MLB Players' Weekend: Best Yankees, Mets nicknames

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MLB Players’ Weekend has returned this season and will take place from Aug. 23-25. While players will be permitted to have nicknames on the backs of their jerseys, they apparently won’t be allowed to wear any color, with every team wearing either all black or all white – a departure from prior years.

The monochromatic jerseys are intended to make any accessories, which players will be allowed to customize, stand out more than ever. If they choose, a patch honoring late Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs will be available for players to wear on their uniforms.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has dubbed his team “savages,” but his players will be sporting other nicknames against the Dodgers. The same goes for the current iteration of the Miracle Mets, who have won 11 of their last 12 to get above .500 and have thrust themselves into the wild-card race in the process. They’ll face the rival Braves for Players’ Weekend..

Here’s a look at the best nicknames set to be worn by both teams:

Yankees

Domingo German: “SUNDAY”

German took his nickname literally, translating his first name from Spanish to English.

Giancarlo Stanton: “PARMIGIANCARLO”

Stanton won’t be playing, but the Yankees will hope he can provide a cheesy bite from the bench.

Gary Sanchez: “KRAKEN”

The Yankees will be playing the league-best Dodgers during players’ weekend and will need Sanchez to unleash the “Kraken” — his long-term nickname —  if they are to out-slug Cody Bellinger and Co.

James Paxton: “BIG MAPLE”

Paxton paid homage to his roots. Born in Canada, Paxton has carried the nickname throughout his career.

J.A. Happ: “JDOT ADOT”

Happ has likely sounded out his name to others plenty of times and will now let his jersey do it for him.

Jacoby Ellsbury: “CHIEF”

Ellsbury hasn’t played in a game since 2017 with hip and foot injuries. Currently, he’s chief of the IL.

METS

Pete Alonso: “POLAR BEAR”

Todd Frazier gave Alonso the nickname during Spring Training due to his physique, and his has since stuck with him throughout his rookie season. Alonso has certainly lived up to it, putting his polar bear power on full display with 35 home runs.

Aaron Altherr: “A-A-RON”

Altherr gives a shout out to a classic “Key and Peele” Comedy Central sketch, where a substitute teacher fails to pronounce the name “Aaron” correctly. The Yankees’ Aaron Hicks used the same nickname last season, but will go by “Hicksie” .

Jeff McNeil: “FLYING SQUIRREL”

McNeil has owned the “Flying Squirrel” nickname for most of the season, but it took a new meaning when he dove into the net for a catch last week.

Walker Lockett: “🔒”

Simple, yet effective. With a 7.79 ERA, however, Lockett has been anything but a lock.

Seth Lugo: “QUARTERRICAN”

A nod to his paternal grandfather José, Lugo has long joked that he was “Quarter-Rican.” Lugo is a Louisiana native but played for Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic due to his grandfather’s heritage.

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