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Here's Why MLB Players Are Using Colorful Bats and Wearing Cartoon Numbers This Weekend
The last time MLB staged a Players' Weekend in 2019, it was monochromatic. It's back in 2024 and will be a stark contrast with a flood of color.
Players' Weekend makes its return this season, and it'll bring character and personality to the basepaths in new ways.
Players' Weekend Theme Days
Each day of Players' Weekend is themed differently. Friday is deemed fun day, Saturday is deemed cause day, and Sunday is apprecation day.
Here's how the MLB laid out the importance of each day:
Fun (Friday): This will be a time to show off players' personalities, friendships and off-field interests.
Causes (Saturday): The focus this day will be on players' favorite charity and community efforts.
Appreciation (Sunday): Players will celebrate the people who helped them in their journey to the big leagues.
In all, a great mix of players showcasing who they are and platforming important people and causes. Who wouldn't love that?
Players Weekend Equipment Changes
There will be a few altered looks to the uniforms and equipment that players use during Players' Weekend 2024, many of which are similar to years' past. However, since the last time the MLB held this special weekend, some of the equipment rules have been relaxed in general, so things like custom cleats are no longer exclusive to just this weekend of the year.
Why Players Have Cartoon Numbers on Hats This Weekend
Hats will feature patches of cartoonish numbers of players on the right-hand side. Fans who like them can buy them from the league shop. It doesn't appear that the numbers signify anything in particular about any one given player, but are more meant to be expressive of the youthfulness of athletics in general. Notably, Players' Weekend is taking place in concert with the kickoff of the Little League World Series this weekend. The Yankees and Tigers will play a professional regular season game (the Little League Classic) exclusively for Little League fans and their familes in Williamsport, PA.
Why Some Players Have Colorful or Custom Bats This Weekend
Players are permitted to use custom bats this weekend, where the league temporarily widens its restrictions on paint finishes for bats (normally restricted to fairly neutral wood-based). Already, we've seen some cool ones, like these, with more to surely debut all weekend:
✏️ It might be Summer, but Ernie is ready for school this #PlayersWeekend! pic.twitter.com/2iDYRZJXRI
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 16, 2024
Jackson Merrill has a glow-in-dark Star Wars lightsaber bat for #PlayersWeekend 🤯 pic.twitter.com/WgQIDwa4ne
— MLB (@MLB) August 16, 2024
Players' Weekend Schedule: Schedule of Every game
Home Team | Away Team | Time (ET) | Day | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cubs | Blue Jays | 1:05 p.m. | Friday | Apple TV+ |
Reds | Royals | 6:40 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, BSKC, BSOH, ESPN+ |
Pirates | Mariners | 6:40 p.m. | Friday | Apple TV+ |
Phillies | Nationals | 6:40 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv MASN2, NBC 10 |
Tigers | Yankees | 6:40 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, YES, BSDET |
Rays | Diamondbacks | 6:50 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, ARID, BSSUN |
Orioles | Red Sox | 7:05 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, NESN, MASN |
Mets | Marlins | 7:10 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, BSFL, SNY |
Rangers | Twins | 8:05 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, BSNO, BSSW, MLBN |
Astros | White Sox | 8:10 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, NBCSCH, SCHN |
Brewers | Guardians | 8:10 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, BSGL, BSWI |
Cardinals | Dodgers | 8:15 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, SNLA, BSMW, MLBN |
Rockies | Padres | 8:40 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, SDPA, COLR |
Angels | Braves | 9:38 p.m. | Friday | MLB.tv, BSSE, BSW |
Pirates | Mariners | 1:05 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, RSNW, SNP, MLBN |
Tigers | Yankees | 2:10 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, YES, BSDET, MLBN |
Cubs | Blue Jays | 2:20 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, Sportsnet, MARQ, MLBN |
Rays | Diamondbacks | 4:10 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, ARID, BSSUN, MLBN |
Mets | Marlins | 4:10 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, BSFL, SNY |
Phillies | Nationals | 6:05 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, MASN2, NBCSP |
Reds | Royals | 6:40 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, BSKC, BSOH |
Orioles | Red Sox | 7:05 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, NESN, MASN |
Rangers | Twins | 7:05 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, BSNO, BSSW |
A's | Giants | 7:07 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, NBCSBA, NBCSCA |
Astros | White Sox | 7:10 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, NBCSCH, SCHN |
Cardinals | Dodgers | 7:15 p.m. | Saturday | FOX |
Brewers | Guardians | 7:15 p.m. | Saturday | FOX |
Rockies | Padres | 8:10 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, SDPA, COLR |
Angels | Braves | 9:38 p.m. | Saturday | MLB.tv, BSSE, BSW, MLBN |
Mets | Marlins | 12:05 p.m. | Sunday | Roku |
Orioles | Red Sox | 1:35 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, NESN, MASN, MLBN |
Pirates | Mariners | 1:35 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, RSNW, SNP |
Phillies | Nationals | 1:35 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, MASN2, NBCSP |
Reds | Royals | 1:40 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, BSKC, BSOH, MLBN |
Rays | Diamondbacks | 1:40 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, ARID, BSSUN |
Astros | White Sox | 2:10 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, NBCSCH, SCHN |
Brewers | Guardians | 2:10 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, BSGL, BSWI |
Cardinals | Dodgers | 2:15 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, SNLA, BSMW |
Cubs | Blue Jays | 2:20 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, Sportsnet, MARQ |
Rangers | Twins | 2:35 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, BSNO, BSSW |
Rockies | Padres | 3:10 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, SDPA, COLR |
A's | Giants | 4:07 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, NBCSBA, NBCSCA |
Angels | Braves | 4:07 p.m. | Sunday | MLB.tv, BSSE, BSW |
Tigers (Neutral site) | Yankees (Neutral site) | 7:10 p.m. | Sunday | ESPN |
Josh Wilson is the news director of the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in 2024, he worked for FanSided in a variety of roles, most recently as senior managing editor of the brand’s flagship site. He has also served as a general manager of Sportscasting, the sports arm of a start-up sports media company, where he oversaw the site’s editorial and business strategy. Wilson has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from SUNY Cortland and a master’s in accountancy from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois. He loves a good nonfiction book and enjoys learning and practicing Polish. Wilson lives in Chicago but was raised in upstate New York. He spent most of his life in the Northeast and briefly lived in Poland, where he ate an unhealthy amount of pastries for six months.