The official Washington Nationals colors are scarlet red, navy blue and white. The primary color is red (#AB0003), paired with navy blue (#14225A) and white (#FFFFFF). These three shades run through the curly W logo, the uniforms and team merchandise, and they have anchored the identity since the 2011 rebrand.
Washington Nationals Color Codes
| Color | Swatch | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Red | #AB0003 | 171, 0, 3 | 19, 100, 91, 10 | PMS 193 C | |
| Navy Blue | #14225A | 20, 34, 90 | 100, 95, 34, 29 | PMS 2766 C | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | N/A |
Accuracy note: the club does not publish an open brand guide. The Pantone references above (PMS 193 C and PMS 2766 C) are the values circulated across sports color databases and matched to the HEX codes. Treat them as close approximations, not signed-off brand specs. You’ll see #17264B and PMS 200 C floating around on some sites too. If you’re printing something commercial, ask MLB Properties for the real file.
The Red in the Nationals Palette
Red (#AB0003) is the primary. It’s a deep scarlet, not a bright fire-engine tone, and it darkens noticeably under stadium lights. It carries the curly W on the cap, fills the alternate jersey, and forms the script on the home whites. The shade is the one place where red as a color gets slightly muddied for designers: on screen it can read almost maroon at low brightness.
Worth knowing: the National League East already had three red-forward teams before Washington arrived. It’s crowded.
The Navy Blue in the Nationals Palette
Navy (#14225A) does the framing work. It’s the ring around the roundel logo, the trim on the home script, the cap crown on the road look, and the base of the navy alternate that the team went 11-3 in during the 2019 postseason run. This is a cool, slightly violet-leaning navy blue, closer to midnight than to a standard corporate blue.
The White in the Nationals Palette
Pure white (#FFFFFF), no cream, no bone. It’s the home jersey base and the logo’s inner field. In print work it’s just paper. Nothing exotic here, but leaving it out of the palette breaks the flag reference the whole identity is built on.
Uniform Colors
Home: white base, cursive “Nationals” script in red with navy trim, red curly W cap.
Road: gray base, block “WASHINGTON” across the chest, navy cap with red brim.
Alternates: a red curly W jersey (back in rotation since 2025 after sitting out 2024) and a navy script alternate. The City Connect is the denim-blue “District Blueprint,” introduced March 2025, which traces the D.C. street grid in white and puts an interlocking 3D “DC” on the chest.
History and Rebranding
The franchise moved from Montreal in 2005 and launched with red, navy, white and a heavy dose of gold beveling on the numbers and lettering. That gold hung around for six seasons.
In November 2010 the team revealed a new set for 2011. Todd Radom’s roundel became the primary mark, gold was stripped out entirely, and the curly W (borrowed from the old Washington Senators, who left for Minnesota in 1961) took over. Gold came back briefly in 2020, but only as championship trim after the 2019 World Series.
The 2022 City Connect went a different direction: anthracite gray with pink cherry blossom accents and a “WSH” script. Fans loved it. It was retired after 2024 anyway, per Nike’s three-year refresh cycle. In 2024 the club dropped the front chest numbers, and in 2025 the AARP sleeve patch showed up on every jersey.
How to Use These Colors
For web and screen work, use the HEX or RGB values. For anything printed, go with CMYK or a Pantone match, and run a proof first. The red in particular shifts on uncoated stock.
:root {
--nationals-red: #AB0003;
--nationals-navy: #14225A;
--nationals-white: #FFFFFF;
}
One tip: don’t put the red directly on the navy without a white keyline. The contrast ratio is poor and small type disappears. The club’s own logo puts a thin white ring between them for exactly this reason.
Related Resources
- Browse the full baseball team color codes hub for every MLB palette.
- Division rivals: Atlanta Braves colors, Philadelphia Phillies colors, New York Mets colors and Miami Marlins colors.
- Franchise cousins from the old Senators era: Minnesota Twins colors and Texas Rangers colors.
- Other red-heavy NL sets worth comparing: Cincinnati Reds colors and St. Louis Cardinals colors.
- Color theory: red color palettes and blue color palettes.
FAQ on The Washington Nationals Colors
What are the Washington Nationals colors?
The Washington Nationals team colors are scarlet red, navy blue and white. Red is the primary at #AB0003. Navy and white round out a palette pulled straight from the American flag, used across the logo, uniforms and merchandise.
What are the Washington Nationals color codes in HEX and RGB?
Red is #AB0003 / RGB (171, 0, 3). Navy blue is #14225A / RGB (20, 34, 90). White is #FFFFFF / RGB (255, 255, 255). Those three HEX codes cover nearly every digital use.
What is the Washington Nationals Pantone color?
Red matches PMS 193 C and navy blue matches PMS 2766 C. The club doesn’t publish a public brand guide, so treat both as approximations converted from the HEX values rather than confirmed print specs.
What is the primary color of the Nationals?
Red. It fills the curly W cap logo, the alternate jersey, and the home script. Navy blue works as the secondary, mostly as trim, roundel framing and the road cap crown.
When did the Nationals adopt their current colors?
The red, white and navy scheme dates to 2005, when the franchise relocated from Montreal. The current version arrived with the 2011 rebrand, which stripped out the gold beveling and made the curly W the centerpiece.
Are the Nationals colors the same as the Boston Red Sox?
No. Washington’s red is a deeper scarlet (#AB0003) and pairs with navy as a real secondary. The Boston Red Sox colors lean on a brighter red with navy playing a much smaller supporting role.
What is the CMYK breakdown for Nationals red?
Roughly 19, 100, 91, 10. Navy sits near 100, 95, 34, 29. Both are conversions from HEX, so proof them before a print run. Uncoated stock in particular pulls the red toward brown.
Why is there gold in old Nationals uniforms?
From 2005 to 2010, numbers and lettering carried gold beveling. The 2011 uniform reset removed it entirely. Gold returned briefly in 2020 as championship trim after the 2019 World Series win.
What colors are the Nationals City Connect uniforms?
The current District Blueprint set (introduced March 2025) uses a denim blue base with a white street-grid pattern. It replaced the 2022 cherry blossom version, which was anthracite gray with pink accents.
What color is the Nationals home jersey?
White, with the cursive “Nationals” script in red and navy trim, worn with the red curly W cap. The road set is standard gray with a block WASHINGTON wordmark in navy.
Conclusion
The Washington Nationals colors come down to three values you’ll actually use: #AB0003, #14225A and #FFFFFF. Scarlet red, navy blue, white. That’s the whole brand palette.
Everything else is context. The curly W, the roundel, the Nationals Park signage, the fan gear, all of it sits on those codes.
Copy the hex codes into your CSS variables and move on. If you’re headed to print, check the Pantone notes first.
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