For the first time since 1976, Yankees players are allowed to grow beards.

Fans, pundits and everyone else had 49 years to prepare themselves for Friday morning’s announcement — and they didn’t disappoint.

“Finally,” the Empire State Building’s official X account shared Friday morning, along with a picture of a bearded image of the New York landmark.

“u like what u see @yankees,” the Nationals wrote with a picture of their festively bearded Abraham Lincoln Racing President mascot.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the co-chairs of the Wrexham AFC soccer team, put a playful spin on the Yankees’ message that originally sent shock waves across social media earlier in the day Friday.

“In recent weeks we have spoken to a large number of former and current Wrexham AFC players — spanning several eras — to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy,” the post on X began.

u like what u see @yankees pic.twitter.com/taN6P0etz7

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 21, 2025

“These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several minutes. Ultimately the final decision rests with us, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to require our players and uniformed personnel to all maintain ridiculous bears and obnoxious goatees moving forward. ‘Ye Olde Timey’ mustache styles will be approved on a case by case basis.”

Don’t miss Greg Joyce’s text messages from spring training — he’s giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Yankees.

Reynolds and McElhenney, who have owned Wrexham AFC since 2020, then zeroed in on 22-year-old defender Max Cleworth, who is typically cleanly shaven.

“Don’t ever change, Max,” the statement continued. “For everyone else it is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy.”

Even NYC Sanitation got in on the fun, posting an image of two bearded trash bins.

“If the @yankees can allow beards, you can use a trash bin!,” the department wrote.

During a press conference Friday in Tampa, Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner expanded on the team’s decision to change up a policy enacted in 1976 by his late father, George.

If the @yankees can allow beards, you can use a trash bin!

Using bins helps keep NYC clean and keeps the rats away.

Remember, if you live in a 1-9 unit building, your trash must be in covered bins. pic.twitter.com/7D6UXA0eAi

— NYC Sanitation (@NYCSanitation) February 21, 2025

“If I ever found out that a player we wanted to acquire, to make us better, to get us a championship, did not want to be here, and if he had the ability to, would not come here because of that policy, as important as it is to that generation, that would be very, very concerning,” Steinbrenner said.

The Yankees stated Friday it would permit players “to have well-groomed beards moving forward.”

The team opens the 2025 season at home on March 27 against the Brewers.