NEW YORK -- When asked about his nickname, that little slice of personality that seemingly all baseball players possess, Travis d'Arnaud pointed to the block-lettered last name on the back of his jersey.
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"I'm 'Lil D,'" d'Arnaud said, joking that Jacob deGrom would need to come up with something different.
d'Arnaud will sport that nickname on his jersey during Major League Baseball's inaugural Players Weekend on Aug. 25-27, when all players will wear colorful, non-traditional uniforms featuring alternate designs. The look is a nod toward youth baseball during the final weekend of the Little League World Series.
Here's a list of nicknames that some other Mets are expected to sport:
• Yoenis Cespedes: "LA POTENCIA"
• Jacob deGrom: "JAKE"
• Michael Conforto: "SCOOTER"
• Curtis Granderson: "GRANDYMAN"
• Jose Reyes: "LA MELAZA"
• Wilmer Flores: "CATIRE"
• Steven Matz: "RENO"
In addition to sewing nicknames on the backs of their jerseys, players will be allowed to wear and use uniquely colored and designed spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves, catcher's masks and bats. They will also wear specially designed New Era caps and Stance socks. During pregame workouts and postgame interviews, the big leaguers will wear T-shirts highlighting a charity or cause of their choice.
Also, each player will wear a patch on his sleeve showing the progression of a child evolving into a Major Leaguer. Under that logo will be a blank white space, which players can use to mark a name of a person they are grateful to for helping advance their careers, such as family member or a coach.

"I think it's cool," d'Arnaud said. "I went to Little League growing up, and I know it was definitely a good program, especially for kids who are 8-12, who are so influential about things around them, especially in the neighborhood. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a decent neighborhood. But in neighborhoods where kids are influenced by negative things or even bad things, having Little League or any sport really can keep them off the streets, and keep them locked in on something positive."
The Pirates and Cardinals will kick off Players Weekend festivities a week early, on Aug. 20, during the MLB Little League Classic at Williamsport, Pa. One Mets player, Michael Conforto (whose nickname is "Scooter"), is an alumnus of the Little League World Series, having played in Williamsport as an 11-year-old in 2004.
Game-worn Players Weekend jerseys will be auctioned at MLB.com/auctions after the event, with 100% of net proceeds donated to the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, a joint effort established in July 2015 with an initial commitment of $30 million to improve the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the U.S. and Canada.