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MLB Jersey 2024: What Is the See-Through Pants Controversy With the New Uniforms? Explained
What's the MLB Jersey 2024 controversy about? Exploring the see-through pants in the new uniforms. Read more below.
MLB declared at the beginning of the month a uniform change for all 30 teams. They will be adopting the Nike Vapor Premier 'chassis' for home, road, alternative, and City Connect uniforms this season.
This new design, noticeably different from previous uniforms, seems like an immediate step-down.
These new jerseys are a product of the Vapor Premier template of Nike, now being used by MLB for the first time.
This fabric is composed of at least 90% recycled polyester yarns, offering a lightweight, breathable, and high-performance quality.
A 10-year partnership was initiated in the 2020 season between Nike, MLB, and Fanatics. This resulted in Majestic being replaced by Nike as the league's uniform supplier.
As we enter the spring training games and official images are being captured, it's evident that Fanatics chose to utilize a thinner material for the pants.
This becomes problematic when the pants are white, as they tend to be almost transparent, revealing tucked-in shirt hems and even compression shorts worn by the players.
The situation has reached a level where the world’s most recognized baseball player, Shohei Ohtani, appears to be sporting baggy white briefs in his official photos for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
MLB Uniform Crisis: See-Through Pants Concerns
MLBPA chief, Tony Clark, has expressed his worry about this issue too. He talks about how players are increasingly concerned about the transparent pants, as ESPN reported. Clark stressed that their fears are becoming more valid with each passing day.
Clark mentioned that not only are the pants of poor quality, but also that many teams are having trouble getting enough uniforms for spring training.
He explained that while some teams have both pants and jerseys, others are still waiting for their pants, and some are expecting certain items before the season begins. Moreover, a lot of teams don't even have spare pants in case a player needs a replacement.
This entire situation has created quite a mess for MLB, Nike, and Fanatics. Most criticism has been directed toward Fanatics, given their reputation for sub-par apparel quality over the years.
However, the real blame might lie with Nike. As noted by Uni Watch, Fanatics has been producing MLB's uniforms for the past four years from the same Pennsylvania factory that Majestic utilized during its tenure as the league's manufacturer.
Nike's New Approach: The Vapor Premier Jersey
Nike has initiated changes by introducing their Nike Vapor Premier jersey made out of material that the press release praised as breathable, lightweight, high-performance fabric with 25% more flexibility.
It is likely a cheaper production option. They have also relocated the MLB logo from the collar to slightly beneath it, upsetting fans due to the reduced text size on the shirts.
Last week, MLB Commissioner Robfred defended the new uniforms, stating that both fans and players would grow accustomed to them.
He stated, "The jerseys, engineered for performance, have undergone the most extensive testing compared to any jersey in any sport.
They're bound to gain popularity once people start wearing them."
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