MLB Uniform Changes: Clubs will be restricted to four distinct uniforms for the 2023 season

Alongside rule changes, baseball is undergoing MLB uniform changes as well. Last year, Nike, who does all MLB jerseys now, noticed that some teams had an overabundance of uniform options.

This year, they'd like to limit that. It won't be terribly restrictive for most teams, though. Nike has stated that they'd like MLB teams to limit themselves to four uniform options.

That does not include the City Connect jerseys from Nike, that allow teams to express themselves and their cities. These will not count, so with the MLB uniform changes, teams will technically be able to wear five uniforms during the season.

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What do MLB uniform changes mean for MLB teams?

Some teams will simply have to choose with jerseys to retire this season. They won't be able to use every single one they have at their disposal.

St. Louis Cardinals president Bill Dewitt III said via On Tap Sports Net:

"They [Nike] have come to all the clubs and said, ‘We really want to sort of streamline uniforms.’ So there’s a model out there that they want to stick to called ‘four plus one. You have four jerseys that you can wear — home, road and two alternates — plus your City Connect when you unveil that."

Most teams won't have a problem adhering to this, but others, like the Seattle Mariners, will have to drop a few. According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, the Mariners had quite a few options in 2022:

"The Mariners had six jerseys last season — home white, home throwback cream, alternate 'Northwest green' or teal to some, alternate navy blue, road gray and spring training power blue."

The Seattle Mariners won't have all of their MLB uniforms in 2023

He continued:

"Kevin Martinez, the Mariners senior vice president of marketing and communications, confirmed the decision and said the elimination of gray and power blue was based on feedback from players and fans."

Some teams don't even have four uniforms.

For example, these MLB uniform changes won't hurt the New York Yankees at all. They have a pinstripe home jersey and a gray away uniform. They didn't have a City Connect uniform last year and are unlikely to have one this year.