Major League Baseball’s Players’ Weekend is underway, giving players across the league a chance to trade some of baseball’s usual uniformity for a little personality.
For the Houston Astros, that apparently includes making sure everyone knows exactly who their daddy is.
Yordan Alvarez brought a custom bat to the plate Friday night emblazoned with “YORDADDY.” MLB highlighted the bat during Friday’s 4-0 Astros win over the Athletics, a game in which Alvarez went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Players’ Weekend runs Aug. 21-23 and is designed to showcase the interests, people, and causes that matter to players away from the field. More than 400 players submitted custom bat designs this year, while players can also personalize their cleats. Players will wear special Players’ Weekend caps and batting-practice T-shirts throughout the weekend.
Players’ Weekend Goes Beyond the Fun Stuff
The custom gear may attract most of the attention, but Players’ Weekend also gives players an opportunity to tell more personal stories.
Each day of the weekend has a different emphasis. Friday focused on players’ interests away from baseball, Saturday highlights charitable and community causes, and Sunday recognizes people who helped players reach the major leagues.
For Astros catcher Yainer Diaz, that final theme has particular significance.
Before every game, after the Astros starting pitcher completes his warmup pitches, Diaz throws the ball to second base. He then traces the initials of his older brother, Issael Lopez, into the dirt behind home plate, points toward the sky, and gives thanks.
Issael, who was 11 years older than Diaz and became something of a second father to him, died in a motorcycle accident in the Dominican Republic in 2022, shortly before Diaz made his major-league debut.
It was Issael who pushed his younger brother to return to baseball after Diaz quit playing at about 13 years old. Diaz has credited his brother with helping him recognize his ability and encouraging him to pursue the game that eventually brought him to Houston.
Astros Have Gone Above and Beyond Before
Astros players have embraced the chance to get creative during Players’ Weekend before.
In 2024, Mauricio Dubón took the assignment particularly seriously, featuring his famous dogs Marcelo and Cash on a spectacular pair of custom cleats. The bright orange-and-yellow shoes included paw prints and portraits of the dogs. MLB included Dubón’s creation among its standout cleats from Players’ Weekend that year.
Dubón’s devotion to Marcelo and Cash extended well beyond Players’ Weekend. He has incorporated the dogs into cleats, gloves, batting gloves, and other equipment over the years. In 2025, the pair became Astros promotional stars in their own right when the team gave away a bobblehead featuring Dubón holding both dogs.
Putting your nickname on a bat is good. Putting your dogs on your shoes—and eventually getting them their own bobblehead—is commitment.
A Weekend for a Little Individuality
Players’ Weekend originally ran from 2017-19 before returning in a redesigned form in 2024. Unlike the original version, which featured players wearing nicknames on their jerseys, the current event leaves the standard uniforms largely intact and puts much of the creativity into customized equipment and players’ stories.
Some of that equipment can also do some good after the weekend ends. Players have the option to auction their customized bats and cleats through MLB Auctions, with proceeds benefiting charities of their choice.
The Astros continue Players’ Weekend against the Athletics Saturday and Sunday at Daikin Park, with plenty happening off the field as well. Saturday features Dog Day and a Tatsuya Imai bobblehead giveaway, while Sunday brings another Dog Day, a Jeremy Peña trucker-style hat giveaway, and Kids Run the Bases.
There are plenty of heartfelt stories behind the equipment players will use this weekend, but it is difficult to argue with the elegant simplicity of Alvarez’s contribution.
YORDADDY.
No further explanation required.
Editor’s note: This marks the 1,000th post published by Astros Ice Box.
