MLB Players Complain to MLBPA Over New See-Through Uniform Pants

An MLB spokesperson claimed the material and thickness of the jerseys are the same as last year.

February 24, 2024

(Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Major League Baseball players are not happy with the new uniforms the league has commissioned for the upcoming season due to how transparent the pants are.

On Thursday, Major League Baseball Players Association deputy executive director Bruce Meyer revealed he and his team are fielding concerns from players about the new pants being see-through. ESPN initially reported about the complaints over the uniforms designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics.

"I know everyone hates them," Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said on Friday. "We all liked what we had. We understand business, but I think everyone wanted to keep it the same way, for the most part, with some tweaks here or there."

Fans have also denounced the letters, numbers, and sleeve emblems on the jerseys due to how less bulky they look, which the MLB said was done to make the uniforms more breathable and comfortable. The league also stated the uniforms improve mobility by providing 25 percent more stretch and will dry 28 percent faster than the older jerseys.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement on Thursday that he believed the adverse reactions the uniforms are getting won't last long. According to Manfred, Nike has yet to fail on their products.

"In baseball, any new initiative, there's going to be some negative feedback," Manfred said. "First and most important, these are Nike jerseys. So we entered this partnership with Nike because of who they are and the kinds of products that they use. Everything they've done for us so far has been absolutely, 100% successful across the board."

He continued, "The jerseys are different. They're designed to be performance wear as opposed to what has traditionally been worn. So they are going to be different, but they have been tested more extensively than any jersey in any sport."

An MLB spokesperson also released a statement to Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal on Friday that shot down rumors that the pants were much thinner and more see-through this year.

"The uniform pants have the same material and thickness as the uniform pants used last season," the spokesperson said. "There were changes to the fabric of the jersey, not the pants."

Check out some reactions to the new MLB pants below.