The MLB jersey controversy is front and center this Spring Training.
During the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on Friday, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin defended his company in the midst of the MLB’s uniform controversy.
Rubin addressed the ongoing complaints from players during spring training regarding the new uniforms designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics for the upcoming season.
RELATED: MLB Player Suffers Embarrassing Wardrobe Malfunction While Wearing Fanatics’ ‘See-Through’ Uniforms
“This is a little bit of a difficult position,” Rubin said Friday. “We’re purely doing exactly as we’ve been told, and we’ve been told we’re doing everything exactly right. And we’re getting the s— kicked out of us. So that’s not fun.”
Fanatics has been producing MLB uniforms since 2017 with minimal issues. However, this season, MLB and Nike introduced new specifications for the uniforms, which have drawn criticism from players. Despite delivering the uniforms according to the updated specifications, Fanatics has faced backlash over the fit and quality, particularly with the white pants, which have been reported as see-through.
While Rubin acknowledged that the changes implemented by MLB and Nike have affected Fanatics’ perception in relation to the uniforms, he believes the alterations were made with good intentions.
“Nike is responsible for the designs,” Rubin explained. “They provide us with specifications and instruct us to produce accordingly. We’ve followed those specifications precisely, and both Nike and MLB have confirmed that we’ve met their requirements.”
MLB, Nike, and Fanatics have expressed their commitment to collaborating with players to address the fit issues before the start of the season. However, players may have no choice but to adapt to the new uniforms regardless of the adjustments made.
