MLB’s New Fanatics-Produced Uniform Pants Don’t Leave Much to the Imagination

The biggest story in MLB over the past couple of weeks has been the complaints over the new uniforms that are making their debut this season. They’re noticeably different from last year’s versions and have drawn criticism from fans and players alike. 

The new unis were designed by Nike, but the company has outsourced production of the garments to Fanatics. Nike touts the new fabric as being stretchier than previous iterations, with increased moisture wicking. But players aren’t all thrilled with the new threads, particularly because they’re no longer able to tailor their uniforms as precisely as they previously could. Fans, meanwhile, are upset with the new design of the uniforms, especially the smaller lettering for players’ names. 

These problems have been evident from the moment players began reporting to spring training last week, but there’s another issue that has been overlooked until now: The players’ pants are completely see-through. 

You can see it in this video of Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.

Look how you can see the tails of his shirt through the front of his pants. 

And just to prove that this wasn’t an issue with Raleigh’s pants or a caused by the lighting in the Seattle clubhouse, here’s a photo of Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito where the same problem is evident. 

Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA Today Sports

The story is the same with every player who has already posed for their photo day portraits, including Shohei Ohtani. 

The response to the new Fanatics/Nike uniforms has been overwhelmingly negative. MLBPA executive director Tony Clark told The Athletic on Tuesday that the union is getting involved to see if there’s a way to fix things. The league and the manufacturer better get on that before some player gives fans an eyeful.