Gen Z Baseball Culture

Sofie Dooley

Baseball has always been significant in defining American culture. Since the 1860s, it has been defined as the “nation’s pastime.” Even we, as OCSA students, are familiar with the main aspects of the culture: the songs, the hats, the card collecting, etc. But recently, things have been getting a little more niche. Trends like “floating hats” or the ice cream shorts sported by Gen Alpha and Gen Z ballers are defining the culture along with certain lingo and recent influences both on and off Major League fields. 

Today, we gain insight from two young baseball players, Jackson Tran, 12, and Cooper Dooley, 12. Baseball, which began for Tran at 4 years old (as the only tactic his parents could successfully use to force him to go outside) and for Dooley at two years old when he received his first bat, has become a significant — or perhaps the most significant — aspect in their lives. However, because these boys don’t just engage in the sport but also the recent culture, it’s only natural to wonder who and what has influenced these practices.  

When asking about the root of many trends, such as the floating hats, where baseball hats are sat on the tip of the head often falling off during pitching, along with Baseball 101 ice cream shorts, oftentimes, fingers point to Max Clark, a 19-year-old prodigy who made his mark in baseball at the age of 16 while playing for Franklin Community High School in Indiana. Clark is now in the minor leagues despite MAJORLY influencing young and aspiring baseball players via social media. Upon Googling Clark, some of the top searches include “Max Clark drip,” “Max Clark pearl necklace” and “Max Clark fashion,” leading one to believe that the central focus of Clark may not be his skill.  

Dooley recalls his early days of Max Clark discovery when he “started searching up drippiest players on YouTube and then copying all of Max Clark’s accessories.” Speaking of drip, Dooley also spoke on the Baseball 101 ice cream shorts, sharing the insight that the brand resurfaced because of their sponsorship with Max Clark. Both Tran and Dooley speculate that the ice cream shorts in particular are loved among the community as they align with the “drippy” theme (get it, because ice cream drips).

Tran and Dooley discussed the importance of both being unique and a trend-setter on the field. Although there seems to be no shame in taking direct influence from Max Clark or the San Diego Padres Fernando Tatis Jr, when asking the boys who on their team they take influence from, Dooley states that he does not take influence from his teammates but instead has personally influenced his team to start wearing hoodies to practice. 

Tran denied this claim and stated, “Nobody even wears a hoodie.” 

To which Dooley rebutted, “You literally said you were going to buy one today.” 

Tran diffused the aggression stating, “I was just kidding.” 

Why all of this hostility around being unique in a setting that is supposed to be centered around athleticism? Dooley lends possible reasoning:“You have to look good to feel good to play good,” to which Tran agreed. 

So what is the future of baseball virtues and fashion? With the rise of sports influencers and trends, we can assume a colorful future on and off the field.