So, I’ve been digging into this whole MLB umpire uniform thing for 2023, and let me tell you, it’s been quite a journey. I started off just browsing through some forums, you know, seeing what the chatter was about.
I dove into gathering info, and it seemed like the big thing was the material. The new shirts are supposed to be this “lightweight, breathable” fabric. Sounds fancy, right? I then read a bunch of articles about how they’re trying to make the umpires more comfortable out there, which makes sense, they’re standing for hours under the sun.
Then I tried to find out if there were any rules updates. I stumbled upon a few sites with some official rules and quizzes. They also mentioned something about some college conferences changing their umpire uniforms for 2025. Looks like the ACC, Big South, and Conference USA are getting a makeover.
But here’s where it gets interesting. I found out that there will be some delays with the changes and most umpires will return to using the materials from the 2023 season. So it’s not a complete overhaul just yet. Also, I compared the 2024 jersey (size 48T) and the 2023 jersey (size 46T). The newer one has more material, but the older one has sewn-on letters and numbers, while the new one has iron-on stuff.
Robot Umpires?
- I also read about MLB testing robot umpires during spring training at 13 ballparks.
- They might even use them in the regular season by 2026.
- Can you believe that? Robot umps!
Lastly, I checked out the All-Star uniforms. They’re going with a Lone Star State theme. The American League jerseys will have a sandy base with red sleeves and lettering, and the National League ones will be navy blue. Pretty cool, huh? It was a lot to take in, but hey, I learned a bunch. Who knew umpire uniforms could be so complicated?
