The MLB rolled out new jerseys for the 2024 season that are designed by Nike and produced by Fanatics. They are horrible.
New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon looked like he had been sprayed by a firehose during a game played indoors at a climate-controlled stadium.
He was drenched with sweat. It made the league and its apparel partners look even worse.
Nike, which designed and engineered the uniforms, handed its blueprint off to Fanatics for production. Issues immediately came to exist during Spring Training.
They did not get any better ahead of Opening Day. The new MLB uniforms caused all kinds of issues across the league as the new season began on Thursday.
And then Rodon took the bump on Friday. He sweat through New York’s road greys.
The Yankees’ starting pitcher was not the only on!
Aaron Judge was visibly sweating during the first game of the series on Thursday. It was as if the jersey changed colors.
The irony in all of this is that Major League Baseball touted the new uniforms as lighter, more breathable and sweat-wicking. Commissioner Rob Manfred called them “performance jerseys” that are supposed to dry faster and keep players dry.
That, very clearly, is not the reality!
A sweat-wicking fabric has two jobs:
- Move the sweat from from body to the fabric’s outer surface.
- Dry rapidly so sweat does not saturate the fabric.
Players are not dry. Rodon and Judge were sopping wet.
All-in-all the Fanatics and Nike’s rollout of the new MLB uniforms has been an overwhelming flop. The issues that came to exist during spring training allowed six(ish) weeks to figure out a solution. Nothing changed. Major League Baseball moved forward with what was not working anyway!