The New York Yankees don’t do alternate jerseys. For 123 years, it has strictly been home pinstripes and road grays. But the clubhouse is pushing to break a century of tradition, and an already frustrated fanbase isn’t having it.

The Yankees might be getting a new look on the road if owner Hal Steinbrenner agrees to it. According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Aaron Judge and co. recently asked the front office if they could wear their navy batting-practice shirts during some away games instead of their standard gray uniforms. This would be a huge change for the franchise.

“Players suggested the team, during occasional road games, wear its navy batting practice jerseys, which feature ‘New York’ across the chest in gray letters and numbers with white trim and the Starr Insurance sleeve patch. The players did not propose any changes to the home uniforms or to the regular road jerseys,” wrote Kuty of The Athletic.

Until now, the Yankees have only two official jerseys— the pinstripes for home games and the gray uniforms for road games. The players use these jerseys for practice, especially on the road. However, the MLB has not yet approved them for in-game use.

While the clubhouse seems eager to get this done, the fans want them to stick to the old tradition.

Other than the Athletics, who are in the middle of changing home cities, the Yankees are the only MLB team without a City Connect uniform. They are also the only franchise without players’ names on the back of the uniforms. Even the Los Angeles Dodgers have recently added an alternative blue jersey for road games to their players’ closets.

Ultimately, owner Hal Steinbrenner has the final say. However, Steinbrenner, surprisingly, has shown a willingness to make some changes in the Yankees’ traditions. For instance, Steinbrenner removed the 49-year-old facial hair ban in 2025. In 2023, they added the logo of Starr Insurance, their first jersey sponsor, on the uniform sleeves.

As per Kuty, players are optimistic about wearing the alternative jersey soon, but their fans do not share the same enthusiasm.

Yankees fans frustrated about proposed jersey change

The New York Yankees’ fans are in for keeping tradition, and they did not step back from voicing it on X.

“First, they get rid of the old greys with the white borders. Then they end the facial hair policy for some clown that lasted a miserable year. Now they want cool blue alternate uniforms. Yankee execs are pushovers. Keep tradition. Win championships. Be the New York Yankees,” wrote one fan on X, referring to the changes already in place.

The Yankees haven’t made any massive changes to their look yet, but they have made a few quiet tweaks over the last couple of years. Along with adding the Starr Insurance logo in 2023, the Yankees have removed the white outlines and sleeve trims from their gray road jerseys in 2024. Aaron Judge actually asked for the change, wanting a cleaner, vintage look.

Hal Steinbrenner also lifted the facial hair ban that his father, George Steinbrenner, started back in the 1970s. However, the players, coaches, and executives are required to keep themselves well-groomed if they choose to keep facial hair.

Another fan quipped, “Might be the best thing that could happen because this team doesn’t resemble the Yankees franchise as it is. See, the old Yankees with no beards and the same uniforms did this dumb thing, they won championships; this team? Worries more about what they look like than winning.”

The Yankees’ fans are frustrated with their World Series drought, and they associate the old uniforms with their championship titles. The Yankees have won 27 WS titles from 1923 to 2009, and none since then. Their last ALDS and ALCS wins came in 2024, the same year they lost the WS to the Dodgers. Last season, the Toronto Blue Jays eliminated them in the division series.

One fan wrote, “Players who can’t win anything get to make demands and destroy more traditions just like they did with the beard rule,” while another remarked, “How about win a championship before you start asking to change traditions? The fact that this got far enough for the media to hear about it is a damn shame.”

The Yankees’ fans are clearly not receptive to the proposed change, especially with their performances in recent years. However, if the players want fans to be on board with them, it appears a World Series ring might help.

“All this is going to be is another money grab. Either the Yankees are about tradition, or they are not,” wrote a user on X. The Yankees reportedly get an average of $25 million per year from adding the Starr Insurance logo on their jersey sleeves. The fans suspect that introducing new jerseys might mean the same.

While most fans reacted with animosity to the concept, some fans expressed a bit of leniency.

“I don’t mind the players wanting to be a little more expressive and experimental. Personally, I’m happy with just the home pinstripes and road grays, but an alternate road jersey used occasionally isn’t the end of the world. It’s much less egregious than jersey and helmet ads,” wrote one.

Some fans won’t mind seeing the Yankees in a different outfit occasionally. Especially if they do not completely get rid of their traditional jerseys. They can accept an alternative jersey if the Yankees steer clear of advertisements on uniforms and helmets.

However, the fans won’t see any immediate changes before Steinbrenner agrees and the MLB gives its stamp of approval. But meanwhile, the Yankees’ players can win some championships as a peace-offering to the fans, in case they do change jerseys.