You are about to see a side of Major League players you've never seen before. MLB has dubbed Aug. 25-27 as Players Weekend, and this unprecedented event will feature a special kind of flair. Players will wear their nicknames on the back of colorful, alternate jerseys, and they are encouraged to wear (or use) customized spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves, catcher's masks and bats.
Game-worn Players Weekend jerseys will be up for bidding at MLB.com/auctions, with all net proceeds donated to the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, a joint effort established in July 2015 by MLB and the MLBPA with an initial commitment of $30 million focused on improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the U.S. and Canada.
• Players Weekend gear available at MLBShop.com
Here's a team-by-team breakdown of some of the more creative nicknames you'll see emblazoned on the back of jerseys come Players Weekend.
• Players Weekend: Nicknames of the Game
Angels: Though Jose Pujols is still mortal, he'll be one step closer to immortality for a few days as he sports "The Machine" across his back. More »
Astros: Reliever Chris Devenski is commonly known as "DeVo," but there's more to that nickname. In full, he's "DeVo The Dragon," so for the first time there will be a "Dragon" tossing pitches in an MLB game. More »
Athletics:Bruce Maxwell is not quite as big as the man he shares a similar toe-tap technique he uses at the plate, but he will give Prince Fielder a nod by donning "Baby Prince" above his number. It's the nickname teammate Khris Davis gave him. More »
Blue Jays: An ambassador of Players Weekend because of his close ties to the MLBPA and outreach on social media, Jose Bautista will utilize one of the more iconic nicknames in the sport on his jersey: "Joey Bats." More »
Braves: Prepare to be wowed by Tyler Flowers and his specially ordered catcher's equipment in addition to the always fashionable Brandon Phillips, as both players are expected to garner attention with their apparel. More »
Brewers: Fans will have to wait until the event to find out what slugger Eric Thames has in store, but hurler Josh Hader's "Haderade" will be hard to top. More »
Cardinals: Hurler Carlos Martinez is known for his flame-throwing ways and his penchant for replicating players' swings from the dugout. His chosen title, "Tsunami," fits his personality perfectly. More »
Cubs:Kristopher Bryant and Kyle Schwarber will celebrate the influence their parents had on their baseball careers, inscribing "Mom and Dad" under the patch on their jerseys. More »
D-backs:Paul Goldschmidt is known to many fans as "Goldy," so for him the decision was an easy one as to what nickname he would have emblazoned on his back. More »
Dodgers: L.A.'s stars will pay tribute to their social media presences as Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger plan to wear "Redturn2" and "Codylove," respectively. More »
Giants: A number of San Francisco's players will turn from man to beast, and fans should expect to see a "Shark," "Panda" and "Horse" on the field for the Giants during the weekend. More »
Indians: Shortstop Francisco Lindor will give fans the opportunity to see his trademark grin throughout the weekend as he goes by "Mr. Smile" for a few days. More »
Mariners: One of the hardest-hitting sluggers in the Majors, Nelson Cruz has certainly earned the nickname, "Boomstick." He will wear his nickname for the first time across his back throughout the event. More »
Marlins: Sticking to the animal theme, outfielder Marcell Ozuna goes by "The Big Bear" and reliever Brad Ziegler "Unicorn" for the weekend. More »
Mets: Sorry Jacob deGrom, but you'll have to figure out a different nickname for the weekend. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud is using "Lil D" on the back of his jersey. More »
Nationals: One of Washington's newest members, Sean Doolittle asked for as many O's as possible on the back of his threads. Expect to see a "D" followed by eight of them above his number. More »
Orioles: Reliever Darren O'Day will finally be able to don his family's original last name across his shoulders: Odachowski. It's a tribute to the pitcher's grandmother, who raised his father and two uncles on her own following the early death of his grandfather. More »
Padres: Hawaii native Kirby Yates could not have evolved from child to Major Leaguer without the help of those who raised him. He has chosen to sport the word "Ohana" on his sleeve patch, the Hawaiian word for family. More »
Phillies: Keep an eye on the feet of first baseman Tommy Joseph, who had his friends submit a few different cleat designs. The coolest will be on display during the weekend, with gold shoelaces to top them off. More »
Pirates: Achieving stardom often elicits a new nickname. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen, as he ascended to the league's elite, adopted "Cutch," which will be across his shoulders throughout the weekend. More »
Rangers:Delino DeShields is as excited as any big leaguer to show off his personality as he plans to use the nickname, "Poppa," in honor of his favorite cartoon. He'll have the cleats to match, of course. More »
Rays: Tampa Bay's stars are known to some mainly by their nicknames. For the first time, the Rays' "Longo" and "LoMo" get to swing for the fences with their creative titles above their numbers. More »
Red Sox: To commemorate his mother, who made sure he had the best bat on the market, outfielder Chris Young plans to wear her last name, "Reece," on the back of his threads. More »
Reds: If you blink, you might miss it, but speedster Billy Hamilton will sport the name "Bone" on his back. It's a shortened version of one of his many nicknames: Ham-bone. More »
Rockies: Twitter allows fans to get closer to professional athletes more than ever before. Center fielder Charlie Blackmon has gained quite the following on the platform, and thus plans to sport his handle "@Chuck_Nazty on his back. More »
Royals: Kansas City's squad possesses some of the more notable nicknames in the game. It won't be tough for fans to figure out who's sporting "Moose," "Melkman" and "Gordo" on their backs. More »
Tigers:Jose Cabrera and Victor Martinez are easy to spot because of their bright accessories, and fans should expect to see even more swag on display from the veteran sluggers. More »
Twins: Hitters who have to face Ervin Santana over the weekend beware: His stuff may very well disappear. Santana is going with the nickname "Magic," a fitting label for a man who is at times a magician on the mound. More »
White Sox: The man they call "Big Game James" has seen his name transition to its Spanish counterpart. Naturally, starter James Shields will have "Juego Grande" across his shoulders. More »
Yankees:Aaron Judge has taken the Majors by storm this season, and social media has played a part in helping fans recognize it. Judge will rock the phrase that now defines him: "All Rise." More »