Why Is There a Logo on MLB Playoff Helmets? The STRAUSS Helmet Decal, Explained (2026 Postseason)

If you are watching the MLB playoffs and wondering what that little red box with an ostrich on every batting helmet is, it is an ad. The logo belongs to STRAUSS, a German workwear company, and it is on both sides of every helmet for every game of the 2026 postseason, from the first Wild Card game on September 29 to the last out of the World Series.

This is the third straight October it has been there. Here is what it is, why MLB put it there, how it changes on different helmets, and which of the 12 playoff teams it looks best and worst on.

What Is the STRAUSS Logo on MLB Helmets?

STRAUSS is a family-owned German company that makes workwear, work boots and safety gear. It is huge in Europe and only entered the U.S. market in late 2023. The logo is an ostrich, because "Strauss" is the German word for ostrich.

The decal is small, about 5 inches wide and less than an inch tall. It sits on the side of the helmet, running parallel to the brim, with the ostrich in a square on the left and the STRAUSS wordmark in white to the right.

MLB announced the partnership on September 13, 2024, and made it official with this video:

Why Is It There? Three Straight Octobers

It is a sponsorship, plain and simple. MLB already sells jersey sleeve patches during the regular season. The STRAUSS deal was something new: the first brand logo on MLB and MiLB batting helmets league-wide in the United States.

The deal runs four postseasons, 2024 through 2027. Here is where the logo shows up:

• Every MLB postseason game. Wild Card Series, Division Series, League Championship Series and the World Series. All 12 playoff teams wear it.
• MLB games in Europe. Any regular season game MLB plays overseas.
• All of Minor League Baseball. Every MiLB helmet, all season, starting in 2025.

It debuted in the 2024 Wild Card round and stayed on through the Yankees-Dodgers World Series. It was back in 2025, all the way through the Blue Jays-Dodgers World Series. Here it is on Steven Kwan's navy Guardians helmet when it returned last fall:

2026 is year three, and the deal still has one more October to go after this one.

Does the Helmet Logo Change Color by Team?

Not by team. There are only two versions, and which one a team gets depends on the color of its helmet.

• Red helmets get a white box with a see-through ostrich cut out of it, so the helmet's own red shows through.
• Every other helmet color (navy, royal blue, black, brown) gets a red box with a white ostrich.

The STRAUSS wordmark is white on every helmet. So the red box is the default, and the white box exists so the logo does not disappear on a red helmet. That is why it looks red on the Dodgers and white on a team like the Phillies.

Here is the Dodgers version, a red box on a royal blue helmet, from the 2024 postseason:

Our Take: It Works for Some Teams More Than Others B-

When this first showed up in 2024, we did not like it. An ad on the helmet felt like a line being crossed. But three Octobers in, MLB has made it part of what big baseball games look like. You see the red box, you know it is the playoffs. It kind of blends in now.

In a perfect world it would not be on the helmet at all. But it is small, it is the same on every team, and it is not over the top. We can live with it.

The problem is the color. The logo does not adjust to the team. It only adjusts to red helmets. So on some teams the red box looks like it belongs, and on others it looks like a sticker somebody slapped on.

Where the logo is white, on a red helmet, it looks fine. On the Dodgers it is red on a blue helmet, and the Dodgers are lucky. They have red numbers on the front of the jersey, so the red box has something to talk to. Without that red, it would look terrible.

The Yankees are the example of what happens when there is no red anywhere. The Yankees wear a dark navy helmet with a navy and white uniform, and that bright red square is the only red on the whole player. It looks out of place, and under the lights that navy helmet can read almost black. Here is the mockup FOX posted of Juan Soto in the 2024 decal:

And a true black helmet is the worst of all. Red on black with no red in the uniform is where this decal looks cheapest. In this year's field, that is the White Sox.

Our grade for the decal overall: B-. Fine on most teams, bad on a few, and it is not going anywhere until after 2027.

How the STRAUSS Logo Looks on All 12 2026 Playoff Teams

Here is our quick verdict for every team in the 2026 field, based on the color of its batting helmet and whether there is red anywhere else in the uniform. For the full October uniform preview, see our 2026 MLB postseason uniforms guide.

Philadelphia Phillies: B+. The Phillies wear red helmets, so they get the white box version, the one built to sit on red. It is the cleanest look in the field.

Atlanta Braves: B+. Navy helmet, but red is all over the Braves' uniform, from the script to the tomahawk. The red box fits right in.

Boston Red Sox: B+. Navy helmet with a red B. The decal matches the logo sitting right next to it. It is in the team name.

Cleveland Guardians: B+. Navy helmet, and red is a core Guardians color. As the Kwan photo shows, it works.

Chicago Cubs: B. Royal blue helmet, and the Cubs have red in the logo and the jersey trim. Not perfect, but it belongs.

Los Angeles Dodgers: B-. Red box on a royal blue helmet. The red front numbers save it. Take them away and this is a D.

Houston Astros: C+. Navy helmet, and the Astros' accent color is orange, not red. Red next to orange is a near miss that looks like a mistake.

Tampa Bay Rays: C. Navy helmet in a navy, light blue and yellow palette. There is no red to tie it to.

Milwaukee Brewers: C. Navy and gold. The red box has nothing to match.

San Diego Padres: C-. A red square on a brown helmet, on a brown and gold team. It fights with everything.

New York Yankees: D+. Dark navy helmet, no red anywhere on the uniform. It looks out of place on the most classic look in the sport.

Chicago White Sox: D. The only true black helmet in the field, on a black and silver team. Red on black with nothing else red is the worst version of this decal.

We will log every playoff game, both teams and both jerseys, on our 2026 MLB uniform tracker. For what every club wore all season, see our 2026 MLB uniform schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the logo on MLB playoff helmets?

It is the logo of STRAUSS, a German workwear company. The ostrich (the German word "Strauss" means ostrich) and the STRAUSS name appear on both sides of every batting helmet during the MLB postseason under a sponsorship deal with MLB.

Why do MLB helmets have an ad in the playoffs?

MLB signed a multiyear sponsorship with STRAUSS in September 2024. It was the first brand logo on MLB batting helmets league-wide in the United States. The company is new to the U.S. market and chose baseball to build its name here.

How long will the STRAUSS logo be on MLB helmets?

The deal covers four postseasons, 2024 through 2027. The logo also appears on MLB helmets for games played in Europe and on every Minor League Baseball helmet during the season.

Is the STRAUSS logo on helmets in every round of the playoffs?

Yes. It is on every helmet for the Wild Card Series, Division Series, League Championship Series and the World Series. It is not on MLB helmets during the regular season in the U.S.

Why is the STRAUSS logo red on some helmets and white on others?

There are two versions. Red helmets, like the Phillies', get a white box with a see-through ostrich. Every other helmet color gets a red box with a white ostrich. The STRAUSS wordmark is white on all of them. The color does not change team by team beyond that.

Which team does the STRAUSS helmet logo look worst on?

We think it looks worst on dark helmets with no red in the uniform. In the 2026 field that is the White Sox, the only black helmet, followed by the Yankees' dark navy. It looks best on the Phillies' red helmets and on navy helmets for teams with red in their colors, like the Braves, Red Sox and Guardians.

The Bottom Line

The logo on MLB playoff helmets is a STRAUSS ad, and 2026 is its third straight October, with one more to go in 2027. At first it bugged us. Now it mostly blends in and reads as "this is a playoff game." It is fine when it matches the team: the Phillies, Braves, Red Sox and Guardians wear it well, and the Dodgers get by thanks to their red numbers. It is at its worst on dark helmets with no red anywhere, the White Sox and the Yankees. Overall grade: B-. Follow every October look on our postseason uniforms guide.