Baseball brands are taking cues from basketball’s relationship with fashion

“Baseball is definitely going down the same path as basketball,” said Dylan Kavanagh, vp of omnichannel at Rawlings.

Like basketball, a burgeoning subculture has grown around what baseball players are wearing, on websites like What Pros Wear and through stylish players like Fernando Tatis, Jr. The latter is known for his eye-catching on-the-field apparel, like custom Tiffany & Co.-inspired cleats.

“The major league players are expressing themselves more. You can see it in their sliding mitts [colorfully designed gloves worn to protect the hand while sliding into base], their shoes, their necklaces,” Kavanagh said.

The Combat brand’s main product will be baseball bats, but at launch also includes T-shirts, hats, batting gloves and bat grips. More product categories are planned for future seasons, Kavanagh said. Combat is sold entirely direct-to-consumer, as opposed to Rawlings’ mix of DTC and wholesale, and is being kept separate from the rest of the company’s brands. The Combat online store makes no mention of the brand’s connection to Rawlings.

The inspiration from sneakers and streetwear goes beyond just the aesthetics though. Combat will release products in limited edition drops of around 500 units. Each drop will be numbered, and collaborations will be frequent. The first collection includes a collab with ‘47 Hats, a sports brand owned by New Era.

“While bats are the lead product, the brand could really be anything,” Kavanagh said. “We’ve broken down the product launch barriers, and that will help us pivot quickly and try new things.”

The Alt League, in devising the marketing launch for Combat, took advantage of newly changed Name, Image and Likeness rules, which recently began allowing student athletes to accept brand deals, and recruited high-profile young athletes. Jaden Walton, a catcher at Lakeview Academy who has 1.4 million followers on Instagram and 2.9 million followers on TikTok, is one of several young athletes who are part of the Combat campaign.

“Our plan was to get these kids out there and shoot them like they’re in a music video,” said Kimi Peterson, co-executive creative director at The Alt League. “We treated them like the stars they are.”

The loosening of NIL rules has been a boost for professional sports leagues like the WNBA, which has benefitted from student athletes developing fanbases earlier in their careers. Viewership of the MLB has grown 5% this year, and with the World Series kicking off on October 25, viewership now sits at nearly 4 million people per game.

“We’ve worked with a lot of pro athletes over the years,” said Rick Albano, co-executive creative director at The Alt League. “But these kids who are just starting their careers are so enthusiastic. They grew up around social media and they’re building their businesses. They know what they’re doing.”