This is a no brainer. Bryce Harper wants MLB to go back to having players wear their own jerseys during the All-Star Game:

MLB and NBA are the two All-Star Games that should always have the players wearing their own jerseys. The batting average for ASG jerseys is worse than Whit Merrifield’s. It’s an obvious cash grab because no one outside of the people who work for the NBA and MLB want them.

Of course it’s all Nike’s fault, via Bill Shaikin at the LA Times:

When Major League Baseball signed a billion-dollar contract with Nike in 2019, MLB did more than cash in. The league asked for help resolving its persistent problem in attracting newer and younger audiences.

“It really was about being able to harness their expertise in reaching younger audiences and in elevating sport, and in the power of the marketing brand that is Nike,” MLB chief revenue officer Noah Garden said.

“If you look at those jerseys, they are a total departure from where teams have traditionally gone with their jerseys,” he said. “We put our trust in our partner and work collaboratively with them to come up with these designs that, fortunately, have resonated with our fan base.”

MLB officials did not consult with players about the new All-Star uniforms. In Nike they trust.

Now I want to hate on Nike but I can’t. The Phillies’ City Connect jerseys stink, but kids love them, so if the goal is to attract younger viewers it’s working. Well the pitch clock helps too. Obviously Nike, who spent a billion dollars with MLB, is going to keep forcing the league to use custom ASG jerseys as long as the contract is in place.

Still, wouldn’t it be more beneficial for a kid from Seattle who might just catch Mariners games get to know what teams Bobby Witt Jr. or Gunnar Henderson play for? The future of baseball. You can still do something like an ASG patch. Then you can put the patch in baseball cards like they do for MLB debuts, sell them, and reach the younger generation through there.