Reviews are in on new Nike and Fanatics jerseys for Major League Baseball and they aren’t good, so who’s to blame?

The Philadelphia Phillies reported to Clearwater, Florida earlier this week and fans on social media were “blessed” with the first sighting of Major League Baseball’s new uniforms for the 2024 season.

To recap, Fanatics has taken over the manufacturing duties on MLB jerseys. There have been pretty significant changes to the jerseys for 2024 and for the past week, we’ve seen a countless number of upset fans and even players criticizing the new uniform design.

Obviously, Fanatics is an easy target. We have seen time and time again the blunders they face on social media. Their services, which have spread like wildfire over the past few years, have produced some of the wildest printing issues we’ve seen from a major player in the professional sports merchandising industry.

So this year, Major League Baseball debut a ton of changes to their uniforms, courtesy of Nike and their new manufacturing partner, Fanatics.

Nike/Fanatics: 2024 Major League Baseball uniform updates:

• Addition of a Sun Collar 
• Narrowed Name Placket 
• Fabric Change (Nike Vapor Technology)
• Reduced Size of NOB lettering
• Home Uniforms are now “Off-White”
• Belt Loops

Phillies Nameplates: 2023 vs 2024 Season

The Phillies’ old jersey nameplates vs. 2024’s update:

(@destiny_lugardo) pic.twitter.com/tQau6vkV5J

— Phillies Nation (@PhilliesNation) February 14, 2024

A look at the nameplate of the new Phillies jerseys. pic.twitter.com/u7V7vovIg9

— Destiny Lugardo (@destiny_lugardo) February 14, 2024

There’s a glaring difference in the size of the name plate on the new Fanatics / Nike Vapor jerseys and honestly, the entire thing looks significantly “cheaper” than it did the previous year.

2023 jerseys vs 2024 jerseys

They’re taking the curved names to an extreme this year. Imagine if Jared Saltalamacchia was still playing 😂 pic.twitter.com/LGbM2JtQgf

— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) February 13, 2024

So who’s to really to blame? Nike, Fanatics, or Major League Baseball? 

Just so everyone is on the same when it comes to Major League Baseball’s new uniform and jersey manufacturer, that is now being done by Fanatics. Nike is now only responsible for the jersey “design and engineering” of the jerseys thanks to a new manufacturing deal with the Michael Rubin owned Fanatics company. 

Again, no one likes the updated uniforms. They have caused quite the ruckus on social media and even players have chimed in about what appears to be a “poor quality” update on their jerseys from last year. 

St. Louis Cardinals Updated Jersey: ‘They Look Cheap’

‘They Look Cheap’: Cardinals Players Don’t Like Nike’s New MLB Jerseys https://t.co/IgWz1JKrP4

— Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) February 13, 2024

Not great for the “Fanatics Experience” but again, who’s to blame for MLB jersey updates? 

According to the very trustworthy website UniWatch, it’s really the decision of Nike to change the jerseys rather than Fanatics, who again, is constantly getting blasted on social media for low quality “knockoffs” rather than authentic jerseys. 

Who decided to move the MLB logo down on the back of the jersey?

Nike did. Nike also added the sun collar, narrowed the placket, changed the fabric, reduced the size of the NOB lettering, changed home jerseys from white to off-white, changed the belt loops, and all the other changes you’re seeing. Fanatics had nothing to do with any of those adjustments. [UniWatch]

But I heard that Fanatics is manufacturing these uniforms for Nike and just slapping a swoosh on them.

It’s true that Fanatics is manufacturing the game jerseys for Nike. But (a) Fanatics has been manufacturing Nike’s MLB game uniforms for four years now, because Fanatics owns the old Majestic factory in Pennsylvania, so there’s nothing new about that arrangement, and (b) they’re manufacturing the uniforms according to Nike’s design specs. [UniWatch]

Basically, Fanatics is just serving as a subcontractor for Nike

Fanatics is ordered to do what they’re told by the people in charge and shocker – it’s Nike who’s in charge of the design specs for Major League Baseball jerseys. 

Yes, that means Nike is also to blame for all of the very bad City Connect Jerseys which will be officially released this week. We’ll see if this nightmare version of the Phillies’ City Connect is true..

NHL Fans, You’re Next…

Fanatics will be taking over the NHL uniform contract next season.

The difference between what they are currently doing with Major League Baseball jerseys is that they will actually be handling the designing (not just manufacturing) for the NHL. 

Good or bad to give Fanatics more control?

Who knows. We’ll just have to wait and see what the NHL looks like next year.

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Mandatory Photo Credit: Heather Khalifa / Philadelphia Inquirer / Staff Photographer