How the Royals kept their uniforms from being changed like the rest of MLB

You may be familiar with the term “Inside Baseball,” but here’s a new one we’re going to introduce: “Inside Baseball Fashion.”

One of the biggest stories in spring training has been what the players are wearing on the field. The player names are smaller on the jerseys, which have drawn complaints from fans and players.

“It looks like a replica,” Angels outfielder Taylor Ward told the Athletic of his jersey. “It feels kind of like papery. It could be great when you’re out there sweating, it may be breathable. But I haven’t had that opportunity yet to try that out. But from the looks of it, it doesn’t look like a $450 jersey.”

Then there are the pants, which have been described as “see through” by ESPN.

The grumbling about the uniforms, which are designed by Nike and produced by Fanatic, has continued. But one team has stayed above the fray: the Royals.

Fans took note that the Royals jerseys looked the same when watching videos of spring games.

Here’s the “Inside Baseball Fashion” moment: changes to the uniforms were in the works during the 2023 season, and that’s when the Royals noted the proposed alterations.

They didn’t like them and made a point of saying they wanted to keep the names the same size. This went all the way to the top with Royals CEO/chairman John Sherman pushing for the player names to remain the same size.

One reason the names look different this spring is because of a subtle change made to the back of the uniform. The MLB logo, which had been up closer to the collar, was pushed down. That forced the arching of players names to look a little different.

The thickness of the lettering has been lessened this season, and that goes for the Royals’ jerseys, too. So that’s one change that has been incorporated into the jerseys of all 30 MLB teams.

But the Royals jerseys look a lot like they always have, something the other 29 MLB teams can’t say.

The Royals declined comment for this story other than providing this statement: “Nike was great to work with in developing uniforms for our players that our fans connect with.”