"The Knight," "Big Fella," and "The Machine" are a few of the nicknames that will appear on the back of MLB uniforms during Players' Weekend presented by Valspar Stain. The event returns for its second year for all games scheduled from August 24-26, it was announced today by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Players' Weekend will showcase the personalities and interests of Major League players by allowing them to select a nickname for the back of their jersey as well as wear and use uniquely colored and designed equipment including bats, spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves and catcher's equipment.
A select group of MLB players will be Ambassadors and they will promote the event and connect with fans leading into Players' Weekend. The players participating are Ozzie Albies, José Berríos, Alex Bregman, Edwin Díaz, Didi Gregorius, Kiké Hernández, Rhys Hoskins, Brandon Nimmo, Albert Pujols and Andrelton Simmons.
Players will wear specially designed uniforms created for the three games with jerseys by Majestic, caps by New Era and socks from Stance. Uniform images for each of the teams can be found here: Players' Weekend Caps and Players' Weekend Jerseys.
Each player will have the opportunity to recognize someone who was instrumental in his personal development, or a baseball player who inspired him to achieve, on a jersey patch on his right sleeve. In addition, each player will have the option to wear a t-shirt highlighting a cause or charity of his choice during pregame workouts and postgame interviews.
The "Evolution" logo, which shows a progression of five players increasing in size to demonstrate the process of a player's path from Little League and youth leagues to Major League Baseball, again will appear on the sleeve patch as well as on the back of each Club's cap and jersey. It will take the place of the standard MLB silhouetted batter. The logo symbolizes solidarity with local youth baseball and softball organizations.
"We were extraordinarily pleased that the first Players' Weekend gave fans greater insight into the players, their stories and their paths to the Major Leagues," said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. "By highlighting their positive influences, Players' Weekend showcased the significance of youth baseball and its role in the development of Major Leaguers. We look forward to the event returning and continuing to bring fans closer to the greatest baseball players in the world."
"Players envisioned Players' Weekend as a way to express themselves and connect with fans in a fun and more personal way," MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark said. "And the opportunity for Players to honor those who first stirred their passions for baseball at a grassroots level helps reinforce the way our game is handed down from generation to generation."
Valspar Stain will be the first presenting sponsor of Players' Weekend. With the vibrant and colorful uniforms of Players' Weekend, Valspar, a manufacturer of paints and coatings, brings its more than 200-year history of helping people connect with the power of color to the event.
Game-worn, Players' Weekend jerseys will be auctioned at MLB.com/auctions. All proceeds will be donated to the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, a joint effort established in July 2015 by MLB and the MLBPA with an initial commitment of $30 million focused on improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States and Canada.
The special features of the Players' Weekend games will also be adopted by the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies during the MLB Little League Classic presented by GEICO to be played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, August 19th during the 2018 Little League World Series. The game, which will celebrate youth baseball, will be played in front of a crowd of primarily Little League players and their families at historic Bowman Field. Earlier in the day, Major League players will attend Little League World Series games and cheer on these youngsters as a demonstration of the players' passion and commitment to helping grow the game at the youth level. The MLB Little League Classic will air nationally on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" and ESPN Radio at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.