This scrutiny is an annual ritual, but this year it has been repurposed. Because this year, everyone from MLB officials to players to fans was as focused on what Burnes and his colleagues wore on the field Saturday as what they did on it. For the first time, the full lineup of new uniforms launched by MLB with Nike for this season will be on display to fans in the stands and television cameras. The question that’s sort of dominating spring training is whether these uniforms will expose too much.
For two weeks, MLB has been mired in a clothing controversy of unprecedented proportions, one that began with players’ distaste for the look of these new jerseys and escalated into concerns – exacerbated by some surprising photos taken by MLB photographers. spring training – that the new white jersey pants are too revealing.
“It’s disappointing that we’ve gotten to a place where uniforms are a talking point,” Tony Clark, president of the players’ union, told reporters in Arizona.
The uniforms, designed by Nike in conjunction with MLB and manufactured by Fanatics, will likely remain a topic of conversation for the foreseeable future as player concerns are as widespread as they are varied.
Players were initially unhappy with the jerseys, which are made of a lighter, quicker-drying fabric designed to fit more snugly than in previous years. In conversations with several players from five teams, no one expressed concern that the jersey affected their ability to play. But several raised concerns about the appearance of the jersey, which many felt was an afterthought. The lack of weight, combined with smaller numbers and letters, made many players feel like they were wearing replicas.
“I like last year’s one a lot better. And my opinion matches a lot of opinions here,” said Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, a Nike-sponsored athlete who therefore chose his words carefully. Some, like Kiermaier, are frustrated with the design. Others see problems with execution.
Philadelphia Phillies reliever Matt Strahm, for example, said he had no problem with the feel of the jersey when he threw it. But when he looked at him later, he noticed the team name on his chest was off-center.
“They say it’s because I have a tapered jersey, so the S lands under my armpit,” Strahm said. “When they told me that, I was like, ‘Wait, didn’t you first taper the jersey and then put the logo in the middle?’ »
MLB officials said the shrinkage, like so many changes to the new jersey, is the product of six years of research conducted in collaboration with Nike, a process that included body scans of players and a test at the All-Star Last year’s Star Game. The designers chose to make the numbers and letters lighter and smaller to match the reduced weight of the jerseys themselves. But MLB’s calculus doesn’t seem to match that of players, many of whom believe the small apps devalue the look.
“I think that’s the nameplate that really took me some time to get used to,” Washington Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan said, citing not only the smaller letters and numbers, but also the fact that the appliqués are perforated instead of solid. “If you ask me in six months, maybe I’ll like it better.” But I really can’t tell you. First impression, it’s going to take some getting used to.
MLB officials anticipated the jerseys would inspire some skepticism, because big leaguers aren’t exactly receptive to change. But when team photo days began, more pressing concerns arose about pants. In photos taken of everyone from Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, tucked-in jerseys were visible through white house pants. In other cases, tucked-in jerseys would have been preferable to what the cameras captured in that area. It seemed like the new pants were somehow less sturdy and provided less coverage than the old ones.
While MLB has remained relatively silent on the jersey issues, the see-through pants have officials scrambling. They insist that the new pants are the same thickness as the old ones. They I took photos from past photo days in which tucked in swimsuits were visible, circulating them to journalists to demonstrate that old white pants had the same level of transparency. They speculated that the bright lights installed for photo days might have exacerbated a problem that wouldn’t be as obvious on the ground. And indeed, even though these photos went viral on social media, many players later said they didn’t notice the new pants were more see-through until someone mentioned it.
“I didn’t notice (the pants) until people started talking about them. Then I noticed I could see my tights through it,” Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette said. “That’s why you wear something under your pants.”
Kiermaier, his Toronto teammate, said he didn’t notice the new pants for another reason: He wasn’t wearing them. Like many other players, he prefers the fit of last season’s pants, which is why he is wearing them at the moment. And he can’t imagine the difference: MLB admits to having changed the way pants are fitted.
In the past, players would come to camp and have their pants tailored based on their personal preferences. This year, to streamline the manufacturing process, Nike decided to make pants in more generic sizes based on length and the ratio of the amount of fabric needed at the buttocks to the thighs. Players can choose the fit they prefer, but they cannot change these pre-existing sizes to their exact specifications.
“My body type is pretty normal, so I fit in well,” Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt said. “But I think it’s pretty unrealistic to think that we would have just one standard body type, so it’s kind of crazy that you can’t make changes.”
The other crazy thing, according to players, is that they don’t have much time to get used to the pants either. Because several teams don’t yet have their new pants.
“I wish I could comment,” Phillies infielder Bryson Stott said, turning toward his locker and pushing aside his jerseys and hoodies before delivering the punchline. “But we don’t have ours yet.”
The Phillies aren’t the only team that hasn’t received their pants yet. The Athletic reported last week that the Cincinnati Reds were also using old pants. And while uniform design is the purview of Nike and the entire MLB project, it’s Fanatics that makes the uniforms and is in charge of distribution.
But Fanatics hasn’t earned a reputation for impeccable delivery in the past. Last year, Nationals clubhouse staff members were up late the night before Opening Day, sewing patches in honor of late owner Ted Lerner, because they had just received the jerseys in time for the season. MLB said this year the goal is to make sure everyone has their uniforms before Opening Day.
Fanatics, which produces uniforms to Nike specifications, declined to comment. Nike, who designed the jerseys, made a statement.
“The quality and performance of our product are of the utmost importance to us,” that statement reads in part. “We will continue to work with MLB, the players and our manufacturing partner to improve the player uniforms.”
MLB officials are touring camps to gather feedback from players and haven’t ruled out making changes in response to what they hear. As for the pants, the plan seems to be to wait until the games start and see exactly what they can see.
“The only thing that’s different for me in terms of feel is the pants. They’re definitely a little lighter, definitely a little more transparent than you would like,” Burnes, the Orioles ace, said after throwing 22 pitches Saturday. “But it’s a change. It’s one of those things that players have been asking for for years for lighter, more breathable jerseys. They may have gone a little too far, but I think that’s because they listened to player feedback and maybe went a little too far, too fast.
Andrew Golden in West Palm Beach, Fla., contributed to this report.
