Major League Baseball’s spring training is half way through, and Nike and the MLB are already under a ton of scrutiny due to the jersey change for this upcoming season. The new lightweight jersey concepts of the Nike Vapor Premier jerseys have received backlash from fans and players due to their cheap look and strange feel.
Sources near the MLB say that the changes were made to get players to play to their highest level. However, multiple players in the league say the new polyester jerseys are just flat-out uncomfortable.
Some players are saying how the texture of these jerseys is not as comfortable as the old ones, with some players describing them as feeling papery and not fitting well. Others, including Mike Trout, enjoy the recent changes.
There are players and fans that do love these new moves despite them looking strange. They are lightweight and breathable, which may help players to play at a higher level.
Gabe Wuerth, a sophomore infielder for GC, stated the importance of comfortability while on the field and how the changes to the jerseys will be helpful. He stated that when a player has a jersey or pants that are too tight, it can restrict body movement. Baseball is a sport that requires players to move their bodies in many ways, from swinging the bat to diving for a ball.
“I’ve experienced it firsthand, having pants that are too big or small, and it is not fun,” Wuerth said. “You feel like you can’t play at full speed because your pants are either restricting your movements, or you’re worried about tripping up over them if they are too big.”
Wuerth also explained that since college baseball is a spring sport, it gets warm toward the middle of the season. He stated that having a jersey that is not too heavy and is more breathable is very important to play in the heat.
“I think what they’re doing in the MLB is great,” Wuerth said. “Having a lighter, more breathable jersey is huge for those guys, especially at such a high level they play at. They need every advantage they can get.”
The 90% polyester jerseys, however, may offer a very big advantage if these players are comfortable and are more breathable than the previous jerseys.
Another complaint about these new jerseys is that the MLB decided to move the logo from the upper neckline to below the neckline to make the logo more visible than before. This has caused the lettering to not fit where it used to be, shifting it further down. This shift now makes the names curved across the back instead of straight and near the shoulder blades.
The MLB has also decided to make the lettering on the back of the jerseys to make sure that all last names can now fit in the new location.
Not all teams in the MLB are thrilled by these changes. While 29 of the teams have accepted the changes that Nike and the MLB have poised, the Kansas City Royals have refused to change their jerseys due to their disapproval of the tiny, new lettering on the jerseys.
According to the Kansas City Star, once the new jerseys were proposed in 2023, the Royals went to their CEO and chair and pushed to keep the lettering the same as the previous seasons. While the lettering is a little different on the Royals’ jerseys, they are the only team that has big lettering, even with the moving of the MLB logo.
“If all a team had to do to keep the old lettering was ask, then a) why didn’t any other MLB teams bother trying and b) what’s stopping them from doing so now,” said Jack Baer, a sportswriter for Yahoo.
While some players may really enjoy the new concept of jerseys, fans around the world seem to be a little less willing to accept the changes circulating in baseball.
Addison Turnbull, a senior early education major, stated that she is not too pleased with the look of the new jerseys.
“The Fanatics did a terrible job rebranding the jerseys,” Turnbull said. “They appear cheap, and it seems Fanatics cut a lot of corners while creating them.”
As the new season starts, there are many feelings and opinions about the new jerseys. While fans may not like the new look, it all comes down to what is best for the players. Nothing is set in stone, however, and if these jerseys continue to get backlash and hate from players in the league, the MLB can make additional changes.
