Main League Baseball is staging its Gamers’ Weekend Friday, Aug. 15 by way of Sunday, Aug. 17 this season. It’s kind of of a special format this season. 

Proper off the highest, let’s level out a significant distinction that followers will discover. A fixture of Gamers’ Weekends previously have been the participant jerseys with nicknames on the again as a substitute of their final names (who can overlook “Not Justin” being on Shane Bieber’s jersey or “Corey’s Brother” on Kyle Seager’s?). These aren’t occurring this time round. 

“Not this 12 months,” Noah Backyard, MLB deputy commissioner, instructed CBS Sports activities. “We went backwards and forwards on it and this is not to say we cannot do it sooner or later however we form of, like, we did it and we form of wished to attempt one thing completely different. That is the place the bats got here out and issues like that.

“I really like the nicknames, gamers love the nicknames, possibly you may see it sooner or later.”

As an alternative, as Backyard famous, gamers might be dressing up their gear. From the league:

Some anticipated tributes embody bats and cleats that pay homage to residence nations/hometowns, alma maters, nicknames, favourite characters, members of the family and foundations. MLB and its golf equipment plan supporting content material to additional inform the tales behind among the on-field acknowledgments that followers will see.  

One of many extra thrilling points of the weekend might be seeing what the gamers provide you with on their bats and cleats. The gamers may also be carrying workforce hats with their very own numbers on the facet, which is a brand new wrinkle. 

“That is the primary time we have ever executed that on the sphere, in order that’s going to be nice, too, and permit individuals to have fun otherwise,” Backyard mentioned. 

Every of the three days that make up Gamers’ Weekend could have their very own theme:

o   Enjoyable (Friday, Aug. 16): Enjoyable points of gamers’ personalities, friendships and off-field pursuits might be featured.

o   Causes (Saturday, Aug. 17): Focus might be on charitable and neighborhood initiatives which might be essential to gamers.

o   Appreciation (Sunday, Aug. 18): Gamers will have fun the individuals who helped them on their path to the Main Leagues.

The largest aim for MLB with this weekend is to spotlight the individuality of the gamers to followers who do not essentially get to see that facet of their favourite athletes.

“You’ll be able to go anyplace to learn how many strikeouts [Paul] Skenes had final night time or what number of residence runs [Aaron] Decide has. What you may’t do, particularly for our gamers, who play on a regular basis for six months, individuals need to know what occurs behind the scenes. Like, what sort of automotive does Decide drive, what does [Bryce] Harper eat for breakfast?” mentioned Backyard.

“Giving a platform for these gamers to specific themselves in a manner that they only do not get to do every day is enjoyable for the followers, we predict it is actually enjoyable for the gamers — the suggestions has all the time been nice — and it permits them to specific themselves in a manner that followers get nearer to their favourite participant otherwise and make completely different connections than simply the on a regular basis stats. If we are able to proceed this occasion, and convey a special model of it to broaden individuals’s understanding of their favourite gamers, that is the aim.” 

MLB has additionally launched an advert marketing campaign, with the assistance of “Atlanta” star Brian Tyree Henry, within the hopes of attracting extra eyes.

Regardless of the league’s efforts, together with the “let the youngsters play” marketing campaign, Main League Baseball nonetheless faces criticism for failing to market its gamers like different sports activities are capable of do. 

“I would be mendacity if I did not say I heard the narrative,” Backyard instructed CBS Sports activities. “I really feel the identical manner you do this it is not likely true, however typically notion is actuality and this was not likely about answering that query. To me, we have a really attention-grabbing crop of younger gamers — the primary gamers who grew up with social media. They grew up when this was ingrained in them, a part of their rising up, versus the final technology of gamers who form of discovered it alongside the way in which, like I did.

“The flexibility to attach and their willingness to have interaction in these platforms, I feel, is essential to make a profitable weekend like this.” 

Additionally of notice right here is the try to succeed in the youngest of followers. This weekend concludes with an ESPN broadcast of the Little League Basic, that includes the Yankees and Tigers squaring off in Williamsport, Penn., in entrance of Little League World Collection combatants. 

Main League Baseball notes that, amongst many different efforts, Gamers’ Weekend helps promote the sport to a youthful viewers. A few of the info shared: 

• The median age of ticket purchasers has dropped six years since 2019 from 51 to 45.
• The proportion of ticket consumers ages 18-35 has elevated by 9.8% within the final 4 years.
• The common age of newly created accounts in MLB’s fan database has decreased by greater than seven years since 2019 from 43.4 to 36.2.
• In a 2023 survey, 86% of individuals ages 18-24 and 25-34 mentioned they’re extra prone to watch MLB video games because of the guidelines adjustments.
• As well as, 87% of individuals ages 25-34 and 79% of 18-24 year-olds mentioned they’re extra prone to attend MLB video games because of the rule adjustments.
• Since 2015 and the introduction of the PLAY BALL program, total participation in baseball has elevated by 13%.
• Baseball is the No. 1 workforce sport amongst boys aged 6-12.
• Baseball and softball mix to be essentially the most performed workforce sport amongst youngsters aged 6-12.

Naysayers and cynics like to level out how far more in style the NFL is than Main League Baseball, particularly with the soccer season proper across the nook. This is not a contest. The NFL is a monster that, at this time limit, can’t be slayed anyway, however whereas the seasons overlap, this is not direct competitors. 

“I feel it is co-existing,” Backyard mentioned of MLB’s aim in terms of different sports activities. “From my perspective, the extra individuals watching sports activities, the higher followers you turn into. Very hardly ever are you only a fan of 1 sport, you are a fan of all sports activities.

“Sports activities on the whole has been a cornerstone of media proper now… And so that you need to see sporting occasions succeed — all of them, not simply ours — and once they all succeed it lifts all of the boats, as they are saying. We have a look at it as complementary.” 

The frequency of MLB video games and the size of the season, particularly in comparison with different sports activities, retains followers invested, however it additionally means the gamers are busy virtually all 12 months. Once they’re practising, different non-baseball athletes are co-hosting podcasts or different ventures that present a special facet of them.

“We are the one sport the place you may’t lose sight of the truth that these guys are taking part in, on the stage they’re taking part in, day by day for six months,” Backyard mentioned.

“They do not have the down time that another athletes do of their sport to be energetic on social media, to specific themselves as a lot as in all probability they want, so anytime we can provide them a chance like that, it not solely makes them pleased however it brings followers nearer to the sport. To me, it is a win-win, so this weekend is all in regards to the gamers and I am excited to see all their completely different expressions on the sphere.”

One other distinction right here is that Main League Baseball is a regional sport, even with the convenience of MLB.TV. The place the NFL solely performs as soon as every week and will get a nationwide viewers for any nationwide broadcast, many MLB followers will solely watch their favourite workforce. That is the place creating favourite gamers for the younger followers ties into Gamers’ Weekend. 

“We’re all the time methods to turn into extra nationwide and not too long ago now we have, whether or not it is Aaron Decide or Shohei Ohtani or Mookie Betts or Paul Skenes,” Backyard mentioned. “You are seeing these gamers break by way of in a manner that’s a lot broader than previously and so that you need to capitalize on it for his or her groups, for themselves. Once more, there’s all these gamers which might be extra than simply residence runs and strikeouts and so they have many issues that they are obsessed with, charities that they work with, and giving them a platform to have the ability to convey that to their followers of the world additionally broadens their enchantment extra nationally.

“It is bringing followers nearer to those gamers and when you begin broadening their enchantment, it isn’t nearly strikeouts and residential runs, individuals simply join with completely different individuals and once you do, you need to see them profitable, you need to see them succeed.” 

In trying to attain as many individuals as attainable with nationwide broadcasts, from linear tv to streaming, MLB is that includes broadcasts day and night time all through Gamers’ Weekend, together with Skenes’ Friday begin. Here is the lineup:

• Blue Jays at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. ET Friday on Apple TV+
• Mariners at Pirates, 6:40 p.m. ET Friday on Apple TV+
• Yankees at Tigers, 1 p.m. ET Saturday on MLB Community
• Dodgers at Cardinals, 1 p.m. ET Saturday on Fox
• Guardians at Brewers, 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday on Fox
• Marlins at Mets, 12:05 p.m. ET Sunday on Roku
• Yankees vs. Tigers, 7:10 p.m. ET Sunday in Williamsport on ESPN

MLB’s aim is to place as many personalities on show for as many alternative sorts of followers as attainable this coming weekend. Possibly they’re going to even pull in some new followers and get them thinking about time to see the livid playoff races down the stretch. The AL East, AL West, NL West and a number of other wild-card spots appear to be they’re going to be hotly contested whereas the AL Central and possibly even NL East aren’t executed but.