The 5 Best Mother's Day Cleats Worn in MLB

Nike and Jordan Brand players stood out with their Mother's Day cleats.
The 5 Best Mother's Day Cleats Worn in MLB
The 5 Best Mother's Day Cleats Worn in MLB /

Not even the biggest detractors of baseball can deny how electrifying the sport has been this season. Thanks to the rule changes and the high level of talent on the field, there is never a boring day.

However, yesterday was an extra special day in MLB. The league did an excellent job of celebrating mothers everywhere and spotlighting heartwarming stories. Additionally, sneaker brands did an exceptional job of lacing their players up in rare cleats for the holiday. 

There are plenty of worthy recipients, but we have narrowed our list down to the five best cleats worn on the field. Below are our rankings for the top five cleats worn in the MLB on Mother's Day 2023.

Fernando Tatís Jr.

Pink and white Air Jordan cleats worn by Fernando Tatis Jr.
View of Fernando Tatís Jr.'s cleats / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

As it stands, San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatís Jr. is the cleat king of MLB. Since returning to action, Tatís has unveiled plans to wear custom Air Jordan cleats throughout the season.

Tatís is a footwear free agent, so he has worked with a company called Stadium Custom Kicks to cook up several one-of-one cleats. Yesterday, Tatís reprised the Air Jordan 1 High 'Washed Pink' cleats which he debuted earlier in the season.

Mookie Betts

View of the cleats worn by Mookie Betts and Chris Taylor.
View of Chris Taylor and Mookie Betts' cleats / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been on fire as of late, and so have their footwear. First, we have to acknowledge Chris Taylor (left) for his nice pair of Nike cleats. But his teammate, Mookie Betts (right), has the slight edge.

Betts is one of a select handful of MLB players who are sponsored by Jordan Brand. With his mother in the crowd, Betts hit his ninth home run of the season yesterday in a custom pair of Air Jordan 11 cleats.

Aaron Judge

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge catches a fly ball.
Aaron Judge catches a flyball / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge has followed up his historic year with another hot start to this season. The American League home run king continues to wear custom cleats, but that could soon change.

While no official announcements have been made, Judge has worn a lot of Jordan Brand gear on and off the field. It feels like that slugger could be the next player to sign with Jumpman.

Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. collide while attempting to catch a ball.
Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr. collide / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr. are practically inseparable. They were almost literally inseparable after colliding over a flyball yesterday. Naturally, the two Atlanta Braves teammates wore the same pink Nike cleats.

Last month, we speculated that Acuña might be the next face of Nike Baseball. If that happens, fans and sneakerheads can expect the Braves outfielder to wear a lot more fire footwear on the field.

Bryan De La Cruz

Bryan De La Cruz's helmet falls off after a hit.
Bryan De La Cruz hits an RBA single / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Marlins picked up a much-needed win yesterday with the help of Bryan De La Cruz. In addition to providing some clutch hitting, the left fielder wore some of the best cleats of the day.

The Twitter account @MLBLife pointed out that De La Cruz wore a pair of custom pink Nike cleats that included an incredible portrait of his mom on the toe box of each cleat. 

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Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.