Cody Snavely
In the sports world, there is nothing more iconic than a team’s uniform. Just a simple piece of clothing that unites a team and fanbase, along with the rich history with the name across the front. In an era where so many franchises continue to rebrand, there are teams like the Dodgers who have kept their iconic look for decades. However, Nike may be switching things up in 2024 with their new template that all 30 MLB teams will incorporate.
Has Nike made any changes before 2024?
From 2005 to 2019, Majestic, the primary uniform manufacturer, sponsored the MLB. However, once their license expired after the 2019 season, Nike swooped in for the rights and would now be the primary jersey manufacturer for all North American sports, minus Hockey.
When Nike took over in 2020, it was amid a pandemic that ravaged most of the World and led to manufacturing coming to a halt. The biggest change Nike incorporated was the iconic Swoosh on the front of the jersey. However, year by year, Nike would start to add their flare to teams’ jersey rotation with the introduction of the City Connect uniforms.
However, another noteworthy change that Nike has started as well is eliminating the MLB Postseason patches until the World Series which used to be a staple when October started. Interestingly enough, the MLB now allows advertisements on jersey sleeves, which has prompted Nike to move the World Series patch to the front of the jersey, which debuted in the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Why did the Dodgers jersey look off during the Ohtani press conference?
While the Dodgers introduced Shohei Ohtani as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, something looked a bit off with the Dodgers uniform. After doing a bit of digging, it seems that Nike is making drastic changes that affect not only the Dodgers but the entire league. For starters, Nike is introducing a new template that all thirty teams will use, which allows Nike to manufacture the jerseys quicker, cheaper, and more efficiently. One major flaw is that each MLB and their template differed, which is the case for the Dodgers. Some major changes are as follows:
- “Dodgers” now breaks at “d” rather than the “o”
- Front/back numbers are smaller and perforated (pattern with a hole or holes)
- The MLB logo is lower
- The curve on the name is more dramatic and smaller
However, a theory that I have seen many on social media point out is that Ohtani was potentially wearing the new 175.99 replica Nike jersey, which looks very similar to the Fanatics/MLB Shop picture. This theory is more believable because we have seen Joe Kelly wearing a jersey with his new number 99 at a charity event, and the changes I mentioned in the article are not present. The Dodgers social media page also posted an image of Ohatni’s locker, and the jersey hanging with his name on it looks like the 2023 template, so perhaps there is some truth to the theory.
Conclusion
Over the next few weeks, we should see more clarity on what Nike plans for the 2024 season. With the Dodger’s recent signing of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will likely get another introductory press conference, all eyes will be on the uni-watch! Huge shout out to Uni Watch and their article highlighting all the changes! For a more in-depth look, go over to their website and take a look at all the details they noticed.
