The new Fanatics jersey have received criticism from both players and fans. (Courtesy of Instagram/@rally_house)

Throughout the history of baseball, the idea of changing jersey designs is not a new phenomenon. Following the new MLB jerseys unveiled during the 2024 spring training season, there have been extreme grievances against Fanatics’ poor manufacture of the jerseys; the lettering of the last name appears small while the pants are extremely see-through. 

Dating all the way to the earliest days of baseball in 1849, the New York Knickerbockers became the first baseball team to adopt a uniform consisting of blue pants, white flannel jerseys and white straw hats. About two decades later, in 1867, a couple years before becoming MLB’s first professional and organized team, baseball saw its first real alteration when the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional team to alter their uniform and wear knicker-style pants at or above the knee. Funny enough, in 1882, National League uniforms were determined by the position the player was playing. This experimental National League idea was phased out by the middle of that season due to immense confusion, for good reason. In the American League during the 1907 season, the Reading Red Roses of the Atlantic League became the first professional team to wear uniform numbers. This same year, the Boston Doves, known later as the Braves, became the first team to wear pinstripes. The New York Highlanders, known today as the New York Yankees, adopted pinstripes in 1912 which became officially permanent in 1915. During the 1929 season, the Cleveland Guardians and Yankees became the first big-league teams to wear numbers on the back of their jerseys. In 1940, the Chicago Cubs debuted the sleeveless jersey, which has made its appearances throughout history. In 1950, the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League became the first affiliated team to wear short-style pants. By 1952, the Brooklyn Dodgers became the first major-league team to wear numbers on the front of their home jerseys in red numbering, which is still a staple in their uniforms today. Eight years later in 1960, the Chicago White Sox were the first team to put player names on the back of their jerseys, something every team would do except the New York Yankees. In 1970, the Pittsburgh Pirates began a new era of fashion in baseball through debuting cotton-nylon uniforms that featured pullover jerseys and pants without belts. By 1978, there were 10 teams in the MLB with power-blue away uniforms. In 1993, the revitalization of the sleeveless jerseys came back with the Cincinnati Reds and the Florida Marlins. Throughout all this history though, Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 was eternally retired by every team between the major-and-minor leagues in 1997.

On July 18, 1998, the Seattle Mariners hosted what was called “Turn Ahead the Clock Night,” where teams wore uniforms stemming from futuristic and out-of-this-world imagination. While the concept began on that July night for a Seattle home game against the Kansas City Royals, the concept really took effect league-wide the following season in 1999. During that season, 22 teams unveiled these forward-thinking concepts, which took the league by storm. 

Since the turn of the century, the MLB’s jerseys have looked exactly like how they look today. Through the efforts of the Seattle Mariners back on that July night in 1998, we can thank their earlier efforts and label them as pioneers in the way we think about modern day uniform construction. On August 10, 2017, the MLB announced that, for the next two years, it would host the first Players Weekend in which team’s uniforms would offer expanded color scheming to help promote Little League Baseball. In addition, for a brief time, the last names on the backs of those players jersey’s were allowed to be their own nicknames. For example, during the Angels’ 2019 Players Weekend, Shohei Ohtani’s uniform read “SHOWTIME” on the back, while Albert Pujols’ had “LA MÁQUINA,” which in Spanish translates to “The Machine.” What we can really thank the Seattle Mariners for with the “Turn Ahead the Clock Night” is the City Connect uniforms seen today. On June 24, 2021, in a collaboration with Nike, the MLB’s City Connect uniforms were designed to provide a color scheme different from that of a team’s typical home and away ones. This, while also being designed inherently to reflect the different cultural aspects of a team’s home city, showcasing what makes each city unique. In the same year, the MLB announced that during the All-Star game, each team would have their own All-Star jersey, instead of players wearing their own respective team’s uniforms. 

As you can tell, there have been some additions to the jerseys of-late, but nowhere near the volume of altercations made throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Back in 2020, the MLB signed a 10-year, $1 billion dollar deal with Fanatics for the manufacture and distribution of their uniforms. The new uniforms manufactured by Fanatics and designed by Nike were made with lighter fabric and were intended for top-level performance with accounts for lighter weight, improved elasticity and comfort. With that being said, after photo day, the explosion over the internet showed the complete opposite, leading people to believe Fanatics skimped on their fabric. However, the fabric, manufactured by Nike, is already dyed when it arrives at the Fanatics factory. Throughout baseball history, the tinkering of the uniform in various ways is not new to the sport. Although recent changes to the MLB uniform by Fanatics have been met with criticism, the league is working to continue improvements to the uniform to appease players and fans alike.

Correction: A previous version of the article incorrectly stated that Fanatics designed the MLB uniforms. Nike designs the uniforms while Fanatics manufactures them. The article also states that fans were led to believe that Fanatics “skimped” on the fabric. Fanatics does not manufacture or choose the fabric used for MLB uniforms. The fabric originates from a Nike-approved vendor.