The hottest topic circulating during Spring Training doesn’t revolve around the intricacies of baseball itself, but rather around the debut of Major League Baseball’s latest on-field attire: the Nike Vapor Premier jersey. Supposedly boasting a softer, lighter, and more flexible design compared to its predecessor, Nike’s claims are met with skepticism by many players. Across clubhouses league-wide, critiques abound regarding the ill-fitting, aesthetically lacking, and inconsistently made jerseys, with players also noting the diminutive lettering as a point of contention.
In one locker room, Los Angeles Angels reliever Carlos Estévez was visibly annoyed by the arrival of the new uniforms. He displayed a couple of tops and pairs of pants, pointing out the glaring discrepancies in shade between them and at the cramped and uneven lettering adorning the back of the jersey. Gone are the days when pitchers could tailor their attire to accommodate their unique physique, whether it be for their ample frames or muscular thighs.
“When I wear my pants, I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s pants,” Estévez said.
Teammate Taylor Ward added, “I could see Estévez (flexing)and it just ripping in the back.”
“It looks like a replica,” Ward said. “It feels kind of like papery. It could be great when you’re out there sweating, it may be breathable. But I haven’t had that opportunity yet to try that out. But from the looks of it, it doesn’t look like a $450 jersey.
The Angels aren’t alone in their complaints. Dissatisfaction with the new uniforms initially sparked at the St. Louis Cardinals complex in Jupiter, Fla., and led to Nike and Fanatics, the respective creators and manufacturers, facing criticism from both players and fans. The outcry has prompted players to escalate their concerns to their union, with the MLBPA now actively involved in conveying the players’ grievances.
Dansby Swanson, the Chicago Cubs shortstop with a Nike endorsement, disclosed that he contacted his Nike connections on Tuesday to have discussions about the recently introduced jerseys. While he expressed his support for the innovative materials used, Swanson highlighted certain design aspects, such as the particular shade of blue featured on the Cubs’ jerseys, as areas that could benefit from reevaluation.
“Cubbie blue is its own blue, right?” Swanson said. “This blue on the uniform is a little bit different than Cubbie blue. So how can we just recapture that?” He added, “With some of those things, it’s like this makes a Cubs uniform a Cubs uniform. It doesn’t need to change. I think that they will probably have to end up figuring out a way to kind of go back to what it used to be.”
With players across the league complaining about the new uniforms, one must wonder whether drastic changes will be made in the immediate future. So far, the new uniforms are a miss for players and fans alike.
