5 best nicknames for MLB’s Players Weekend

MLB brought back the hugely popular Players Weekend for the second time, and some of the players really outdid themselves with their nicknames.

What is the most common complaint MLB fans have? For one, it’s too boring, and for another, there’s not enough personality in the game.

MLB has implemented plenty of rules over the years to shorten the average length of games, but last season, they took great strides towards fixing the latter with the introduction of Players Weekend.

For one weekend series, the players get to personalize their jerseys with whatever name they so choose. They borrowed the concept from the XFL, and while nobody changed their name to “He Hate Me,” there are still a lot of great nicknames to choose from.

Some of the players are less keen on the idea, and just went with their last name — or, in Los Angeles Dodgers’ Caleb Ferguson’s case, he went with his full name.

But even those that didn’t get creative with their name still have to wear a special Players Weekend jersey, ensuring that they participate in the event in some capacity.

That said, there were definitely some nicknames that stood out above the rest. The common thread among these players is that they aren’t household names.

They’re not very well known outside of their local market, so they probably relish a chance like this where they can go out and steal the spotlight. Some, like Josh Phegley, just brought back their nickname from last year, while Brad Boxberger went very outside the box (no pun intended).

5. Josh Phegley: PTBNL

PTBNL, or player to be named later, is a phrase that you commonly hear around the trade deadline. While it signifies a throwaway piece, sometimes those PTBNLs can turn into big stars.

Josh Phegley may or may not have been a PTBNL when the Oakland Athletics got him from the Chicago White Sox in return for Jeff Samardzija, but this nickname actually comes from last Players Weekend, when he couldn’t decide on a name so he just went with that.

It ended up sticking, and the A’s are a lot more fun to watch now than they were a year ago, so hopefully he’ll receive some extra attention from it.

4. Tommy Hunter: Bigger Fella

This is a nice example of two teammates working together. The Philadelphia Phillies’ star slugger Rhys Hoskins is getting a lot of attention for the numbers he has put up this season. His Players Weekend nickname is “Big Fella,” but Hunter one-upped him by calling himself “Bigger Fella.”

It’s a nice way for Hunter to poke fun at his own weight, while also stealing some of Hoskins’ thunder. He probably took it in good stride, though.

3. Shane Bieber: Not Justin

Justin Bieber has ruined it for people who share the same last name as him. Not only will they never have the hordes of fans that he has, they’ll be subject to the same ridicule as him.

Shane Bieber has had a great first season as a starting pitcher with the Cleveland Indians, but just having that last name ensures there will be a small number of people that will overlook his accomplishments just to mock him.

During Players Weekend, Shane has a message for everyone: he’s not Justin, so stop making fun of him for it!

2. Hunter Pence: Underpants

The San Francisco Giants are doing Players Weekend right. After Derek Holland was “Derek LAST NAME” on a telecast, he will have that immortalized during Players Weekend. But Hunter Pence will wear Underpants on his jersey, since it’s a nickname that’s stuck with him since 2013.

Admittedly, his name sounds a lot like “underpants” if you say it fast, which is why a heckler called him that during his minor league days. He then added Captain at the beginning after the popular children’s book series.

It remains to be seen if he’ll actually wear underpants during Players Weekend. Then again, a move like that is probably against protocol.

1. Brad Boxberger: 📦🍔

This is an all-timer. It’s not often that someone’s name can be converted to an emoji. But Brad Boxberger’s can, which is why he went Generation Y with his nickname:

https://twitter.com/Dbacks/status/1027651263599501312

Since Boxberger came to the Diamondbacks, he has served as the team’s closer. So far, so good, as he has 26 saves on the year and has his team sitting pretty at the top of the NL West. Of course, with the Dodgers only a half-game back, that can change in a hurry.

But if he’s out there during Players Weekend, his team is doing something right.

You want to reach out to millennials? Don’t start a “make baseball fun again” campaign — instead, put emojis on your jersey. That’ll get them engaged.