Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement/Kyle Terada Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Ahead of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, something that has long been taken for granted is a big problem. The league’s official uniforms have come under serious fire following some significant design changes. These include bizarre choices like see-through pants and fake-looking jerseys that are supposedly aimed at “enhanced performance.” The uniforms are the result of a new partnership between Nike and Fanatics. Nike designs them, Fanatics manufacturers them.
Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin has faced controversy over this issue, as Fanatics is the architect for almost all of the major American sports leagues’ uniforms. Rubin has defended his company as they simply follow their instructions.
“This is a little bit of a difficult position,” Rubin said on Friday. “We’re purely doing exactly as we’ve been told, and we’ve been told we’re doing everything exactly right. And we’re getting the s— kicked out of us. So that’s not fun.”
Since 2007, Fanatics has overtaken the company that has made the jerseys, and since 2015 Fanatics and Nike have been generating the uniforms for the players. Nike had intentions to make uniforms lighter, and more flexible material, that players have asked for in the past.
“Nike designs everything. Hands us a spec and says, ‘Make this,’” Rubin added. “We have made everything exactly to the spec. And Nike and baseball would say, ‘Yes, you’ve done everything we’ve asked you do to.’”
Players have complained about the ability to see the tucked-in jerseys through the new pants among other complaints regarding the uniform’s fit, specifically the white uniforms.
“I know everyone hates them. We all liked what we had,” Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said. “We understand business, but I think everyone wanted to keep it the same way, mostly with some tweaks here or there.”
Among the issue of see-through pants, uniform lettering has been a point of contention as well. The Kansas City Royals were fed up enough that they lobbied with MLB to keep larger lettering on the uniform.
Rubin has expressed the stubbornness of the players’ unwillingness to accept change. “They got certain players on board, not all players on board. When you change something so old and so nostalgic you need everybody to be on board with it.”
The head of the Players Association, Tony Clark, also released a statement regarding the uniforms:
“The commentary that’s being offered suggests that the powers that be are paying attention to the concerns that are there and are engaging how best to address them moving forward.”
