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MLB Addresses Uniform Controversy; Blames Nike for Players Issue
Major League Baseball has received concerns about the new uniforms this season and is planning to tweak things.
Major League Baseball aims to remedy the uniform faults that have dominated headlines since their spring debut, according to an MLB Players Association document acquired by ESPN's Jeff Passan. These concerns include restoring bigger text on uniform backs, ensuring that uniform colors match and are less likely to reveal sweat, and correcting the pants.
MLB intends to have those changes implemented by the start of the 2025 season, at the latest. Notably, the MLBPA blames Nike. The memo on ESPN read, "This has been entirely a Nike issue. At its core, what has happened here is that Nike was innovating something that didn't need to be innovated."
MLB blamed Nike as the whole issue because of them
The adjustments will go into effect by the start of the 2025 season at the latest. While Fanatics received widespread criticism over the jerseys, Passan reports that the union has absolved the firm. Instead, he stated, "This has been entirely a Nike issue." At its essence, what occurred here was that Nike developed something that did not require innovation." They continued to criticize Nike.
"We cautioned Nike against various changes when they previewed them in 2022, particularly regarding pants. 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,” said MLB. Nike signed a 10-year, $1 billion agreement with MLB to become the league's official uniform supplier in 2019.
While Nike has been designing Fanatics has been manufacturing MLB uniforms
CNN's Nathaniel Meyersohn reported on the matter in February, noting that the jerseys were designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics.
However, as Meyersohn stated, much of the criticism was directed at Fanatics, with fans dissatisfied with the company's stranglehold over the sports clothing market as a result of contracts with the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and other leagues.
Commissioner Rob Manfred said at the time, "They're designed to be performance wear as opposed to what's been traditionally worn, so they are going to be different. I think after people wear them a little bit, they're going to be really popular."
Regarding the jerseys, the memo says the lettering will return to the larger size used in previous years, and that Nike has committed to working on color differences and “perspiration challenges.” For the pants, the memo says players will have the full suite of tailoring options available in prior years—the new design had four base sizes of pants—and a return to “higher quality” zippers.
The Nike jerseys that debuted this season were developed over six years and were first worn in the MLB All-Star Game last year. While some players were allowed to test the newest versions and offer comments, MLBPA President Tony Clark stated in February that the union had not been actively involved since 2022. He also stated that the MLBPA "had concerns" about the jerseys back then.
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