Fans, Players, and Now Even the MLBPA: Many are Unhappy with 2024's MLB Jerseys

Something has to be done about 2024’s MLB jerseys. While that may seem blunt or harsh, the quality and overall look of MLB jerseys are considerably worse than last season’s. There are several aesthetic choices made by Fanatics that have led the jerseys to be a very hot topic on social media and have continued to baffle fans of every team in MLB. 

The largest point of contention so far has been the inconsistent and somewhat bizarre manner in which the names have been placed on various players' jerseys. 

For names such as Justin Verlander’s, the text isn’t properly centered and the name has been curved around the numbers, leading to a cramped look that has led many fans to wonder what a jersey for players with longer names such as Pete Crow-Armstrong or Jarrod Saltalamacchia would look like. 

Players for the Nationals certainly haven’t been spared either. Josiah Gray’s jersey has an oddly small font spelling out his name, with a strange gap between the “R” and the “Y” and a curve similar to that of Verlander’s jersey, but with a shorter name making it look even more out of place. 

Another major issue many fans have raised is the decision to utilize simple, flat vinyl numbers instead of the normal stitched numbers of previous jerseys. 

As shown with the Mariners’ jerseys for this season, the numbers on each jersey lack any depth and don’t stand out on their respective jerseys as much because of the heat-pressed look replacing the sewn-on numbers. 

Combine awkward spacing, a change in the style and size of the numbers and names, the shifting of the MLB logo, and you have a clear sense of disappointment from baseball fans all over social media. And it’s not just the fans who are unhappy with the look and quality of these jerseys either, as demonstrated in this piece by Sam Blum for The Athletic, where the Executive Director of the MLBPA — as well as several MLB players themselves — expressed frustration with Fanatics' output for the 2024 season. 

While to some this may not seem like much of an issue, these controversial changes to the jerseys affect everybody involved with MLB. The players obviously are affected first and foremost. They have to wear these 162 days out of the year, and if the complaints about the durability continue, this will obviously be a major issue when players’ jerseys don’t fit correctly or are tearing after minimal use. Players also receive a portion of the revenue of jerseys with their names on them, so if sales go down because of hesitation about the quality, players will see an immediate impact. 

Baseball fans will also definitely feel these changes. Simply put, fans want to get the high quality product that they pay for. With the current pricing of replica jerseys, nobody wants to receive something they think looks “cheap” or won’t hold up. Fans want to show their support at games and even just out in their daily lives, and likely want to have a jersey they’re confident wearing and makes them feel as though it was money well spent. 

MLB organizations and ownership definitely don’t want to see this trend of fans unhappy with their merchandise. A large amount of revenue is generated through the sale of authentic MLB merchandise for each team, and that includes replica jerseys. The owners and financial departments of each organization will likely not want to see a portion of their sales start to dwindle as the relationship and trust between those in charge of manufacturing these jerseys and the fans looking to purchase them starts to degrade. 

To make matters worse, the pants issued to players are actually see-through.

It is safe to say no one likes these pants. Combined with the makeshift jerseys, the uniforms this season are a big whiff by baseball. Trea Turner did not hold back when asked about it:

It’s only Spring Training, so there’s still an entire season for changes to occur and goodwill to be rebuilt. However, those in charge of these changes need to start soon, or everybody involved with baseball will be worse off because of it.