Do MLB Players Wear New Uniforms Every Game | Honest Baseball (2024)

This question has wondered about me for many years. I asked my dad many times, “Do MLB players wear new uniforms every game?” My father answered that question several times but could not satisfy my tinder mind. So, here I come with the answer with research and many more questions that every baseball fan wants to know.

Do MLB Players Wear New Uniforms Every Game?

So, you want to know if MLB players wear new uniforms every game? Though the answer could be disappointing, the answer is ‘NO, they don’t,’ Major players do not wear new uniforms for every game. It just processed that way to look new.

Every team has a special team to work with MLB uniforms. After the match, they use unique cleaning materials and washing machines and dryers to make it look new for the next game. Some uniforms are even mended to fix damage or tears.

Yes, you can ask me, how do you know? Well, there is no official statement for this (You can’t be ‘official’ for this, can you?). People who are responsible for making the MLB jerseys look new every game are known as the “clubbies.”

Clubbies work hard and work smart to make those uniforms look new. Here I am quoting from Mitch Pole (Clubhouse manager – Los Angeles Dodgers ) “ We scrub the uniform until the fabric resembles fur in the past. But now, clubbies use special stain remover made for MLB only called Side out.”

Yes, my father also used to tell me those, but I did not believe in his words. So, here is the link to CNN for you to check. There is much more evidence I can show. But before you go there to have proof, let me inform you of some other interesting facts about MLB uniforms.

The process is fairly complicated, and when players from minor leagues or via an exchange, things become more complex. What other complications are there to make uniforms look new for every game? Let’s discover.

In case you don’t know how exactly a baseball team is formed. Read this article on baseball team players.

Why Do Major League Baseball Uniforms Look New Every Game?

The Major League Baseball (MLB) is a global phenomenon that generates billions of dollars and significantly impacts the world of professional sports. Teams invest heavily in branding and marketing, including uniform designs, to attract and retain the league’s massive fan base.

Every game, MLB players wear uniforms that look brand new and immaculate. This is the case for a number of reasons. To begin, MLB teams often update their uniforms.

Each team has two primary jerseys they wear during the regular season: home games and away games. You may also see teams wearing alternate jerseys, throwback jerseys, or special edition jerseys in addition to these two styles.

While MLB teams have traditionally reserved their “home” jerseys for games played at their own stadium and their “away” jerseys for games played on the road.

In recent years, many teams have adopted the practice of wearing alternate jerseys on the road to promote their brand and increase merchandise sales. Teams can easily keep up their professional appearance by cycling through their stock of spare jerseys.

The uniforms of Major League Baseball teams are a major investment for the organizations, with some teams spending over $1 million a year on new uniform designs. All the sliding into bases and diving for catches won’t damage these uniforms because they’re crafted from top-notch fabrics.

After each game, the uniforms are professionally laundered to get rid of any dirt, stains, or sweat so that they look like new for the next.

The MLB and its uniform provider, Nike, are very particular about how their uniforms look on the pitch. Uniform modifications, including changes to the logo, name, and number colors, require league approval.

Because Nike is the league’s official uniform provider as of the 2020 season, the company has introduced innovative materials and designs to improve the uniforms’ functionality and aesthetic appeal.

To sum up, MLB uniforms are an integral part of the league’s brand identity and are designed to attract fans and boost merchandise sales. High-quality fabrics, regular jersey swaps, and expert laundry all make the uniforms look new every time they’re worn. The league and Nike are also responsible for ensuring the uniforms look and perform well.

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Why do Baseball Uniforms get so Dirty?

Baseball is not a contact game like rugby, football, or hockey. But that does not reduce the action of baseball. Baseball players had to run and dive on rough surfaces, which can create many hazards for the uniforms.

Let me help to find the reasons that make baseball uniforms dirty.

• Blood – Don’t be afraid, but that happens in baseball. Professional baseball players have to dive on the pitch regularly. Players dive on their bellies, into the bases for runs, and jump on their knees in the outfield to the field or catch. MLB fields consist of exotic soils or amendments. And when players dive on that field, many of them get minor injuries, and blood comes out of their bodies, making the uniforms dirty.
• Grass stains – This is the most challenging dirt that a baseball uniform can get. The outfield of a baseball field is full of natural grass (yes, artificial turfs are becoming rare). And when baseball players dive into the outfield, their uniforms can get green stains. Besides, catchers and pitchers can get occasional grass stains depending on the match situation.
• Sweat – Baseball is played under the hot, bright sun during the summer. However, there is a night match, but most games happen during the day. You know what? It doesn’t matter whether it is day or night; sweat is a common incident among players.

Are you in union school? Then you must read Can You Run Over The Catcher In High School Baseball?

How do they Clean tough Stains?

Grass stains are very difficult to remove. When they combine with the red clay of the baseball field, it becomes very hard to remove them. Then a new cleaning product was introduced to make life easier for the cubbies. The new cleaning product is “Side Out.” That industrial stain removal was specially made for the Major leagues.

Side out was the brainchild of chemist Mark Simmons and his partner. He was in the cleaning industry and heard the challenges of baseball clubs in cleaning their players’ jerseys. And then, they came up with this unique product which is currently manufactured for Major leagues only.

Cleaning with the side out is a bit unconventional. There are two steps. First, you will apply side out 1, which is a real dark purplish-brown liquid. Any outsider will think it is crazy, and the chemical will not come out!

Then you will use Side out 2, which is a clear liquid. This chemical enters the fabric. As a result, you get a brand new look on the baseball uniforms.

I don’t know what the special secret of that new cleaning agent is. But I have good news for you. The product “Side out” will be quickly available for all l players. So, dear parents and baseball players, you will also get a brand new look on your jerseys like MLB players.

White pants look dirty even with some dust. Read our guide about cleaning white pants. And to remove stains from pants, read guide about Removing stains from the baseball pants

What about Caps and Shoes?

Though baseball jerseys are washed to make them clean, that is not the case for caps or cleats.

Players tend to be superstitious. That is true for baseball, also. And like many other sports, players are also superstitious about their caps. Many players tend to be fashionable about their caps.

Therefore, you will find a combination of filthy and highly fashionable baseball caps on the field. But how much fashion a player can do does not entirely depend on the player. They must follow the team and league rules to add fashionable stuff to their caps. In short, players have freedom for their caps. And players can get new caps when they ask.

For baseball cleats, the story is also different. Most players have contracts with various brands, and those brands have different requirements. And clubs also sometimes interfere to protect their team brands. So, how players wear their cleats is a different story, and I think I should write a separate article to describe that.

How many uniforms do Major League Baseball players have?

Every team must have two sets of uniforms. They have to wear white color for home games and other colors for road games. Another important point is the MLB themselves provide the uniforms.

M.A. has had a written contract with MLB since 1984, and they are responsible for providing all uniforms.

Do you know whether post-season stats count in a player’s career or not?

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Do All Baseball Players have their Names on the Back of Their Uniforms?

Most baseball teams feature players’ names on the back of their team jerseys, but that is not mandatory. The New York Yankees are big fans of their tradition and don’t feature their players’ names to honor their team’s traditional uniform.

Boston Red Sox also used the same uniform without featuring their players’ names for many years.

Do MLB players pay for their own uniforms?

No, MLB players don’t directly pay for their uniforms. But their clubs must pay for the uniforms as the MLB supplies them. MLB has contracted with M.A., and they provide the uniforms. Besides, all players get 75% of their income as insurance.

What are the Official Rules for the Jersyes of MLB teams?

MLB has official rules, and teams have to follow those rules:

Official rules for MLB teams regarding uniforms

• Team players must wear identical uniforms for a particular game.
• Players must feature a number on the back of their uniforms.
• If the undershirt can be seen from the outside, every player must also wear identical undershirts.

Though not official, there is a common tradition for selecting uniforms in home and away matches. From the 19th century, teams playing at home wore white and grey in away games. However, some teams use solid dark black or blue in road games.

Can new york Yankees Players do Tattoos?

The New York Yankees are a very strict team about their dress codes and other appearances. They even don’t feature their players’ names on the back of their jerseys to respect the old uniform of the clubs.

Newyork Yankees are very much conscious about their images and don’t allow their players to do anything that can hamper it. Consequently, tattoos and beards are forbidden for Yankees players. Even a player has a tattoo that can’t be displayed while playing.

Can Baseball players Change their Jersey Numbers?

Sure, players can change their jersey numbers. Newyork Yankees introduced the tradition of using jersey numbers in the year 1929. When they introduced the number for the first time, they used the batting order as the number for players.

But that is not the case these days. Now players and coaches change their jersey numbers without any problem.

Can MLB players wear their hats backward?

No, they can’t. Ken Griffey Jr. was fined in 1998 for wearing the hat backward. So, no player wears the cap backward to avoid the league’s fine. But catchers can wear hats backward.

Do baseball players buy their own gloves?

Yes and No. Gloves are one of the few things that baseball teams do not provide for their players. But that does not make them buy one for themselves. Most Major league players have a contract with different manufacturers, and they provide free gloves to the players.

Final Words

When I started this article, I just wanted to give the detailed answer, “Do MLB players wear new uniforms every game?” But then I realized there were some relevant things I also wanted to know before starting my baseball playing career.

That’s why I included those in this article. I hope you have enjoyed this article and learned many things you have been looking for answers to. Have a nice day.