For the first time since 2019, Major League Baseball is bringing back Players’ Weekend, a promotion to celebrate the athletes and allow them to showcase their personalities.
In previous iterations, the players got to customize their jerseys and put their nicknames on the back. Although players won’t have the opportunity to wear custom jerseys this year, they’ll be able to wear special cleats and hats with their numbers on them. Batters are also allowed to use custom bats.
This year, the weekend has distinct themes each day: Friday is fun, Saturday is causes, and Sunday is appreciation. Players will be able to show off their hobbies and personalities, highlight charitable causes and community initiatives close to them, and honor the people who helped them succeed.
Here’s what the Orioles are doing for Players’ Weekend.
Gunnar Henderson
Henderson has two custom bat options for this weekend. Chandler Bats sent him a mustache-themed bat, and he has a custom Mario bat that he showed off during the All-Star break.
“It’s cool just kind of seeing all the players around the league and their personalities, so it’ll be something fun to do and fun to see,” he said.
Anthony Santander
Santander wasn’t aware that Players’ Weekend was happening until this week when he saw a custom bat at his locker that said “Tony Tater” on it. If he knew more ahead of time, Santander would have liked to add custom cleats as well, but he’s excited to see the promotion return regardless.
“That’s special for us to have that recognition,” he said. “It’s good that it’s coming back.”
Colton Cowser
Cowser is another player with multiple custom bats to choose from, but he’s unsure if he’ll use either. He has a cow print bat, which he used during warmups Friday, and a blue light saber, but he is unsure if he wants to change up his bat during the game and mess with what has been working lately.
Ryan O’Hearn
O’Hearn is using his last name as inspiration for his gear. His bat and cleats are green, white and orange, the colors of the Irish flag, and his bat features a leprechaun.
“It’s cool. I get to kind of flair it up a little bit,” he said. “I’m pretty vanilla usually with my swag, so I went a little extra this weekend.”
Eloy Jiménez
Jiménez’s custom bat pays homage to his home country, the Dominican Republic. The bat is red and blue to represent the flag and features a small flag and the laurel branch and palm from the country’s coat of arms.
The recent addition to the Orioles would have liked to have the return of custom jerseys so he could use the Big Baby nickname he did in 2019 with the White Sox, but he is happy to have Players’ Weekend back.
“I like it because it’s something that the players deserve because we work pretty much the whole year and it’s good to have a moment like this,” he said.
