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Anthony Gharib, ESPN
Uniform changes can be polarizing. Some sports fans like tradition. Others welcome innovation. One thing is certain: They get us talking.
Major League Baseball’s City Connect uniforms, which launched in 2021, have done exactly that. Nike has worked with MLB teams to create a uniform that reflects each baseball city’s culture and community, similar to the NBA’s city jersey series that began in 2017.
There have been 20 uniforms released so far, with nine more to be added during the 2024 season — starting with the Philadelphia Phillies (April 12) and followed by the New York Mets (April 26), Tampa Bay Rays (May 3), Detroit Tigers (May 10), Cleveland Guardians (May 17), St. Louis Cardinals (May 25), Toronto Blue Jays (May 31) and Minnesota Twins (June 14). We’ll also get another set this season from the Los Angeles Dodgers (June 21), which will make them the first team with two City Connect looks. After this new batch arrives, the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics will be the only teams without one.
Here’s our breakdown of the uniforms that have dropped to date. We’ll continue to update the list as new City Connect unis are unveiled.
2024
Debut: April 12, 2024
Design inspiration: The Phillies’ style goal was to be “unapologetically Philly.” The blue and yellow colors are inspired by the city’s flag and the blue collar of the jersey is meant to represent what the Phillies say is Philadelphia at its core: “a blue-collar big city with a small-town feel.”
More: Phillies’ City Connect unis include nods to Liberty Bell »
2023
Debut: June 27, 2023
Design inspiration: Pittsburgh’s black-and-yellow combination is a nod to the city’s bridges and its shift from the steel industry to medicine and technology. Each letter in “PGH” includes a texture from the Roberto Clemente Bridge, which connects downtown Pittsburgh to PNC Park.
More: Bucs nod to Pittsburgh’s landmarks, blue-collar mentality, thriving technology »
Debut: May 26, 2023
Design inspiration: The all-black look includes “Baltimore” across the chest, written in a font inspired by the Globe Collection and Press at Maryland Institute College of Art. It also has the “You Can’t Clip These Wings” slogan, a melody created by Baltimore-based poet and author Kondwani Fidel intended to embody the city’s perseverance.
More: Orioles’ City Connect uniforms celebrate Baltimore’s many neighborhoods »
Debut: May 19, 2023
Design inspiration: Cincinnati focused on the growth of its city in recent years. The Reds included multiple modern takes on traditional aspects of their uniforms — a revamped “C” logo and all-black look with red accents, different from their typical red and white.
More: Reds put modern spin on one of baseball’s oldest franchises »
Debut: May 5, 2023
Design inspiration: Throwbacks. The “Seattle” font across the chest is similar to that of the Seattle Pilots, the original MLB team in the city, while the black pants are a nod to the Steelheads, a Negro League team. The trident logo has been used in the past by the Mariners, notably in the 1980s and late 2010s.
More: Mariners bring back a familiar logo with City Connect uniforms »
Debut: April 21, 2023
Design inspiration: This is a design packed with Texas tributes, from its “TX” logo to numerous references to Lone Star State history. There’s even a “peagle” patch, which combines the mascots of the minor league Fort Worth Panthers and Dallas Eagles.
More: Rangers feature something called a “peagle” on City Connect uniforms »
Debut: April 8, 2023
Design inspiration: Hank Aaron. The look is an update of the Braves’ uniform from 1974, the year Hammerin’ Hank passed Babe Ruth as baseball’s all-time home run king, and features other Aaron-inspired touches throughout.
More: Braves pay special tribute to Hank Aaron with City Connect uniforms »
2022
Debut: July 8, 2022
Design inspiration: According to the Padres, the bold departure from their regular uniforms “mixes iconic California imagery with the vibrant colors of the Baja peninsula.”
More: Padres use vibrant shades of pink, mint and yellow colors for City Connect unis »
Debut: June 24, 2022
Design inspiration: The Brewers took their nickname — “The Brew Crew” — and etched it across their chest, while the inclusion of a baseball grill patch on the sleeve is a unique nod to Milwaukee’s fans.
More: Brewers honor Milwaukee’s summer skies, grilling culture and Lake Michigan »
Debut: June 11, 2022
Design inspiration: The beach. The Angels’ lettering across the chest, with a fishtail flourish, is inspired by surfboards.
More: Angels nod at local surf and skate culture with City Connect unis »
Debut: June 4, 2022
Design inspiration: The DMV. The Rockies turned their uniforms into a baseball jersey adaptation of Colorado’s license plates.
More: Rockies mix hints of pine trees, skiing and sunshine for their City Connect unis »
Debut: April 30, 2022
Design inspiration: The most notable element of the jersey — the logo — takes cues from Kansas City’s official flag.
More: Royals’ unis connect to Kansas City’s sporting and architectural history »
Debut: April 20, 2022
Design inspiration: Outer space. The Astros lean into Houston’s most well-known explorers — NASA — with many elements, most prominently the “SPACE CITY” name stenciled across the chest in what the team called a “space-inspired” font.
Debut: April 9, 2022
Design inspiration: Cherry blossoms. Among other symbols of the nation’s capital, the Nats decorated their jerseys to celebrate D.C.’s iconic cherry trees, though they’ll be retiring the look after the 2024 season.
More: Nats, Wizards unveil cherry blossom-themed uniforms »
2021
Debut: Aug. 20, 2021
Design inspiration: The “Los Dodgers” lettering on both the hat and jersey is not only a shout-out to the team’s Latin fan base, but was also a specific callback to “Fernandomania,” when Mexican left-hander Fernando Valenzuela burst onto the scene 40 years earlier, winning the National League Cy Young Award, Rookie of the Year Award and, oh yeah, the World Series in 1981.
More: L.A. unveils ‘Los Dodgers’ City Connect uniforms »
Debut: July 9, 2021
Design inspiration: Fog. San Francisco’s offering in the City Connect series has graphics that are emerging from the city’s famous fog, including its most well-known landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge.
More: Giants’ City Connect uniforms feature Golden Gate Bridge, fog gradient »
Debut: June 18, 2021
Design inspiration: The Diamondbacks become the “Serpientes” on their City Connect jerseys, a nod to Hispanic culture, and their choice of gold is straight out of the Arizona desert.
More: D-backs unveil gold jersey, referencing Sonoran Desert, Hispanic culture »
Debut: June 12, 2021
Design inspiration: With colors that evoke their city’s flag, the Cubs’ look prominently features the “Wrigleyville” neighborhood that surrounds their iconic ballpark, in a font similar to Wrigley Field’s famous marquee.
More: Cubs’ uniforms feature ‘Wrigleyville’ across the front in marquee font »
Debut: June 5, 2021
Design inspiration: The first of the Chicago City Connects takes cues from the city’s Greystone architectural style as well as hip-hop and youth culture, highlighted by a Gothic “Southside” across the chest to represent the team’s long history of calling that part of town home.
Debut: May 21, 2021
Design inspiration: Miami’s Cuban population is celebrated with a uniform inspired by the Sugar Kings, a Triple-A team that played out of Havana, Cuba, from 1954 to 1960. The sleeve patch uses the original Sugar Kings logo, with an “MM” added to the crown.
More: Marlins’ uniforms to honor former Cuban Triple-A team the Sugar Kings »
Debut: April 17, 2021
Design inspiration: The Red Sox launched the City Connect series with a radical idea: No red. Instead, the team went with a yellow-and-blue jersey color combo that’s a nod to the Boston Marathon. There’s also a sleeve patch featuring Fenway Park’s “617” area code.
More: Red Sox ‘push the envelope’ with marathon-inspired blue-yellow uniforms »
Source: www.espn.com