Yankees add Starr Insurance patch to uniform, becoming 13th MLB team with jersey sponsor

The New York Yankees are introducing a sponsored patch to their uniform, the team announced Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:

Starr Insurance logos will debut on the sleeves of Yankees jerseys on July 21. The location of the patch will vary from player to player.
The commercial insurance company, named as New York’s “signature partner” Wednesday, will be the team’s first jersey patch partner.
The Yankees become the 13th team in MLB with a sponsored jersey patch. The Padres were the first to unveil one last April.

Our home and away uniforms with the Starr Insurance patch.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 12, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

A jarring change

The Yankees’ pinstriped uniform is one of the most iconic in the world. It is jarring to see a sponsor patch on the uniform, especially for a team that takes its history and traditions as seriously as the Yankees do. The reaction is going to be brutal. Fans are not going to like this at all, but like most changes, it’ll blow over eventually and fade into the background. But for someone who’s watched the Yankees for 27 years now, seeing something other than the pinstripes on their jerseys is going to take some adjusting. — Kirschner

Gotta pay for Aaron Judge’s contract somehow, right?

In all seriousness, this was always going to happen. It was just a matter of when. Teams across the globe have advertising that’s featured prominently on their uniforms. Is it a good look? No. Can fans do anything about it? Not really. So, it stays, and the rich get richer. Wait. Student loan payments are about to restart, right? Hey, Starr Insurance, you can slap your logo across my forehead — for the right price. — Kuty

Backstory

MLB and the players association agreed to introduce jersey advertising in the latest collective bargaining agreement. The NBA was the first major North American sports league to allow ads on jerseys, which started appearing during the 2017-18 season. The NHL began utilizing jersey patches during the 2022-23 season.

In addition to the patches, Starr Insurance signage will be placed on the Yankee Stadium outfield wall in front of both the home and visiting team bullpens. Starr is a “preeminent global insurance and investment organization” that maintains its largest office in New York.

“We are extremely proud to welcome Starr Insurance as the Yankees’ first-ever Signature Partner,” Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner said in a release. “Having had Starr as an insurance carrier of ours for the last decade and having worked closely with their leadership team as part of our preestablished partnership, it is clear that Starr is the right company to embark with on this landmark relationship.”