New Era’s MLB Team Issued Caps: Inconsistency is The Only Consistency

New Era’s Florida facility produces a variety of Wholesale MLB caps, which they send to MLB teams. The list below is of the types I have encountered at New Era’s Miami, Florida assembly plant that opened in 2019.

Guide to size measurement bands: The measurement bands are located between the crown and sweatband. New Era’s overseas caps are made with a perforated band in brown ink. US-made caps with this band have had their crowns, embroidery/decoration, and visor cut and sewn overseas. New Era can sew the sweatband, crown, and visor at their Florida facility and still call it “Made in USA”. The blue band on a white background is used for caps with at least some domestic cutting and sewing. New Era uses this band for measuring size since 2006.

The Usual

These caps are made in the same way as New Era cap types that are typically manufactured overseas. These caps feature a taller crown and a visor that is slightly shorter. They were once the most popular type of cap “assembled”, but now they are the minority.

 

Size measurement band. Perforated white with brown ink

The Bangladeshi American

 

 

 

These caps are made with components from Bangladesh. It is easy to spot caps made in Bangladesh by the closer-together visor stitching (see second photo). A cap made in Bangladesh will also have a solid front panel and a round, squat crown.

 

 

 

Size measurement band. Perforated white with brown ink

 

The Onion Domes

These are the worst New Era caps we have ever seen. These caps have bulbous, onions-shaped crowns with smaller than normal visors. The 2019 Player’s Weekend cap appears to be the only US made cap I’ve seen with this shape.

Size measurement band. Perforated white with brown ink

 

The Laotian American HTML0

 

 

Many noticed that Laotian caps are taller with a more rounded, bulbous top. They will be made in Laos for retail sales of 4th July and spring training caps starting in 2022. These Laotian components can be seen here on these 4th of Jul team caps assembled in Florida. All team-issued caps for 4th of Jul, Armed Forces Day and Mother’s Day will be made using the old Derby NY pattern as of 2023.

 

Size measurement band. Perforated white with brown ink

 

The Hybrid

 

The cap may be made in the USA, but it is similar to caps from overseas. It could have been assembled more than just three pieces being sewn together. The visors are the same size and shape of caps made in New Era’s old plant in Derby, NY. This version was only issued to the San Diego Padres for 2020. The same is true for the brown and gold standard cap, the Sunday home alternate cap and the 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Cap.

Size measurement band: Solid White Band with Blue Ink

The Derby Clone

It appears that the Florida plant has the ability to cut and sew from scratch. These caps are exactly the same as those made in New Era’s Derby, NY plant. plant. You may remember that much of the Derby Plant’s cutting-and-sewing equipment was auctioned off a few years ago. This equipment may have been purchased by the company New Era uses to assemble the team caps in Florida and now is being used, or New Era has simply kept some of it. I would bet on the Covid-19 epidemic and supply-chain issues making a US-based sewing and cutting operation necessary. These are becoming more common due to the players complaining that their caps have changed. The players can be very particular with their caps and uniforms, and they may notice small changes. Watch what happened in 2024 with the uniforms! This must have been the case with the team-issued caps, but it was not reported.

Size measurement band: Solid White Band with Blue Ink

 

The US Plant Button Pin

The button pin is a key feature on MLB caps made in the US. Since 2007, US plants only use buttons with the New Era logo on the pin, which has different degrees of artificial patina. They will also send you these buttons if New Era is asked to replace your button. Some Florida-made caps have the brown pins and others have the perforated bands with brown ink. They are all on caps with the blue solid band. When touched, the US button and pin also produce a clicking noise.

 

What is the difference between a Derby made and a Derby Clone?

Check the label for country of origin and materials. Derby is the one with a row of white stitching on top. Florida is the one with a black stitching at the top.