Major League Baseball and Nike today announced they will fix some of the problems with the new uniforms introduced for the 2024 season. The decision follows feedback from players and clubs and months of fan and media complaints, which pointed to several areas needing improvement.
Starting in the 2025 season, the jerseys will feature larger lettering on the back, making players’ names easier to read and more in line with the traditional look of names. Players will also have the option to customize their pants more for better fit and comfort.
Nike will also address colour mismatches and other discolouration issues that were most noticeable in the grey road uniforms. The updated grey uniforms could make their first appearances on-field as early as the second half of this season.
The initial launch of new uniforms in 2024 saw a wave of criticism from players and fans, mainly about the small lettering of names, the fit and perceived transparency of the pants, and the general overall material quality. While it seems like many of the problems are being addressed today, there was nothing in the announcement about returning to the embroidered style of sleeve patches or wordmarks.
“Player and club feedback is extremely important to us,” said Robert D. Manfred, Jr., Commissioner of Baseball in the press release. “Together with Nike, we listened to our players and as a result, we are addressing their concerns.”
Manfred emphasized the league’s commitment to continuous improvement, saying, “We will continue to work with Nike to make adjustments with the goal of delivering a uniform that looks good and helps MLB players perform at their best.”
This feels like the most realistic rollback of the changes we could expect to see. There was never going to be a total trashing of the new style, not with all that existing product sitting there.