Chicago Cubs Players Get Big News About Their Future All-Star Game Uniforms

Major League Baseball announced a significant change to what players will be wearing in the 2025 All-Star Game.

Jul 16, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; National League pitcher Shota Imanaga of the Chicago Cubs (18) reacts after pitching in the fourth inning during the 2024 MLB All-Star game at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This year’s Chicago Cubs All-Stars wore a unique jersey for the All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas. The black jerseys with teal sleeves were worn by all players in the game, including pitcher Shota Imanaga.

When the game is played in Atlanta in 2025, the Cubs will be wearing their own home white jerseys with the blue pinstripes and that iconic logo on the front.

MLB announced on Monday that the game was returning to its roots, as National League players will wear their home white jerseys and American League players will wear their road gray jerseys.

That was the tradition in the All-Star Game from its inception in the 1930s up until 2019, when the league opted to start using non-traditional jerseys for the game.

The change came after the league’s deal with Nike, as the apparel company and the league agreed to a 10-year, $1 billion deal to become MLB's official uniform supplier. With it came specially-designed uniforms for the Game while players wore their regular uniforms for the Home Run Derby.

Those specialty uniforms started in 2021 when the All-Star Game returned after the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

The new uniforms never really got traction with players or fans, to the point where MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the league was considering going back to the traditional home whites and road gray uniforms for the game in Atlanta.

“I’m aware of the sentiment,” he said during a press conference.

This came two years after Manfred told reporters that he like the change to a single uniform for each league during the game.

"I never thought that a baseball team wearing different jerseys in a game was a particularly appealing look for us,” he said.

Next year, players in the Home Run Derby will continue to wear their normal uniforms for that event, but that the rest of the participants would wear specially designed uniforms for workout day and other activities.

Along with the change for the All-Star Game, the league also announced that it is moving back to the former fabric and lettering used before Nike introduced the Vapor Premier jersey design, which was supposed to improve mobility and fit for players.

The uniforms caused widespread criticism from players about the uniforms, including the smaller lettering and numbers. MLB said it conducted a survey of players on next steps, and the new uniforms will feature enlarged letters for player names, embroidered sleeve patches and reverting back to full pant customization.

It will take more than a year for the uniforms to return to their 2023 form, but the transition will start with road uniforms, which will be ready for spring training.