Fanatics Blames ‘Technology’ Error for Mixed-Up MLB Ads

Fanatics recently sent A’s fans an email featuring models wearing Oakland jerseys over the tagline “New Season, New Dreams.”

One problem: There is no new season in Oakland, and it’s a bit of a sore spot for fans. The Athletics left the Northern California city after years of ranking at or near the bottom in attendance and total payroll. They’re slated to play home games in Sacramento’s Triple-A ballpark for three years as they wait for their Las Vegas stadium to be completed.

It was not only the Fanatics jersey mix-up to start the season. On March 28, a Minnesota Twins fan account on X posted an image of an apparent Fanatics advertisement. In it, a model wears a Twins jersey along with a cap for the Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota’s division rivals. The stadium in the background appears to be Camden Yards, home to the Baltimore Orioles.

Fanatics blamed “technology” in response to questions from Front Office Sports about the two ads, which the company confirmed were authentic.

“We create millions of advertising images each year and are always using the latest technology to make the process better for fans and more efficient,” a spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, in this case there was an error in that process, and we inadvertently posted some incorrect images which were quickly caught and removed.”

The spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether the company was using artificial intelligence to generate images.

According to MLB branding guidelines released during the offseason, the Athletics officially have no home. Their 2025 jerseys don’t feature any city name, and their box score designation is ATH, not SAC (or OAK).

Despite the A’s relocation, retailers are still trying to sell leftover Oakland merchandise. Fanatics has placed several Oakland Athletics items, including sweatshirts and T-shirts, on clearance. The MLB Shop, which Fanatics operates as MLB’s official online retailer, still has a page dedicated to remaining Oakland Athletics merchandise, including the jersey featured in the email, though it’s not navigable via the main menu.

—Dennis Young contributed reporting.