Major League Baseball scraps criticized All-Star Game uniforms and goes back to team jerseys

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball is going back to using primary team uniforms for the All-Star Game, scrapping criticized special jerseys used for the past four years.

Club uniforms were used by the American League from 1933-2019 and by the National League from 1934-2019. Players from the All-Star host team league wear their home uniforms and the other All-Star team’s players wear their road jerseys.

When the game resumed in 2021 following the pandemic-related cancellation in 2020, MLB had started a uniform contract with Nike and Fanatics, and All-Stars were outfitted in specially designed league uniforms that were maligned by traditionalists.

Home Run Derby participants will wear their home team uniforms for the derby. Other players on the field watching the competition will wear special uniforms.

MLB also said Monday it will phase in changes to regular team uniforms over 2025 and ’26, responding to criticism by players and fans of new materials introduced this year that were designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics. Pants fit poorly and were somewhat see-through, and lettering was smaller.

Changes will include pant customization, larger letters and prior fabric requested by players.

MLB said the changes resulted from discussions among MLB, the players’ association, Nike and Fanatics. It will take until opening day 2026 to fully implement the changes.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb