If you've watched or attended a Major League Baseball game recently, you may have noticed a curious abundance of exposed skin among game-goers. We speak, of course, of the "tarps off" trend that is trending across a growing number of MLB ballparks.
While the sight of the occasional shirtless fan during warmer months is nothing new, seeing throngs of shirtless fans is something different. That is "tarps off," and it's a spontaneous, if occasionally blinding, fan engagement phenomenon that may have staying power.
What Does "Tarps Off" Mean?
The soaring imperative "tarps off" appears to be a mild corruption of "tops off." In the world of sports fandom, it was first a phenomenon in soccer, particularly on the international scene. It's a gesture of celebration and solidarity with one's team.
While removal of the shirt can signal a willingness to party, fight, or play pickup basketball, for these purposes, it's all about esprit de corps. The spirit of tarps off isn't about standing idly around; rather, the removed shirt is wielded like a rally towel and spun around in the air with taxing regularity.
Tarps off isn't about the isolated fan exposing the upper half in cold weather. Rather, it's about the dozens or even hundreds of fans who undertake the act as one.
Origins And Spread Across Sports
Pinning down the origins of such things is an uncertain practice, but after finding its roots in soccer, tarps off made inroads in hockey. Then tarps off had its college football moment during the 2025 season, possibly thanks to Oklahoma State fans.
Baseball is rarely an early adopter of such trends, but tarps off has caught on and taken off this season.
How It Made Its Way To MLB
The current boom began at Busch Stadium in St. Louis during the recently completed Rivalry Weekend series between the Cardinals and Kansas City Royals.
The prime movers were a club baseball team from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. The SFA team was in town for the Club Baseball World Series in nearby Alton, Illinois, and they attended Friday night's game at Busch.
As the story goes, one member of the SFA team, Caleb Cummings, suggested that they take their shirts off, and another member of the team, Bryce Bradford, uttered the words that will one day be etched in granite:
"Screw it. I'll do it."
Others followed suit, and soon enough, shirts were off and towels were waved. The moment wouldn't have been what it became without Yohel Pozo's walk-off pinch-hit single that concluded that Friday contest.
That abundance of vibes prompted Cardinals manager Oli Marmol to post to social media for the first time in more than six years.
According to plan, tarps were off again for Saturday's matinee, and the Cardinals accommodated with another close win. This time, shortstop Masyn Winn, following a game-ending 4-6-3 double play, made the "tarps off" gesture to the lads from SFA and all the others without shirts in the right field seats.
Inspired by the atmosphere that had been lacking at Busch since at least 2022, Marmol invited the SFA players to the clubhouse after the game.
Such was the bond between Cardinals fans and the tarps off squad that a few even showed up to watch SFA's final game in nearby Alton.