What's up with the mesh on MLB's spring training hats?
MLB's first foray into climate change adaptations is loved by players, criticized by fans
On Monday, MLB released the hats teams will use during 2023 spring training. Like last year, the hats feature a mesh similar to what is found on a trucker hat. At first glance, the mesh may look strange and uncomfortable. But with temperatures in spring training locations steadily creeping upward, MLB had to make a change.
Every spring, 15 teams arrive in Arizona to prepare for the new season. Arizona is a logical location to host spring training, providing sunny and dry weather perfect for baseball. Recently, however, global warming has begun to affect Arizona, with 8 of the state's 10 hottest years on record occurring since 2007. Of more concern to MLB players, one study from Arizona State shows that baseball fields can be 5°F warmer than the forecasted temperature on any given day.
In 2022, MLB debuted mesh hats for use in Spring Training. Designed for enhanced breathability and comfort for players, the hats ruffled feathers among fans. Many derided the cheap appearance of the mesh, the hats’ resemblance to stadium giveaways, and the increased retail price on top of it all. Some players also protested the hats, with bald-headed White Sox third basemen Jake Burger being chief among them due to his unfortunate sunburn.
But how do the rest of the players feel? Former New York Mets starting pitcher Taijuan Walker declared them the "best spring training hat they've made by far” when the mesh was first introduced in 2022. In fact, Walker may be in the majority, as there’s a sense among those close to players that most seem to like them. Heat has become a silently looming problem in MLB, with Los Angeles Angels Starting Pitcher Dylan Bundy exiting a regular-season game in 2021 due to heat exhaustion. As the climate keeps warming and summer heat waves become more common, heat will become a bigger issue for player safety.
The vocal minority of players who dislike the mesh will continue to decrease as Arizona temperatures keep warming. Over the last two years, Arizona averaged 125 days over 100°F (more than a third of the year) and 38 days (10% of the year) over 110°F. While most of these temperatures occur during the summer, participants in extended spring training and the Arizona Complex League will certainly appreciate the hat’s increased ventilation.
Discourse about the hats have mostly revolved around their appearance and the illusion that most players don’t like them. Less attention has been given to the fact that this is potentially the first measure MLB has implemented league wide as a result of climate change, and that this might be the first change of many to protect players’ safety going forward. The 2022 All-Star Game hats also featured the mesh, potentially signaling that all hats worn on the field will soon feature mesh panelling.
As players begin reporting for spring training over the next several weeks, hat discourse will inevitably come up again. Someone will follow in Jake Burger’s footsteps with a prominent sunburn, a few prominent players like Justin Verlander will continue to wear hats with a cotton backing. But underneath those surface-level narratives lies the reality of a changing climate affecting the sport of baseball and MLB’s first move in response.