After months of complaints, Major League Baseball will be addressing the changes needed to alter players’ pants, as well as the lettering size on jerseys and the mismatched tops and bottoms, according to a memo that was distributed to players through the MLB Players Association. News of the memo was first reported by ESPN.
The changes will be instituted by the beginning of the 2025 season, at the very latest.
“We recognize that, for the players, this has taken too long, and was entirely avoidable,” the union memo said.
The issues with the uniforms were first noticed and spoken out about in Spring Training, as Nike’s new Vapor Premier uniforms were widely criticized for their design and feel. The pants, which have looked see-through in some variations, came in low quantity, and MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in February it was the clothing item that was “the universal concern.”
“This has been entirely a Nike issue,” Sunday’s memo reads. “At its core, what has happened here is that Nike was innovating something that didn’t need to be innovated.”
The union’s memo also credited Fanatics, the company responsible for manufacturing the uniform, for listening to player feedback.
“Our hope is that, moving forward, Nike will take a similar approach,” the memo said.
“As many of you know, concern with Nike changes is not new. We cautioned Nike against various changes when they previewed them in 2022, particularly regarding pants. MLB had been, and has been, aware of our concerns as well. Unfortunately, until recently, Nike’s position has essentially boiled down to — ‘nothing to see here, Players will need to adjust.’”
Nike, Fanatics and MLB declined to comment.
This story will be updated.
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