The new MLB uniforms I haven’t really gotten any rave reviews.and now the bottom half of the cuts are in the spotlight for less than sterling reasons.
The new Nike-designed and Fanatics-produced uniforms were touted as being made of lighter materials for players on the field, but the pants — especially the white ones — have a seamless quality, as evidenced in a photo of Le Giants infielder Casey Schmitt, who went viral Thursday for what could be seen in his groin area.
In a photo shared by NBC Sports Bay Area reporter Alex Pavlovic, Schmitt sat with a bat for a standard photo of the day, but what baseball fans immediately noticed were the tight, see-through looks below the waist.
“What will they do when it rains, the pants will be transparent,” one fan wrote on X in response to the photo.
“There’s no way,” wrote another.
But fans on social media are far from the only ones troubled by the new look, as MLB Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark said Thursday that he was frustrated that the uniforms had to be a big part of the conversation during the first few weeks of spring training.
“It’s disappointing that we’ve landed in a place where uniforms are a talking point,” Clark said Thursday. by ESPN. “Every conversation with the guys gives more insight into what we’re seeing.”
Clark also specifically addressed pants as one of the issues being discussed by the MLBPA.
“A lot of the talk confirms that pants are see-through,” Clark said. “It’s an ongoing conversation in which every day gives rise to something new that doesn’t seem to make as much sense as we would like.”
Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle said this week that the tighter fit of the pants is tangible.
“Even I thought over the last few years they haven’t been that stretchy,” the Yankees reliever said. by Greg Joyce of the Post. “But this year you’ll definitely notice that the fabric is just a little tighter than we’re used to.
“I think the consensus is they’re not very good. …I know a lot of guys don’t really like them.
And Schmitt’s photo was far from the only one fans noticed, as Guardians pitcher Scott Barlow was photographed in full uniform on Thursday, and the lower part of his jersey could be seen through the pants with what appeared to be Nike shorts.
The same issue was noticed in at least two other instances when Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh did a video interview with the team’s social media team and when Shohei Ohtani posed for new Dodgers photos.
In addition to the pants, the tops players wore were previously cited by an anonymous Orioles player, who said to the Baltimore banner it looks like a “knockoff TJ Maxx jersey.”
Francisco Lindor of the Mets said he was a fan of the lighter material, but didn’t like the way the font on the back with the players’ names “looks kind of small,” according to the Post’s Mike Puma.
Adam Ottavino added that the misses feel more like a “reply” this year.
MLB defended the new uniformscalling them “world class”.
“By acquiring Majestic and its MLB uniform manufacturing facilities in Easton, Pennsylvania – which has been manufacturing player uniforms for nearly two decades – Fanatics has consistently produced world-class uniforms, including all of MLB’s field jerseys. Nike brand and all City Connect equipment. since 2020,” Denis Nolan, MLB.com’s senior vice president of global consumer products, said earlier this week.
