From tributes to family, the city, and even personalized heroes, both fictional and real, stunning designs took to the field this weekend at Nationals Stadium, with Philadelphia Phillies players taking 2025 Players’ Weekend by storm. Many of Philly’s finest took to the fanfare’s acceptance of customized gear by getting their hands on just about any piece of equipment the league allowed them to, from bats, cleats and gloves to catchers’ gear.
Although it’s not quite like the Players’ Weekend from the mid-2010s, MLB’s recent reintroduction of the fanfare for its players has at least allowed them to not only honor what they love most but also connect with the fans to show their personality through what brings them together: baseball. With some players, like Bryce Harper during the London Series, incorporating personalized touches into their gear, it adds a special element to the game, both on the field and off, for the players and their families.
https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1956431652470583574
Phillies players dazzle with their customized gear for Players’ Weekend
The Phillies finished a season-long 10-game road trip on Sunday with a win and a series split with the Washington Nationals. Just about every player on the team showed some kind of personalization in the nation’s capital, with Harper’s Philly-inspired gear from London sparking others to show some “brotherly love” for the city.
Some homages were more obvious, like Bryson Stott’s Elmo-themed “Braxtyn’s World” cleats, while some gear was a little more niche, like Harrison Bader’s chug jug bat. The players who work so hard year-round to fight to bring the World Series trophy back to South Philly were able to relax a little mid-season and have fun with both teammates and opposing teams. Phillies Nation broke down some of the finer details of each player’s designs.
Bryce couldn’t wait to break out the Players’ Weekend heat 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yOUVABHrWN
https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1956137416974344567
The team’s pitching staff got in on the fun as well. Phillies reliever Matt Strahm, who is no stranger to customizing his gear, also got in on the fun by getting a pencil glove signed by the Newton Edgmont Challenger team, a special needs baseball program that Strahm supports. He wasn’t the only pitcher to support a local organization near to his heart, either. Fellow lefty Jesús Luzardo chose to dedicate his cleats to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia despite taking the loss in the series opener this Players’ Weekend.
To view the full thread of the Phillies’ Players’ Weekend gear, check out this thread on X from Andrew Coté.
