This morning, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner announced that they were amending their longstanding facial hair policy, and for the first time since 1976, the team will allow players to have “well-groomed” beards.
Statement from Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner on the alteration of Yankees facial hair policy: pic.twitter.com/UdEuAg3gZy
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 21, 2025
The move comes after ex-Yankee Gleyber Torres showed off a bushy new beard in his first Spring Training with the Detroit Tigers, and new Yankees P Devin Williams, who had maintained a beard for his entire career, had light stubble during a team photoshoot.
The rule has occasionally attracted criticism from players (most notably Andrew McCutchen), the media, and fans. It has even, in some cases, prevented the Yankees from acquiring players, like when the Yankees attempted to sign free agent closer Brian Wilson in 2013. At the time, Wilson had a long beard that had become his signature. Wilson refused to negotiate with the Yankees, as they would’ve required him to shave his beard.
The policy hasn’t stopped other players from joining the team, though. Johnny Damon joined the Yankees in 2006, cutting off his mullet and shaving the beard that made him a fan favorite for the rival Red Sox.
After Williams, there is a player on the Yankees this impacts immediately, too. Or at least it would have, had the team not let him go. Alex Verdugo had maintained a short, ginger beard for his entire career, but was forced to shave it after he was traded from the Red Sox to the Yankees after the 2023 season. It made the lefty look quite babyfaced, as you can tell from the heading image. I bet he wishes that Hal had made this change last year.
As a Red Sox fan, I’m of course biased against the Yankees. I thought the beard rule was dumb when I was a kid, though I supposed that notion may have been buoyed by the fact that the Red Sox went out of their way to grow beards during playoff runs, almost as a way to say “we’re the anti-Yankees.” And I’m surprised that the rule has lasted this long, and that it survived Andrew McCutchen’s criticism following his Yankees tenure. But what about you guys? Let us know in the comments.
A previous version of this article identified Alex Verdugo as a current member of the Yankees. Verdugo is currently a free agent — this article has been updated to reflect that.
Unquestionably the right move. It’ll take some getting used to, especially the home-grown Yankees like Judge or Volpe, but as Pinstripe Alley put it, this is the Yankees finally getting into the 21st century.
The “well-groomed” part is good though. I don’t care for the Brandon Marsh look, or the rather scraggly beard Verdugo wore while with Boston.
Finally! Yankees BYU-style policy amended. Thurman Munson and Goose Gossage would be proud.
Childhood Yankees fan who really only casually follows during the Montreal Canadiens’ offseason. It’s about time! Hair is natural, let them look good feel good play good. If the Armed Forces can allow short beards on a chit basis (usually for PFB or religion), then so can the Yankees…especially if Flanders mustaches were always OK.
If I were a Steinbrenner in the ownership group, I would have allowed the nice beards a long time ago, but I’d probably have a rule covering the visible tattoos. If the party line is “looking professional and not distracting,” then yes I think permanent ink is more distracting than anybody’s beard or coiffure. Besides, it’s easier to follow a rule by wearing a long sleeved navy undershirt than to hack off a big beard and to maintain its length.
But that’s just me.
I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did. It was weird that even if you didn’t choose to be on the Yankees (you were drafted by the team or traded there) you still had to abide by the rule.
I always wondered what would happen if someone got traded to the Yankees, and refused to shave their beard. Like, what if the Yankees had traded for Brian Wilson instead of trying to sign him as a free agent?
I wonder what back channeling and peer pressure had to occur to get guys to buy in
I always wondered what would happen if someone was traded to NY but had their contract with their original team specifically state only the player has a say how they wear their hair or facial hair. The team is trading for the contract, so those stipulations win out, right?
I recall The Reds having this rule and changing it so they could land Greg Vaughn back in 199-whatever. I will say this – I cannot imaging The 70’s Big Red Machine with bushy beards and mustaches. Pete Rose would have looked like a maniac.
Yep. From 1902 until 1999, the Reds had a no facial hair policy in place
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That all changed after the Reds traded for Vaughn, in 1999. Now, the Reds’ current policy requires players to keep their beards and mustaches “trimmed and neat.”
Marge Schott also required low stirrups and black shoes, a look which was described as “dumpy” in some SI article I read in the ’80s.
I wonder if this will effect Mr Burns strict no sideburns policy on the Springfield Nuclear Plant softball team? Asking for a friend.
Still like him better than Steinbrenner
“I don’t know what you think sideburns are” is a line forever etched in my brain.
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Honestly can’t believe it took until the year 2025 for evil empire to come to it’s senses.
Puzzling how a league by that embraces individuality could allow this to linger for so long.
I’m surprised that they could get away with this rule. Also surprised that the players union didn’t oppose it.
When I graduated in 1975 I got a summer job at Disneyland, where I had to cut my hair and shave my mustache. You had to have short hair, without above the ears, and no facial hair except for sideburns no longer than your earlobes. Back then everyone had longer hair. Having hair above the ears made you look like you were in the military. During the interview I pointed to a picture of Walt Disney and asked why no mustaches since Walt had one. They said my mustache looked fine, but it was much easier to ban all mustaches since many are unkept.
I assume the Players Union allowed it purely because they need to pick their battles. The Yankees are one team, and other more serious issues take priority. There’s no sense in the MLBPA burning a bunch of political capital to overturn one team’s facial hair policy, when they’re also constantly battling against leaguewide policies like a potential salary cap, increased years of team control, and so on.
All things come to an end. Think Hal struck a nice balance. Beards, yes. But no gross slobs like Brandon Marsh. This Yankees fan is on board.
Alex Verdugo is no longer with the Yankees
Holy crap, you are right. Totally missed that he’s still a free agent.
Our long national nightmare is over. The Yankees can wear beards.
I hate the Yankees but admired their policy. It did a lot for the moustache in MLB. I feel about it like I did about pitchers hitting: stupid, but a fun novelty that should remain part of the game. Sad it’s going away tbh.
When this baby boomer thinks of the Yankees, I think of dapper gents like Catfish Hunter, Ed Figueroa, and Dick Tidrow. TBH, I have more trouble with tattoos, but that makes me more out of touch than the young-uns.
As a ginger, I applaud this move. Beards are sun smart.
Not a ginger, but I see where you’re going with this.
I’m more likely to sport a full beard in the Summer than I am in the Winter. Two reasons: I don’t like greasy sunscreen, and I tend to shave more in the Winter because I don’t like beard dandruff.
I’m disappointed in the rule change. One of the things That made the Yankees stand out from other teams. Never really understood the intense outcry from some fans to me it represented we before me.