2016 ALDS/NLDS Phantom Champs Merchandise

Less than two weeks into the 2016 Major League Baseball Postseason and we’ve already kicked out half the teams that made it in. Six teams down, four to go. It’s time for the League Championship Series.

On the way to the LCS those fallen teams had merchandise created for them in the event they actually won their respective Division Series and Wild Card matchups, the “LDS Champs” locker room caps and t-shirts which would have been worn by those teams in the locker room and on the field while they were celebrating moving on to the ALCS and NLCS.

We’ve assembled what we could find, and we’ve included a bonus at the end for you fans of the St Louis Cardinals. Enjoy.

BOSTON RED SOX LDS CHAMPS CAP & T-SHIRT

WASHINGTON NATIONALS LDS CHAMPS CAP & T-SHIRT

TEXAS RANGERS LDS CHAMPS CAP & T-SHIRT

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS LDS CHAMPS T-SHIRT

Note the Giants were lined up to get their own custom shirt “BELI-EVEN”, making reference to their championships in even numbered years (2010, 2012, 2014 and what could’ve been 2016). Originally the Giants design was the same as the rest reading “RESPECT SAN FRANCISCO”, this was changed shortly after the Wildcard game.

NEW YORK METS LDS CHAMPS T-SHIRT

The Mets join the Red Sox as the only two teams to have their shirt read “RESPECT” the team name rather than the city. No reason given for why this was the case.

The St. Louis Cardinals were the only team to not qualify for the Postseason to also have playoff merchandise ready to go — below are the locker room cap and t-shirt which would have been worn if the Cards won a Wildcard spot during the last weekend of the regular season.

Here’s the 2016 Postseason patch which would have been worn on the side of their in-game caps during the playoffs this year:

And here’s the dugout hoodie players and coaches on the bench would have worn during the playoffs:

Check back after the LCS rounds where hopefully I’ll have a whole assortment of Cleveland Indians stuff to show you… because, yeah, I just can’t do another Blue Jays Phantom post.

Here’s our collection of past “phantom champs” posts.