize on that.

Ryan: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE! The Royals playing off an all-time great song is a well-played move. I love this one, wish I had ranked it higher. But again, rules are rules.

11. #RepBX (New York Yankees)

Danny: Rep BX drips with Bronx swagger. It just fits.

Ryan: Rep them all the way to another ALCS sweep at the hands of the Astros? Sorry. I had to.

12. #ArizonaBorn (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Danny: I appreciate the D-Backs giving it a try this year after abstaining last year, but this doesn’t do a ton for me. It sounds kind of like a western movie you might find on cable. It’s not horrible though.

Ryan: This is a sneaky good hashtag, and people are way too low on it. The Diamondbacks are a young, exciting team that is about to be reborn into a contender again. The hashtag fits. If you haven’t watched Corbin Carroll play baseball yet, do yourself a favor and watch the kid.

13. #LGM (New York Mets)

Danny: Equal parts iconic and boring. Can’t really knock it or praise it.

Ryan: #LGM is iconic, but I don’t like the phrase “let’s go (insert team name)” ever since the Suns blew a 2-0 lead in the 2021 NBA Finals.

14. #RepDetroit (Detroit Tigers)

Danny: Rep just doesn’t quite fit as well in Detroit as it does in the Bronx but it’s fine.

Ryan: I HATE for the word rep. Everyone has a word or two that makes them cringe every time they hear it. For me, it’s rep. Gross.

15. #StraightUpTX (Texas Rangers)

Danny: Another hashtag that fits well with its location. Texas isn’t here to mess around.

Ryan: For something to be “straight up Texas” doesn’t it have to be quite large? Everything is bigger in Texas, except for the Rangers winning percentage. Try winning some games first.

16. #BirdLand (Baltimore Orioles)

Danny: The Orioles stuck with #Birdland even though it sounds like a pet store.

Ryan: It’s fine. Completely and utterly mediocre. Surely there is something better and more creative for this young, uber-talented team on the brink of greatness.

17. #BringTheGold (San Diego Padres)

Danny: Disappointing to see the Padres go from the much catchier #TimeToShine to this. Bring the gold? From where, Padres? And you guys haven’t won any championships so what exactly is “the gold”, anyway? Don’t you typically win, earn or claim the gold? Bad job guys.

Ryan: I must disagree with Danny on this one. Sure, they haven’t won yet, but they are very much among the favorites this year. It’s championship or bust now with a lineup that consists of Tatis, Soto, Bogaerts, and Machado. They are making the expectations ever so clear with this hashtag.

18. #HereToPlay (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Danny: I’m not sure what the Dodgers are going for here but they’re not hitting it. It gives off casual vibes to me.

Ryan: This hashtag doesn’t work for a team that has had the sustained excellence of the Dodgers. It would work better for a team like the Diamondbacks or Orioles.

19. #NextLevel (Toronto Blue Jays)

Danny: The Blue Jays stuck with last year’s hashtag. Does that mean they beat the level from last year and are now on to the next one or are they stuck on that same level and still trying to get to the next one? Playoff performance would suggest the latter. Either way this hashtag doesn’t seem to fit this team anymore.

Ryan: This makes it seem like the Blue Jays are playing a video game. When Vladdy gets hot, though, he puts up video game numbers. Maybe that’s what they are going for?

20. #GoHalos (Los Angeles Angels)

Danny: Kind of boring but sounds better than it reads.

Ryan: Just putting “go” or “let’s go” before a team name or nickname is incredibly dull and does nothing for me.

21. #ATOBTTR (Cincinnati Reds)

Danny: ATOBTTR stands for “and this one belongs to the Reds”, the catchphrase of former Reds announcer Marty Brennaman. There is something kind of cool about using a nonsense word that only your fanbase understands as your team hashtag but there’s also something dumb about it.

Ryan: I actually really like the idea/story of the hashtag, but if you are going to make a statement like this, you better be winning some baseball games. 40% of baseball games belong to the Reds. Woopdidoo!

22. #MakeItMiami (Miami Marlins)

Danny: No matter how many seasons the Marlins use it, this hashtag will always sound like a TV show about arts and crafts in South Florida to me.

Ryan: This one is awful. If every team tried or had even the slightest bit of creativity, this would be dead last.

23. #LetsGoBucs (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Danny: Not a lot going on here but at least the Pirates aren’t actively embarrassing themselves with random assortments of letters or nonsense phrases like other teams in the NL Central.

Ryan: Just take everything I said about the Angels and insert it here. This is really no better than teams like the Twins and Cardinals who just used their team’s name.

24. #NextStartsHere (Chicago Cubs)

Danny: Yikes. What does “Next Starts Here” even mean? Are the Cubs trying to get their fans excited about “Next”? The Cubs went from one bad hashtag (#ItsDifferentHere) to another. Maybe next year they’ll get it right, and as we know, next starts here.

Ryan: Next starts here? Are they telling their opponents that their next winning streak starts when they come to Wrigley? Despite their hot start, the Cubs are going to stink. There is next to nothing starting in the North side of Chicago. Or the South side for that matter.

25. #STLCards (St. Louis Cardinals)

Danny: These bottom six are all shameful efforts but at least the Cardinals shortened their name to cards so they did something. And they have the iconic STL to boost them a little.

Ryan: This would get a D- in school.

26. #MNTwins (Minnesota Twins)

Danny: This is also just nothing, but SF works better than MN. MN makes it look like a typo.

Ryan: Can somebody let Danny know that MN is the abbreviation for Minnesota.

27. #SFGiants (San Francisco Giants)

Danny: This is just nothing.

Ryan: Thanks for trying?

28. #Rockies (Colorado Rockies)

Danny: Just like last year, the Rockies chose not to participate. Maybe next year.

Ryan: I hope the Rockies don’t believe in participation trophies.

29. #WhiteSox (Chicago White Sox)

Danny: The White Sox are lower than the Rockies because they went from a perfectly decent hashtag last year (#ChangeTheGame) to being one of those boring teams that opts out.

Ryan: The South side of Chicago really went SOUTH with this hashtag. I’m here all night, ladies and gents.

30. #Athletics (Oakland Athletics)

Danny: The As are dead last because they went from an elite hashtag (#DrumTogether) to this nonsense. This organization is hellbent on giving its fans nothing and it’s unfortunate because Oakland can be a good baseball town when it has something to cheer for.

Ryan: It’s only fitting that the worst baseball team also has the worst hashtag. Vegas doesn’t know what they are getting themselves into.

Which hashtags are your favorite?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Author: Ryan Macdonald and Danny Martin

Published: 4/22/2023 at 2:30pm EST