Players And Fans Are Very Unhappy With The New MLB Uniforms

Through the 2023 season, Major League Baseball uniforms had remained essentially unchanged for nearly a decade.

Even though the league's contract shifted from Majestic to Nike for the 2020 season, the materials and fabrication of the official on-field MLB jersey stayed the same. At the time, Nike promised a forthcoming redesign, and entering 2024, they've officially revealed the changes they made. And people are extremely unhappy with the results.

The first foray into the new product started with the 2023 All-Star game in Seattle, where the National League and American League jerseys used the new fabric and design template. 

READ: MLB, Nike Reveal New All Star Game Uniforms And Future Design Template

But those designs were one-offs, not based on the traditional jerseys each team normally wears. Across most of the league, pitchers and catchers started reporting to spring training facilities on Tuesday, leading to photos and real-time reviews of the new product. They've been pretty negative.

St. Louis Cardinals players are "pretty unhappy" with the new look, according to one report. One player said that the new fabrication and design changes look "cheap."

The new Seattle Mariners jerseys have also been panned, with the difference in name and number placement and appearance being particularly notable.

Not off to a great start!

Jul 9, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the first round of the MLB Draft at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

Nike And MLB Press Release Ignores Criticism

Funnily enough, the league issued a press release Tuesday touting the debut of the new template and announcing nine new City Connect jerseys. In the release, two players, including Cardinals star Nolan Arenado, praised the designs.

"The Nike Vapor Premier jersey is soft, light and incredibly comfortable. It’s almost like wearing my favorite fitted T-shirt out on the field -- and so easy to move around in," Arenado said. Doesn't seem to line up with the more, shall we say, off the record player criticism!

A lot of the fan criticism centers around Fanatics, who've taken over production and fabrication of the new jerseys. And as is so often the case, with the push towards "sustainability" comes a decrease in quality and increase in cost. On-field "Vapor Elite" jerseys now retail for $395, despite players saying they look "cheap." And the new MLB logo placement on the back of the jersey and the extreme curvature of the names are questionable, to say the least. Especially for certain teams and players.

We'll start seeing the on-field product sooner rather than later, but so far the early reviews are overwhelmingly negative. At least they're only set to be the new template for at least another 5-6 years.