MLB’s New Uniform Changes, Explained

But the changes took time to take place.

It’s been six years since the league began working on these uniform changes, gathering feedback from clubs and players as they sought to optimize the jerseys for the best possible performance.

In the spring of 2018, MLB began working with Nike and Fanatics on the uniforms, which have been manufactured by Majestic since 2005. The exhaustive process of globally modifying the jerseys was not taken lightly; in fact, the process was as thorough as any in league history.

Tape measures – the preferred way to calculate players’ body shapes for years – were out. Thanks to Nike, body scanning technology had emerged, presenting a more precise approach to outfitting Major League players with their uniforms.

Nike’s goal was simple: to create jerseys that met the players’ needs and desires: lighter, more breathable, better-fitting uniform tops.

Nike was tasked with designing the new uniforms, while Fanatics – which had acquired Majestic in 2017 – would produce the jerseys using the same factories that had been processing Majestic’s jerseys for several years. Continuity, said Denis Nolan, MLB’s senior vice president of global consumer products, was of the utmost importance.

“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 jerseys. Connect equipment since 2020,” Nolan said.

More than 300 players underwent body scans in the final months of the 2018 season, while Nike observed how players wore their jerseys.

“It was a very technological approach to outfitting players,” said Stephen Roche, vice president of MLB Authentic Collection/Global Consumer Products. “It was all about performance.”

Nike tested a number of moisture-wicking fabrics, looking for something lighter that would improve performance on the pitch. The following spring training, four or five clubs tested jerseys with different fabrics and different sleeve types, providing MLB and Nike with feedback along the way. A few clubs even tested different jerseys at the end of the regular season after they were eliminated, giving players the opportunity to test them out during practices and training sessions.

Using all the feedback collected, Nike created a jersey that was well received by players, with lighter fabric for the numbers, letters and crests – a necessity due to the performance-oriented material and lighter body. end of uniform. Gone are the days of thick, embroidered letters, numbers and patches, replaced by sleeker, more effective options.

The new jerseys were displayed to clubs, giving them the opportunity to see up close what the new uniforms look like. During spring training 2022, teams received exact samples of their home and road uniforms. Later that year, the MLB Players Association also reviewed the uniforms as part of the review process.

According to a source close to the meeting, some MLBPA members expressed some minor concerns about the uniforms, but none involved the current issues.

Not only was the material different, but even the colors were more uniform. No, the clubs had not changed their colors, but thanks to Nike’s standard color palette and the work of the MLB Design Services team, all uniform colors (logos, letters, numbers and badges) would match exactly. In the past, some grades may have slight differences due to using different sub-manufacturers for twill, fabric and patches.

“It was all part of tightening up the whole process,” Roche said. “The clubs were able to approve how everything matched the standard Nike colors. For the first time we had a uniform where all the colors matched Exactly with hats and field colors. They had always been close, but they weren’t exact. Now they are.

The plan was to introduce the new uniforms in 2023, but the pandemic forced it to be pushed back a year as MLB and Nike wanted to make sure nothing was left to chance.

Last spring, all players were measured and fitted by the Fanatics staff, an annual exercise that ensures well-fitting uniforms for the upcoming season. While Nike uniforms will be coming to MLB in 2024, Fanatics also used these 2023 accessories to create a database for all players, giving them a head start on 2024.

The new Nike jerseys – which are 25% stretchier and dry 28% faster than their predecessors – debuted at the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle, drawing favorable reviews from players.

“I definitely feel faster,” Corbin Carroll said.

“It’s more fitted to your body and lighter,” Kenley Jansen said. “It’s a bit like NBA type jerseys. It’s cool.”

Fanatics used its database from last spring to prepare jerseys for 2024, but the company will work with players starting this week to make necessary adjustments ahead of the regular season.

After testing the new jersey last week, Jason Heyward of the Dodgers gave his first thoughts in a video on the team’s social media accounts.

“In some ways it seems even more authentic than the ones we wear, to be honest,” Heyward said. “The material is all the more pleasant; we have the impression that he will breathe better. And I think what’s really cool for fans is the numbers on the back that have this different texture.