{"id":48688,"date":"2025-05-23T12:53:17","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T12:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/48688\/"},"modified":"2025-05-23T12:53:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T12:53:17","slug":"were-this-years-city-connect-uniforms-an-upgrade-or-downgrade-we-grade-all-eight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/48688\/","title":{"rendered":"Were this year\u2019s City Connect uniforms an upgrade or downgrade? We grade all eight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now four years into the City Connect uniform program from Nike and Major League Baseball, each of the 28 participating teams (sans the New York Yankees and the city-less Athletics) has unveiled alternate looks.<\/p>\n

When announced in 2021, MLB announced that each City Connect uniform would have a lifespan of roughly three years, which was the case for every team but the Los Angeles Dodgers, who introduced their do-over last year. A total of eight teams have introduced new uniforms this season, culminating with the Boston Red Sox last week.<\/p>\n

The City Connect uniforms have brought together not just good and bad uniforms, but also bold designs, head-scratching decisions and utterly boring looks.\u00a0Some fans love the looks and some hate them, but few garner no response.<\/p>\n

There will always be differing opinions in matters of taste. For this exercise, our resident tastemakers are looking at how each team has handled its second swing at an alternate uniform.<\/p>\n

MLB writers Tyler Kepner and C. Trent Rosecrans and Culture<\/a> writer Jason Jones take a look at this year\u2019s suite to assess whether teams upgraded or downgraded with their new threads.<\/p>\n

Washington Nationals<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tWashington\u2019s 2025 City Connect uniform. (Washington Nationals)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tThe Nationals\u2019 2022 \u201cCherry Blossom\u201d City Connects. (Washington Nationals)<\/p>\n

Tyler Kepner<\/p>\n

Grade: C
Downgrade<\/p>\n

The Nationals\u2019 first City Connects had a tasteful homage to Washington\u2019s cherry blossom trees. The pink-and-gray color scheme was unique to the Nats, and while I didn\u2019t like the \u201cWSH\u201d lettering on the jerseys, it was a very nice set overall and proved that an all-new color palette can work.<\/p>\n

The new one<\/a> sort of disproves that theory. Lots of teams have light blue, so there\u2019s nothing special about it here. If they\u2019d done it to honor the Expos\u2019 light blue, I could see it. But this set is all about DC. I like how the outline of the Capitol Dome wedges into the W on the cap, though I don\u2019t understand why there\u2019s a different W on the helmet. And while I like the concept of etching a city map on the jersey, it falls a little flat here.<\/p>\n

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The Nationals\u2019 2025 City Connect jersey and cap. (Washington Nationals)<\/p>\n

C. Trent Rosecrans<\/p>\n

Grade: C+
Downgrade<\/p>\n

The best part of the Nationals\u2019 new set? The old ones went on sale, and I picked up the gray Nationals cap with the cherry blossoms on the side for the price you\u2019d pay for a New Era 5950 cap back before there was a Nationals cap.<\/p>\n

The design itself is fine, but it lacks impact after the beautiful (though not perfect \u2014 I\u2019m looking at you \u201cWSH\u201d) previous model.<\/p>\n

Jason Jones<\/p>\n

Grade: B+
Upgrade<\/p>\n

My opinion is based largely on being a fan of various shades of blue. I\u2019m more pro-blue than anti-cherry blossoms. The blueprint design also works for me. It\u2019s better than a basic gray backdrop.<\/p>\n

If the Nationals hadn\u2019t changed, they would have been fine. But give me various shades of blue over gray any day.<\/p>\n

Houston Astros<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tThe Astros\u2019 2025 City Connect uniform. (Houston Astros)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tThe Astros\u2019 \u201cSpace City\u201d City Connects were introduced in 2022. (Troy Taormina \/ USA TODAY)<\/p>\n

Kepner\u00a0<\/p>\n

Grade: B-
Upgrade<\/p>\n

I liked this one a lot when it first came out<\/a> because it combines Houston\u2019s shooting star of the \u201960s with its open-sided star of the \u201990s. On the field, though, the STROS wordmark looks too small, and the star above it should be bolder.<\/p>\n

In other words, it\u2019s too white. And while that\u2019s better than the navy jersey over navy pants that preceded it, it\u2019s short of the \u201cTequila Sunrise\u201d explosion that an ideal Astros\u2019 City Connect needs. The colorful high socks accomplish this best, but most of the Astros, alas, still wear their pants low.<\/p>\n

Rosecrans<\/p>\n

Grade: B-
Upgrade<\/p>\n

When the socks are the best part, like they were in the previous iteration, that\u2019s not a great sign \u2014 especially when the best part is routinely covered.<\/p>\n

These are better than the previous ones, but also look like a home version of the first Astros City Connect uniform. It\u2019s fine. Boring, but fine.<\/p>\n

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Houston\u2019s 2025 City Connect uniform. (Houston Astros)<\/p>\n

Jones<\/p>\n

Grade: B
Upgrade<\/p>\n

Just about anything was going to be better than last year\u2019s \u201cSpace City\u201d jerseys. I can\u2019t recall the last time someone told me they were going to Space City or were from Space City. Even knowing NASA\u2019s history in Houston, I just wasn\u2019t feeling the name.<\/p>\n

I would have kept the hat closer to the 2024 model, keeping the H for H-Town. Beyond that, this is an overall improvement.<\/p>\n

Boston Red Sox<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tAlex Bregman wears the Red Sox\u2019s 2025 \u201cGreen Monster\u201d City Connect uniform. (Maddie Malhotra\/Boston Red Sox\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tBoston\u2019s 2021 City Connect entry. (Billie Weiss\/Boston Red Sox\/Nike)<\/p>\n

Kepner<\/p>\n

Grade: A
Upgrade<\/p>\n

The ideal City Connect outfit was staring at the Red Sox from their vantage point in Fenway\u2019s home dugout. The Green Monster has a distinctive color and distinctive lettering. Why not incorporate both into the new uniforms?<\/p>\n

Green isn\u2019t a Red Sox color \u2013 but that green is. It evokes something unique to the city and team<\/a>, and feels fresh and timeless all at once. This is the new City Connect standard.<\/p>\n

Rosecrans<\/p>\n

Grade: A+
Upgrade<\/p>\n

Even as someone who liked the Boston Marathon City Connects, the Red Sox took a huge step forward. The last set required an explanation. If someone asks why the Red Sox are wearing green, all you have to do is point to the wall.<\/p>\n

The design team also did a nice job ensuring the details are fun and not forced. The yellow and white numbers tell a story and aren\u2019t distracting. The notches on the numbers? Very cool, if and when you notice them.<\/p>\n

And the team not only learned from the Rockies\u2019 initial City Connect, but improved upon it. The simple switch from green pants to white lets the rest of the kit shine.<\/p>\n

Honestly, this is not only the best of the City Connects so far, but it\u2019s also proof of concept that the City Connect program can work wonderfully.<\/p>\n

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(Maddie Malhotra\/Boston Red Sox\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Jones<\/p>\n

Grade: A
Upgrade<\/p>\n

What took so long? It\u2019s as if going with green for the Green Monster was so obvious that previous editions really overthought the design. This should have been the look from the start. If the Red Sox keep this look for years to come, it\u2019ll always be one of the better City Connect uniforms.<\/p>\n

Previous editions needed too much explaining and guessing. This is perfect.<\/p>\n

Arizona Diamondbacks<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tThe Diamondbacks\u2019 2025 City Connect entry. (Kelsey Grant\/Arizona Diamondbacks)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tArizona\u2019s \u201cSerpientes 1.0\u201d City Connect uniform. (Arizona Diamondbacks)<\/p>\n

Kepner<\/p>\n

Grade: A-
Upgrade<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t care what anyone says: Arizona\u2019s first City Connect outfit was inspired by The Man In The Yellow Hat from the \u201cCurious George\u201d books. Now they look like the Diamondbacks should, with all sorts of fun elements.<\/p>\n

The Diamondbacks have had several insignias that utilize the snake, and the Serpientes\u2019 \u201cS\u201d on the cap and jersey works well. The sleeve patch that mimics the state flag, the snakeskin gradients on the jersey front, the subtle black pinstripes, the white pants \u2014 all of it works. I wonder if it might pop better with a white outline, but that\u2019s a minor point. Well done.<\/p>\n

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(Kelsey Grant\/Arizona Diamondbacks)<\/p>\n

Rosecrans<\/p>\n

Grade: C+
Upgrade<\/p>\n

From visually boring to conceptually boring. Upgrade? Sure. Good grade? No.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a nostalgic throwback, sure, but not a particularly good one.<\/p>\n

Jones<\/p>\n

Grade: C+
Downgrade<\/p>\n

I get the goal was nostalgia, but I was never too keen on the Diamondbacks wearing purple, especially since their division-mates, Colorado, also wear that color. The \u201cSerpientes\u201d across the chest and the snake forming the \u201cS\u201d on the hat are winners.\u00a0I just would have liked it more on the gold-colored uniforms from last year.<\/p>\n

San Francisco Giants<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tSan Francisco\u2019s 2025 City Connect uniform. (Andy Kuno\/San Francisco Giants\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tThe Giants\u2019 2021 City Connect kit. (San Francisco Giants)<\/p>\n

Kepner<\/p>\n

Grade B+
Upgrade<\/p>\n

The Giants used only two colors in their last City Connects \u2014 white and orange \u2014 so it always sort of looked unfinished. The old logo-in-the-clouds conceit should have worked, but didn\u2019t quite get there.<\/p>\n

The new ones<\/a> are a bit simple, but I like the splash of purple; it doesn\u2019t detract from the team\u2019s traditional colors, which are all still there. The groovy sleeve patch, shaped like a glove, looks like it was peeled off a poster for a \u201960s music festival. And the graffiti letters and numbers work well, too.<\/p>\n

Rosecrans<\/p>\n

Grade: C
Upgrade<\/p>\n

The key to life? Low expectations. The \u201cfog\u201d whites were an interesting first draft, but the Giants\u2019 first City Connect uniform shouldn\u2019t have advanced past the planning stages. It doesn\u2019t take much to improve upon what they had.<\/p>\n

This set, though, leans too hard into trying to be cute and appease everyone. It\u2019s the type of safe design that doesn\u2019t move people either way. It\u2019s fine. It\u2019s better than what they had, but that\u2019s damning with faint praise.<\/p>\n

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(Suzanna Mitchel\/San Francisco Giants\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Jones<\/p>\n

Grade: D
Upgrade<\/p>\n

The Giants\u2019 creamsicle jerseys were one of the worst City Connect uniforms I\u2019d ever seen. I recently saw the 2025 version in person and didn\u2019t care too much for it. Reminds me of a logo that belongs on Scooby Doo\u2019s Mystery Machine, which was probably the goal \u2014 to give us something that feels like Woodstock.<\/p>\n

Still not my favorite, but much better than the previous edition.<\/p>\n

Colorado Rockies<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tColorado\u2019s 2025 City Connect uniform. (Colorado Rockies)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tThe Rockies\u2019 \u201cLicense Plate\u201d City Connects were introduced in 2022. (John Leyba \/ USA TODAY)<\/p>\n

Kepner<\/p>\n

Grade: C
Downgrade<\/p>\n

The Rockies\u2019 license plate jerseys were one of the charms of the first City Connect wave<\/a>, especially when the team paired them with white pants. Alas, now the Rockies are struggling in this area, too.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m fine with the pullover look \u2014 a first for the City Connect series \u2014 but they should have gone all in with that. Pullover jerseys were popular in the \u201970s and \u201980s, before MLB came to Denver. How would the Rockies have looked back then? Tampa Bay tried this years ago with its fun \u201cfauxback\u201d style, and I\u2019d have liked to see Colorado do it, too. Instead, Nike gives us \u201ca palette that pays homage to that perfect transition between day and night,\u201d which apparently happens only in Denver.<\/p>\n

Rosecrans<\/p>\n

Grade: B-
Downgrade<\/p>\n

The orange and pink look great on the light blue. But a good color palette isn\u2019t enough. The entire look feels like a rough draft and I\u2019m not even sure what the assignment was. The biggest problem with this isn\u2019t the uniform itself, it\u2019s just that the previous look was among the best City Connects. Alas, time moves on without us.<\/p>\n

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Jones<\/p>\n

Grade: C-
Downgrade<\/p>\n

Some teams needed to change things up. The Rockies were not one of those teams. The green license plate models from 2022 were elite. (We even had them at No.1 in our uniform rankings<\/a>.) Now the Rockies look like part of a spring display at a grocery store. I don\u2019t see the Denver sunset, I see dye for Easter eggs.<\/p>\n

Chicago White Sox<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tThe White Sox\u2019s 2025 City Connect uniform. (Chicago White Sox)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tChicago\u2019s \u201cSouthside\u201d City Connect uniform. (Ron Vesely\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Kepner<\/p>\n

Grade: C-
Downgrade<\/p>\n

Hey, look, the White Sox are dressing like the Bulls. Did you know that Jerry Reinsdorf owns both teams? Do you think we\u2019ll see the reverse when the Bulls start up again in the fall?<\/p>\n

The White Sox have worn red before, and they wear black now, but it just feels like a Reinsdorf vanity project. The cap logo is great: an homage to the \u201cGo-Go Sox\u201d of 1959, the only team besides the Yankees to win an AL pennant from 1955 to 1964. But it drowns in all the Bulls nostalgia.<\/p>\n

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Rosecrans<\/p>\n

Grade: D
Downgrade<\/p>\n

The first White Sox City Connect uniform garnered some rave reviews and served as proof that the program could work.<\/p>\n

The second attempt? Well, the logo on the hat is cool.<\/p>\n

The rest? The jersey looks like a Chicago Bulls baseball jersey you\u2019d find at a T.J. Maxx. At the very least, they could\u2019ve made them sleeveless like a basketball jersey.<\/p>\n

In the end, it just seems like it\u2019s an ode to Reinsdorf, something that I\u2019m sure every baseball fan can appreciate. (Sadly, The Athletic doesn\u2019t have a sarcasm font, so I\u2019ll just have to go ahead and point out my joke was a joke, which in itself is always a good indicator of the quality of a joke.)<\/p>\n

Jones<\/p>\n

Grade: D+
Downgrade<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t hate these, but they feel unnecessary. It isn\u2019t 1996. And the red with the black pinstripes is just way too Bulls. The sock logo with the wing? Looks like the logo for some knockoff Air Jordans. Reminds me too much of a Cincinnati Reds uniform, too.<\/p>\n

Miami Marlins<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tMiami\u2019s 2025 City Connect uniform. (Megan Briggs\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tThe Marlins\u2019 tribute to the Cuban Sugar Kings was introduced in 2021. (Rhona Wise \/ USA TODAY)<\/p>\n

Kepner<\/p>\n

Grade: B-
Upgrade<\/p>\n

This makes me want to eat a Miami Subs sandwich while watching \u201cMiami Vice.\u201d I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s advisable, or even possible anymore. But I have a low bar for Marlins uniforms, and this one clears it.<\/p>\n

The franchise that once paired black letters with black jerseys now boldly declares itself \u201cMIAMI\u201d in teal letters with a neon pink outline on a black backdrop. Gotta love that. And while I don\u2019t like numbers on a cap, folks from Miami sure seem to love their 305 area code. For a team that always struggles to connect to its city, that seems like a good thing.<\/p>\n

JUST IN: The Marlins have revealed their new City Connect uniforms \ud83c\udf86 pic.twitter.com\/cr9NUvjtcH<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 MLB (@MLB) April 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Rosecrans<\/p>\n

Grade: D-
Downgrade<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a big \u201cdog ate my homework\u201d vibe with this one. It looks like the Marlins forgot their assignment and went through the files from the last uniform redesign and submitted a rejected idea.<\/p>\n

Not only that, the one thing they turned in that resembles anything new is the hat, but that, too, backfired. Using an area code on an official MLB hat is like using ChatGPT to write your report and still leaving your prompts in. The gradient piping on the pants and the pink hem on the sleeves just slightly help bring up the grade for me.<\/p>\n

This one doesn\u2019t just fail to live up to its predecessor, it fails to show up at all.<\/p>\n

Jones<\/p>\n

Grade: C-
Downgrade<\/p>\n

The Miami Heat already have the \u201cMiami Vice\u201d look covered<\/a> and they did it better. The cap is the best part, but the Marlin inside of the \u201c305\u201d doesn\u2019t work and the brim of the hat reminds me of cotton candy. The hat, however, isn\u2019t terrible. Remove \u201cMarlins\u201d\u00a0 from the jersey and this could be something to wear for a night of dancing. That\u2019s the only justification for those random horizontal pinstripes. Even then, I\u2019m only doing that if it\u2019s last minute, Marshalls is closed and I haven\u2019t done laundry.<\/p>\n

(Top photo of Chicago\u2019s Luis Robert Jr.: Matt Dirksen \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n