MLB City Connect uniforms, ranked: Where Reds’ new Nike look fits between worst (Giants) and best (Marlins)
City Connect #CityConnect
City Connect hopes to connect with a new generation.
Baseball, long stuck in its blowhard, traditionalist ways, did something cool in conjunction with Nike in 2021: MLB squads got alternate uniform designs during the season, dubbed the “City Connect” line. Their purpose was simple: Capture the essence and reputation of the cities each team represents.
In 2021, the Red Sox, Marlins, White Sox, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Giants and Dodgers all got new alternate looks. In 2022, the Nationals became the first team to unveil their new getup. The Astros and Royals followed. The Rockies, Angels, Brewers, Padres and Braves all got the City Connect treatment as well.
The Orioles were the latest to introduce their City Connect uniforms, and their efforts feel like they may have set the initiative back just a few innings.
MORE: MLB pitch clock rules for 2023, explained
Otherwise, it’s a welcome sight for MLB and its partnership with Nike: One of the easiest ways for MLB to attract eyeballs, sell merchandise and push the game into a new generation is to push the envelope with its fashion choices. So far, that has been mission accomplished for MLB and its squads.
Not all of them were winners, but they all got marks for creativity and a willingness to embrace something outside the box. The Sporting News ranks the 19 uniforms that have been released thus far, listed from worst to best:
Nike City Connect uniforms, ranked 19. Giants
There’s something very … off about these.
While they get points for trying something new and drastically different, they’re also a very large departure from the Giants’ look. The orange on the uniforms seems more like a Gatorade orange, which is actually supposed to mirror the color of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The gradient font, which is supposed to be reminiscent of Bay Area fog, is a neat addition, but it would have been better if it didn’t fade into the white on the jerseys.
There’s also the “G” on the chest, which is in a weird font that’s indicative of … something.
Best uniform feature: Props for the gradient font to signify Bay Area fog.
Worst uniform feature: The Golden Gate Bridge on the hat is overkill.
18. Orioles
More like Baltiless.
Its curious: The state of Maryland has oftentimes been pretty in-tune with the state’s notable imagery. Whether that’s the Maryland Terrapins with their uniform history or the Ravens with their inclusion of the state flag in their team crest.
The Orioles, though, opted to do something much, much lamer. The coolest part of the uniforms, the multi-colored lining on the sleeves, actually are hidden underneath the arms and the collar, and the reasoning doesn’t make sense. The greyscale arms are even supposed to represent an outsiders’ view of the city.
To that end, bland, black uniforms are officially overdone. It didn’t take much, either. Designers probably should have stopped after the White Sox uniforms, and we’ll give some grace to the Reds, but otherwise, black unis have a tendency of being lifeless and boring. They don’t offer anything new or creative.
The block font on the chest is supposed to be reminiscent of the Globe Collection at the Maryland Institute College of Art, which is a nice nod to the city, but it also feels like something of an afterthought rather than a bold statement.
No Inner Harbor reference? No crab legs? No self-serving reference to Camden Yards? A big swing and a miss for the O’s here.
Best uniform feature: The “B” on the cap is nice, though it doesn’t exactly fit with the rest of the motif of the uniform.
Worst uniform feature: If you’re going to go bold with the mosaics, why hide them under the uniform? The whole, “You can’t see it if you’re not looking for it” is a weird reason to use, especially for a … uniform that’s supposed to connect to the city.
17. Cubs
The Cubbies may not own all of Chicago — or even the best City Connect uniform in the Windy City — but the look is nice enough.
While the muted blue is OK, there’s something cool about seeing “Wrigleyville” on the front in the same font as the famed Wrigley Field marquee. The hats are excellent, too.
MORE: Field of Dreams Game uniforms honor Cubs, Reds with throwback jerseys
Where the Cubs lose points is for the lack of inspiration in the design. While the campaigning of the uniforms tries to make it seem that “Wrigleyville” is the center point of all 77 neighborhoods in Chicago, the reasoning is weak. There’s no “connect” here. Just branding for the ballpark.
Best uniform feature: The hats, featuring the six-pointed Chicago star, are some of the best in baseball.
Worst uniform feature: The blue is dull and lifeless, especially when compared with the other uniforms on this list. Maybe they should have really gone for it with ivy green.
16. Reds
The Reds are going to a well that we often see NFL and NBA teams reach into if they’re starved for ideas: The blackout.
It’s a slightly odd choice for Cincinnati, often referred to as the birthplace of pro baseball. For a team so steeped in history, there are plenty of references to pull from. But Cincinnati went for an intensely modernized look thats main tie to the city is lettering from the Duke Energy Center.
This isn’t inherently bad, mind you, just surprising. The jerseys themselves are pretty slick, and they continue the trend we’ve seen in 2023 of black pants on baseball jerseys. Some bonus points for releasing them on 5/13, the Cincinnati area code.
The Reds also took a more ambitious swing on the hat by moving away from the classic “C” for a different look. All-in-all, the look itself isn’t awful, but the Reds are a franchise with such deep roots in baseball it would have been nice to see them tapped into more.
Best uniform feature: It’s small, but the red band around the hat gives a much-needed accent to the look and doesn’t take away from the overall jersey.
Worst uniform feature: Blackouts probably should have been left for other sports in the 2010s, and these are going to be unwearable during day games.
15. Dodgers
Like the Cubs, the Dodgers’ uniforms feel like a half-measure. They are just incredibly plain.
Top to bottom, the Dodgers wear all blue. They’re also celebrating the city’s Latino community with “Los Dodgers” across the front, which … we’re not really sure how adding “Los” to something makes it celebratory, but we’ll go with it.
Also featured are the spray-paint-inspired sleeves, which are a nod to the spray-paint murals throughout the city, and a “Los Dodgers” script hat font.
These are just kind of OK. They’re not as risky as they could be, but they’re not bad to look at.
Best uniform feature: All blue is a sleek, colorful look. We’ll see how it plays in games.
Worst uniform feature: The hats are way, way too busy, but they needed something else to help differentiate these from their normal cap.
14. Red Sox
Inspired by the Boston Marathon finish line, the Red Sox traded their iconic white and red for yellow and blue, emblematic colors for the city. The idea is certainly out of the box. And while the socks (or sox) aren’t red, they’re still appealing.
MORE: Red Sox’s City Connect uniforms are here and they are quite a look — and that’s a good thing
The Red Sox went bold with colors that don’t match their uniform pallet but mean something to Boston. The font across the chest mirrors the stencil on Boylston Street at the marathon’s finish line.
It’s always better to go bold with uniform designs, and these, while teetering on the edge of “not it,” are definitely a welcome look.
Best uniform feature: The bold colors might not be familiar to Red Sox fans, but they are familiar to Boston denizens.
Worst uniform feature: But really, no red at all? Feels like a bit of a miss.
13. Padres
The Padres shook up their color palette quite a bit to bring their City Connect uniforms to life. The uniforms feature pink, yellow and green, colors that are representative of those throughout the Mexican state of Baja California.
Given that San Diego is roughly 20 minutes from Tijuana, the Padres embraced the city’s strong Mexican heritage — that is the very definition of City Connect. Still, it feels like too much of a left turn when it comes to their roots. A worthy effort, though.
Best uniform feature: The font on the front is a reference to weathered beach signs. That’s a nice touch.
Worst uniform feature: It feels like the colors were just kind of thrown together, from the font to the arms. It doesn’t flow well.
12. Braves
A modern update to a classic.
The @Braves City Connect uniforms honor Hank Aaron and are made for The A. pic.twitter.com/XulkiVNvv6
— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2023
Harkening back to their uniforms from the 1970s, the Braves’ City Connects pay tribute to the uniform worn by Hank Aaron in 1974, the year he hit home run No. 715 to pass Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list.
MORE: How Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews helped Wayland Moore design the Braves’ 1974 uniforms
Since they’re an updated version of those uniforms, they feature a nice blue to pair with red outlines around the “A” on the chest. It also features “The A,” which is a nod to “For the A,” the team’s rallying slogan. They’re a slick update to a timeless classic, which is why they’re so high on this list.
Best uniform feature: The uniforms play on one of baseball’s more memorable jerseys, and that’s good enough.
Worst uniform feature: The arms are a little weird.
11. Nationals
Click, click, bloom: The Nationals took a shot outside the box with their City Connect, and they came up with a nice look.
There was a huge sigh of relief after these uniforms were revealed, since the Nats could have turned the ‘Murrica dial up to 11 and gone full-on Stars and Stripes. Instead, they went with something less obvious, and the results are great.
Featuring a gray — sorry, anthracite — base color with cherry blossom designs throughout, the team pays homage to the cherry blossoms that bloom around D.C. just in time for baseball season: There’s an obvious cherry blossom on the front and the hat, but there are also gray, outlined cherry blossoms throughout the jersey.
The “WSH” font on the front features textures that allude to the architecture of various buildings throughout the capital, with the ivory color standing out on the front.
This is a simple, clean and fresh look. The Nats zigged when they could have zagged, and it worked out wonderfully.
Best uniform feature: The gray — sorry, anthracite — really makes the pink of the cherry blossoms pop. Same can be said for the ivory on the “WSH.”
Worst uniform feature: The “WSH” on the front seems a bit weird. Why not a script “D.C.”?
10. Angels
Cowabunga.
The Angels went surf’s up with their City Connect unis, keeping them simple and representative of the SoCal beach scene.
The numbers on the front symbolize those of lifeguard towers on the beaches, while the font is emblematic of surf shops. The whole thing has a charming retro feel to it, which is why they rank pretty high on the list.
Best uniform feature: The surfboard with the Angels halo over it near the jock tag.
Worst uniform feature: The hat maybe could have been a solid sand color, which would have really made the uniforms pop.
9. Brewers
The Brewers kept familiar colors, so they’re not too drastic a departure from their regular look.
The Brew Crew has changed up its look and logos often through the years, but the City Connect uniforms feel more like simple alternate uniforms than anything to do with the city of Milwaukee. There are, though, some allusions to the city and the team’s roots.
The piping on the arm features yellow and white and is supposed to mimic a foaming beer. The colors represent the People’s Flag of Milwaukee, an alternate city flag.
In all, it’s a nice look, but it feels more like a flat alternate than something that captures the essence of Milwaukee, which is Algonquin for “The Good Land.” (Thanks, Alice Cooper.)
Best uniform feature: Clever piping on the arms to represent beer. Mmm. Beer.
Worst uniform feature: The “Brew Crew” on the front is fine but it also looks amateurish.
8. Mariners
My Oh My, the Pilots are back.
Fittingly nestled right next to the Brewers on this list, the Mariners were all about the history of baseball in the Pacific Northwest on their jerseys.
With homages to the Pilots, Rainiers, and Steelheads, not to mention various parts of the team’s history, the Mariners’ City Connect jerseys are a timeline of baseball through the years in Seattle. While some of the references are more in-your-face than others (black is in the color scheme to represent the Steelheads and the drop shadow is for the Rainiers, whereas Seattle is written in Pilots font across the chest), every team is accounted for in some way or another.
Then, of course, there’s the return of the trident hat. While not associated with winning M’s teams, it’s a favorite.
Best uniform feature: The “PNW” jersey patch is a cool sublogo and it brings something different to the uniforms as a whole while giving them a local flair.
Worst uniform feature: There’s a LOT going on with these, and while chronicling history is great, it can create busy jerseys with some superfluous design. You shouldn’t need a style guide to explain every part of a jersey.
7. Rangers
Dream the Big Dream. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/ywM8kQRyKf
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) April 17, 2023
To that point: Jerseys shouldn’t need explanations to understand their design, but the Rangers’ City Connect digs do.
The black and white theme is a nice touch, especially with the black pants and white tops. The font, which is supposed to mimic that of defunct Dallas Eagles, is coupled with a spur in honor of the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs.
Where it gets weird is the introduction of the “Peagle” — a portmanteau of “Eagle” and “Panther” — a mythical creature and mascot of two minor league squads of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A Peagle is also a breed of dog (Pekingese and Beagle), so the whole “Peagle” thing feels a little weird.
In all, the Rangers’ uniforms accomplish their mission — connect with the baseball roots of a city — even if the actual design feels a bit clunky.
Best uniform feature: The black and white look is very nice, especially with the black pants.
Worst uniform feature: Feels like they didn’t have to double up with the hat and chest logos. Could have benefited from a different look on the hat.
6. Diamondbacks
The D-backs rank sixth here, but there’s an argument to be made for this redesign to be ranked higher.
While some of the other uniforms are heavily over-designed, the Diamondbacks opted for simplicity, and the result is a very, very nice look.
The color is meant to mirror that of the sands of the Sonoran desert, while the script “Serpientes” across the front honors the Hispanic culture of Arizona.
There’s also a very nice “V” patch, meant to symbolize Phoenix’s nickname, the “Valley of the Sun.”
These are simple, but sometimes simplicity is sexy, which these are.
Best uniform feature: The script “Serpientes” across the front is a nice nod to the city. Embracing the Hispanic culture in an area — and sport — that features it so heavily is good.
Worst uniform feature: The pants, which are their usual white, seem a bit plain when paired with the top.
5. Royals
Given their color scheme and motif, the Royals already had one of the best sets of uniforms in all of MLB. Now, they’ve added one of the league’s best alternate uniforms.
Playing off Kansas City’s fountains, the interlocking KC on the front references cascading water from various fixtures around the city. They also feature a nod to the team’s 1969 logo on the arm.
The uniform features more navy blue than Royal blue, which is also a reference to the various KC teams that have had blue in their uniforms.
They’re simple and slick and capture the spirit of the city.
Best uniform feature: The arm bands, which play tribute to former jerseys of the Royals, look really nice.
Worst uniform feature: The hat could have used a little crown or something.
4. Astros
The Astros had a more obvious motif to go along with their City Connect uniforms, and they didn’t disappoint.
Houston’s “Space City” jerseys are super slick: Playing off the NASA typeface on the uniform font, the uniform pays homage to the city housing NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center.
With colors that don’t stray far from their own, the jerseys are space-y and feature nice piping to showcase the contrast between colors.
Also nice: the hats, which also feature a nod to the past, the planetary track that was on their ’60s logo.
These are a big, big hit.
Best uniform feature: The NASA font is very nice and works on the front and back.
Worst uniform feature: Could have done without the grids on the arms, but they’re not overly noticeable, so that’s OK.
3. White Sox
You knew the White Sox were gonna bring the 🔥 for their Nike City Connect jerseys, and they did not disappoint. pic.twitter.com/viWLNxRPEA
— MLB (@MLB) May 28, 2021
Really, these could be tied for the top spot, but there’s something about the “Southside” getup that doesn’t fit. All in all, though, they’re among the best of the redesigns.
Thankfully, Nike didn’t needlessly mess with the Sox’s classic black, white and silver color scheme. It paired that pallet with the gothic script of their logo for the “Southside” across the chest. The uniforms play true to the franchise but still provide a fresh look and a good spin on some of the best uniforms in baseball.
Where they lose points: They probably could have done without the pinstripes. There’s something about them that doesn’t quite fit, and it kind of hurts the eyes.
The hats, which simply say “Chi,” don’t shy away from the town’s attitude and reputation, either. That’s how you embrace the spirit of a town with a personality. Take notes, Cubs.
Best uniform feature: The “textured” uniforms that represent the architectural style of the city are just … *chef’s kiss.
Worst uniform feature: Maybe they could have done without the pinstripes.
2. Rockies
The Rockies introduced the most, should we say, futuristic look of the bunch and went with a Rocky Mountain motif.
Trading the classic purple and silver for green, the uniforms feature ng the Rockies across the front, with “Colorado” in white across the chest. The pants, also a solid green, provide synergy with the tops.
The green is representative of Colorado’s signature pine trees, while the hat logo is a new look altogether. The white belts are a sexy addition, breaking up all the green.
Best uniform feature: The bold, solid green throughout is new and fresh without being too outside the box.
Worst uniform feature: No purple? Maybe a little would have been nice — but those colors also don’t mix very well.
1. Marlins
The Marlins opting for more black in their uniforms over actual Miami pallet colors in recent years is a disappointment, but their city uniforms aren’t. Couple that with the fact that the Marlins honored the history of one of the city’s former minor league clubs, the Havana Sugar Kings, and you have a perfect mix.
The Marlins went for a bright red (“Legacy” red), paying homage to the Sugar Kings, in addition to a shoulder patch that mirrors the patch of the defunct team.
And intertwined with the actual uniform design is the rich history of the Cuban club that tried to break into the majors. That’s how you do an alternate uniform: a fresh design with actual meaning. Great job, Marlins.
Best uniform feature: The “Miami Marlins” patch, which is made to resemble the Sugar Kings logo.
Worst uniform feature: They’ll only wear them occasionally.