Cody Snavely
One of the first significant storylines of the 2024 Major League Baseball season was the introduction of the new official team jerseys from Nike and Fanatics. The change was a massive controversy for fans and players, with both sides sharing their distaste for the new jersey template.
Beginning in the 2024 season, Major League Baseball (MLB) adopted a new template for its uniforms, designed by Nike and produced by Fanatics, officially titled the Nike Vapor Premier. The goal was to create a jersey engineered to improve mobility, moisture management, and fit while keeping sustainability in mind—bringing inspiration and innovation to athletes.
Continuing on that, a press release posted by Major League Baseball last February stated that the jerseys were more breathable, lightweight, and made of high-performance fabric. However, that was far from the truth.
Almost everyone who didn’t have a deal with Nike criticized the uniforms as not only bland and uninteresting with their lettering but also almost unwearable. Shots emerged during spring training of guys whose packages were being given a little too much visibility through the sheer material of the new pants. Other pics showed players absolutely drenched in sweat, even though we’re still in April. It was, um, not a good look.
The union clarified that this was almost entirely a Nike issue, even though manufacturer Fanatics had taken a lot of heat for the look and feel of the garments, saying the company “recognizes the vital importance of soliciting Player feedback.”
After a few months of debate, Major League Baseball, Nike, and Fanatics announced that the company would revert back to the old uniform template and change the style of the pants, allowing players to tailor them to fit rather than use general sizes.
While the change did not take place during the 2024 regular season or postseason, teams are now officially reporting to their respective spring training facilities with the updated look. So, what are the changes?
In a story written by Stephen J. Nesbitt of The Athletic, he reports that Nike is making good on its promise from last season regarding the jersey change, confirming that “Nike is returning to its pre-2024 template. That means larger letters, heavier fabric, pants tailored to players’ preferences, and road grays that don’t wick sweat into nationally televised Rorschach blots.”
Another added change to the uniform is the return of embroidered sleeve patches, leaving behind the cheap screen-printed material.
As for the impact on the Los Angeles Dodgers, the change can already be seen on players who were in full uniform yesterday, such as starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is seen below wearing the updated jersey below.
The jersey has a larger number and name on the back, and in the front, the “Dodgers” iconic inscription is no longer cut through the “d,” as it was in previous seasons before Nike and Fanatics updated the look last season.
Another noticeable change to the MLB uniforms is that the side and ad patches are now fully embroidered rather than just SimStitch, a small change that adds to the overall look of the jersey.
In the end, it’s the small things that Nike, Fanatics, and Major League Baseball are doing to revert their massive screwup last season, and by the 2026 season, all should be back to normal.
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