BRADENTON, Fla. — Some Pittsburgh Pirates players have grumbled privately about the new MLB uniforms, expressing their dissatisfaction with the differences.
The names and numbers are visibly smaller. The mesh material on the game jerseys and pants is stretchier and, with home whites, can be see-through. By adding mesh to the numbers on the back, players are concerned that autographing jerseys will be more of a challenge.
The Pirates have been wearing batting practice gear during spring training workouts, so the new uniforms will make their Grapefruit League debut against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday in Fort Myers.
“I’ve only worn them for pictures, but I don’t really like the way they look or feel, just touching them,” left fielder Bryan Reynolds said. “It’s like literally mesh. The names are smaller. The numbers are smaller. I don’t know why. It comes down to comfort.”
The Nike uniforms were produced by Fanatics, which has handled all City Connect uniforms since 2020. Nike used body scan technology to create a better fit and designed the uniforms to be lighter by reducing the bulk on lettering, numbers and sleeve emblems and more breathable and comfortable performance wear that dries faster.
Pirates designated hitter Andrew McCutchen also doesn’t like the way the new uniforms look or fit.
“I don’t know. I guess you’ve got to get used to new things,” McCutchen said. “When you’re used to using something for a very, very long time, sometimes it takes awhile to get used to something that you’re not used to.”
Reynolds didn’t care for MLB’s rules changes to increase the pace of play, especially the pitch clock, so he views it as just another minor inconvenience in spring training.
“We’ve had to deal with making bigger adjustments, like the pace-of-play thing, so everybody will get used to it,” Reynolds said. “It’s just kind of strange.”
Two-time All-Star closer David Bednar has heard teammates talking about the new uniforms, especially the size of the names and numbers but has decided it’s best to look on the bright side: He’s still in the major leagues.
“For me, anytime you have a uniform to put on, it’s a good thing,” Bednar said. “That’s the mindset I’ve had about it.”
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.