How Alex Verdugo Felt About Mandatory Appearance Change

Pinstripes won’t be the only change to Alex Verdugo’s look in the 2024 Major League Baseball season.

As a result of the Yankees’ long-standing no-beard policy, Verdugo will be clean-shaven for the duration of his first season in New York. This will be different from what we saw from the veteran outfielder in Boston, where he almost always rocked some kind of facial hair across four Red Sox seasons.

Verdugo clearly is cognizant about how he presents himself, as evidenced by gameday outfits and flashy jewelry. So, how did he feel about having to ditch his beard?

“I actually like it,” Verdugo told the New York Post’s Steve Serby. “It rejuvenated me a little bit. It made me feel a little bit younger.”

Verdugo also doesn’t plan to utilize the mustache loophole in the Bronx. The 27-year-old feels it’s “not the right look for him” and even joked he “looks a little suspect” with a ‘stache.

Time will tell how long Verdugo is prohibited from rocking a beard on the baseball diamond. The eighth-year pro is playing on an expiring contract, but there are reasons to believe the Yankees will want to keep him around for more than one season.