Controversy surrounding MLB’s new uniforms is growing.
Since the season began, fans have noticed visible sweat stains on the uniforms, especially the gray uniforms worn by the Yankees.
in Statement released to The Athletic Nike confirmed Thursday that it is “testing various options to reduce visual color differences due to moisture.”
In addition to the sweat issue, some have noted that the team’s gray uniforms make the jerseys and pants appear to be different shades.
Twins pitcher Brock Stewart said his family noticed.
“My dad was watching the game and he said, “Some players’ jerseys look a different color than their pants, a gray color,” Stewart said.
Nike also acknowledged the problem, saying it was “identifying the issue and seeking solutions to minimize it.”
Stewart added that while the uniform issue is not talked about in the clubhouse, players think there may be an easy solution.
“At this point, I don’t know. Can I take the old stuff in the back of the closet somewhere?” he said jokingly.
The Athletic reports that the materials for the pants and jersey come from different suppliers, with the pants coming from a previously used supplier while the jersey is new, all from Fanatics. It is said that it is delivered pre-dyed at the factory.
Major League Baseball uniforms were previously manufactured by Majestic, which was acquired by Fanatics in 2017, and Nike signed a 10-year deal with MLB in 2020 to design their uniforms.
Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo compared it to manufacturing in a factory.
“Let’s say a local woodworker is building something,” he said. “They have great attention to detail, they’re handmade, and they’re high-quality products. As soon as it’s manufactured, I mean, when it becomes a big deal, they usually start cutting corners. .’OK, we don’t need this detail, we don’t need this detail.’ Just that this product works, that we can sell it for the same price, and that we can produce it in large quantities. ”
“It used to be Majestic. It was a much smaller company. They primarily dealt in baseball,” he continued. “Then you get a global company that’s worth billions of dollars. And in most cases, they have to answer to someone who cares about the bottom line, and they have to It has to be profitable. I don’t know the whole story, but I just know how the business works.”
In addition to sweat and color differences, some teams don’t even have matching jerseys.
The Seattle Mariners no longer have cream-colored uniforms, and the St. Louis Cardinals no longer have powder blue uniforms.
according to reportFanatics doesn’t have it in stock yet.
Nobody likes change, and with so much attention focused on MLB and its uniforms, Nike and Fanatics knew it would take time to get fans and players to like the new uniforms.
But unless we find a way to stop the problem from continuing, we could face a long battle.
