• Loading stock data...
Thursday, April 17, 2025

MLB Uniform Furor: Lighter, More Flexible … and See-Through

  • See-through uniform pants are creating a social media stir, extending the blowback on the new design.
  • Manfred is pleading for patience as spring training continues.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

MLB’s new see-through uniforms are revealing more problems for the league.

The league’s much-discussed and often-reviled new uniforms, developed in partnership with Nike and Fanatics, have continued to roil players and fans alike and are now rising to become a potential labor issue. 

MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark was the latest to sound off on the new-look designs, which are aimed at offering players a lighter, more flexible, and more breathable fabric in which to play, but which have garnered widespread complaints about their aesthetics. The union leader said the organization is seeking changes to the uniforms before Opening Day and that it is working to ensure something “reflective of what being a major league ballplayer should be.

“Hopefully, we can get something done over the course of the next six weeks of spring training because I’d hate to be in a place where we’re still having conversations about some of the challenges we’re having in that regard once the lights come on for real,” Clark said following a visit with Angels players.

His comments arrived in tandem with the Cactus League media days this week in which a new round of player photos and social media content reinforced just how transparent the new uniforms are, with shirttails and undergarments plainly visible, particularly for those in white home jerseys and pants, like the Dodgers (above). Other player complaints—in some cases likening the uniforms to replicas—include reduced customization options for fit, smaller lettering, misaligned characters, and a cheaper overall look.

Prior League Testing

MLB did test this new fabric during last year’s All-Star Game in Seattle and received plenty of player praise at the time. Some players have applauded the shift, including Angels star Mike Trout, who said of the new uniforms, “Change can be good and I’m a big fan of these!!!” But the recent spring training media days have shown much more transparency with the white pants than those worn last summer by the American League All-Stars. 

League commissioner Rob Manfred has pleaded for more time in evaluating the new uniforms and said an adjustment period is required.

“I think after people wear them a little bit, they are going to be very popular,” Manfred said. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Netflix

Netflix Rises While Markets Slide—Thanks in Part to Live Sports

The streaming giant beats financial expectations as its sports presence grows.
Kim Ng

Kim Ng Is Trying to Crack Pro Softball’s Toughest Problem

Ng’s new task is translating the popularity of college softball to pros.

PGA Tour Will Emulate MLB Pitch Clock in Push to Speed Up..

Distance-measuring devices will be used on a preliminary basis.

Featured Today

exclusive

Inside Nico Iamaleava’s Ugly Breakup With Tennessee

Iamaleava’s representatives claim to FOS he didn’t push for more NIL money.
Jul 29, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; France center Dominique Malonga (14) and guard Marine Johannes (23) celebrate after defeating Canada during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy
April 13, 2025

‘Has to Change’: The WNBA’s International Player Problem

As more global stars arrive, the “prioritization” rule is causing tension.
Yamine Lamal Barcelona
April 12, 2025

Lamine Yamal: The Pressure and Price of Barcelona’s Young Prodigy

Lamine Yamal is a teenage superstar. Can Barcelona afford him?
The pin flag on the second green flaps in the wind during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
April 7, 2025

Inside The Masters: Traditions, Restrictions, and Gnomes

How the most exclusive major employs its own strict rules and operations.

UFL Dealing With Challenges Three Weeks Into Second Season

The spring football league is in its second season.
April 17, 2025

Travis Hunter’s Two-Way Ambitions Could Present New Pay Questions

The Heisman Trophy winner is adamant about playing both ways as a pro.
April 17, 2025

WNBPA Matches NBA’s 3-Point Contest Prize. Will Caitlin Clark Join?

The 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend will be in Indianapolis.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

This week, Two-time Super Bowl Champion and CBS NFL analyst Logan Ryan joins us to talk the business of sports on our third installment of Portfolio Players.
April 16, 2025

PGA Tour’s Wesley Bryan Suspended For Competing in LIV Golf Creator Event

The suspension had been expected for several weeks.
April 16, 2025

Warriors Play-In Win Opens Door for a Steph-LeBron Ratings Bonanza

Lakers vs. Warriors on Christmas Day drew nearly 8 million viewers.
April 15, 2025

WNBA Ties Record for International Top 10 Draft Picks: Questions Linger

The eligibility rules for international draftees are different from local players.
April 15, 2025

NFL Draft Green Room Filling Up—Just Not With Shedeur Sanders

There will be 17 hopeful NFL draftees in Green Bay next week.