MLB plans to address uniforms following player backlash

Apr 30, 2024, 10:35 AM | Updated: 10:35 am

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Debut patch on Jung Hoo Lee's (51) jersey at Petco Park on March ...

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Editor & Kings Beat Writer

Following two months of silence from Major League Baseball, the league is finally taking action regarding player and fan complaints about the new uniforms implemented for this season.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that a memo was distributed to players on Sunday night stating that the uniforms will be modified, including the reimplementation of larger lettering on the backs of jerseys, by the start of the 2025 regular season at the latest.

Major League Baseball plans to address its uniform fiasco after changes this spring to the standard jerseys and pants led to widespread complaints from players and fans, according to a memo obtained Sunday night by ESPN.

The prominent modifications include a return to larger lettering on the back of jerseys, remedying mismatched gray tops and bottoms and addressing the new Nike jerseys’ propensity to collect sweat, according to the memo distributed to players by the MLB Players Association on Sunday.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan on the MLB uniform problem – April 29, 2024

BREAKING: The MLB uniform fiasco of this spring is finally being addressed, according to an MLBPA memo obtained by ESPN:

“Nike was innovating something that didn’t need to be innovated.”

Details of the coming changes, timing free and unlocked at ESPN: https://t.co/4CQuaCuRgc

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 28, 2024

More on the MLB uniforms debacle

The new and unimproved MLB uniforms have been a dark cloud hanging over what has been an exciting start to the 2024 regular season, with players and fans both openly sharing their disdain for Fanatics and Nike’s updates to its product.

“This has been entirely a Nike issue,” the memo from the Players Association stated, per Passan’s story. “At its core, what has happened here is that Nike was innovating something that didn’t need to be innovated.”

Among new changes that have received backlash:

Shrunken letters on the back of the uniforms
Lower-quality zipper on pants
See-through fabric
Lack of tailoring
Visible sweat
Rips and tears

“We cautioned Nike against various changes when they previewed them in 2022, particularly regarding pants,” the memo continued. “MLB had been, and has been, aware of our concerns as well. Unfortunately, until recently Nike’s position has essentially boiled down to — ‘nothing to see here, Players will need to adjust.'”

Now, the process of fixing Nike’s mistakes will begin, and we will soon see larger lettering–among other adjustments–to MLB uniforms.

MLB is making changes to the new uniforms after weeks of complaints from players and fans, per @JeffPassan

The changes will include larger lettering on the back of jerseys, remedying mismatched grey tops and bottoms, and addressing the issue of jerseys collecting sweat pic.twitter.com/pM8xsHCakP

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 28, 2024