Call to the pen
Fansided

MLB players get hairstyle inspiration from Pokemon characters

ByKristen Bentley|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 19: Carlos Martinez #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals cheers from the dugout in the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 19, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 19: Carlos Martinez #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals cheers from the dugout in the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 19, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Most of the United States might be under the deepest freeze in recent memory, but MLB players are still a hot topic of conversation.

And, the hottest topic is NOT where MLB players Bryce Harper and Manny Machado will play in 2019.

What’s hot is the plethora of baseball hairstyles and where players get their inspiration. The place to find the answers is – of course – Twitter.

According to “occasional baseball writer” Shanna Shi, MLB players get their inspiration from Pokemon characters. And, her proof is in the photos.

Take Manny Machado for example. He and Machop appear to both have the same high and tight style (not to mention that their names are eerily similar, too):

If you’ve ever wondered what photo Yasiel Puig brings to his barber, Shi found it: a photo of Zebstrika. She also suggested that Harper’s bad perm was inspired by none other than Alolan Vulpix – a fluffy, foxy creature.

Is Anthony Rizzo channeling Bidoof with his fluffy flow? It appears so. And, Shi even managed to find out where players get their inspiration for their fitness regimes. Notice how Giancarlo Stanton‘s rock-hard body and corresponding hair is pure Onix.

If you think about it, Shi’s breakdown of Pokemon and MLB players fits. Both involve cards and numbers. Baseball and Pokemon games also include bench players.

Pokemon cards, like baseball cards, include everything you need to know, from weight and height to special abilities. Pokemon cards go head-to-head, much like a pitcher and a batter.

Both Pokemon and baseball have relatively simple premises, but they are both complicated and nuanced games that can take a lifetime to fully understand.

In Pokemon, your goal is to capture the most cards and build the best team. In baseball, the goal is to be the best team – and this is achieved by the GM collecting the best players.

Ok. Back to the hair.

Shi’s Twitter inspired other conversations. Word got out to Sean Doolittle that his Pokemon was Arcanine. And, the Washington Nationals relief pitcher immediately wondered if he should get a tattoo of the feisty creature.

Then his team got into the action:

As the thread expanded, players began asking for their own Pokemon. Word got out to Trevor Williams:

After a hilarious inspiration for Willans Astudillo, the reigning king of bat flips, Shi delivered the Luxio to Williams and even the uniforms coordinate:

Shi continued her analysis for several hours, and she didn’t just capture images of veterans like Andrew Benintendi. Even the top prospects like Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. were fair game:

This is what Twitter was meant to be, fun and “fan”-tastic. Don’t be surprised if a few MLB players use the Pokemon creatures as inspiration for their Players’ Weekend nicknames or their newest tattoos. With over 807 Pokemon, you could even find your very own hairstyle, too.

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