Ranking MLB’s Latest City Connect Jerseys
The Brewers, Pirates, Rangers, Royals, Orioles, Reds, Padres, and Braves will be wearing new City Connect uniforms in 2026.
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Major League Baseball launched the City Connect jersey series in 2021 as a way to highlight the deeper roots and connections between teamS and their respective cities. Attracting a young audience and pushing more merchandise was part of the recipe as well.
The first wave of City Connect jerseys received mixed reactions. The Red Sox’s yellow was a miss, while the Padres’ neon look was more iconic. Personally, I loved the green and purple mountain display Colorado went with, but plenty of people didn’t.
We have seen a number of amazing designs and some that should be quickly forgotten. However, I will say the series as a whole has been a success. Fans have enjoyed pivoting from the classic looks of each team to sporting a new, modern, and sometimes weird (but fun) aesthetic.
We are seeing teams cycle through their second round of designs, with eight teams getting new threads for the 2026 season. Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Texas, Kansas City, Baltimore, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Atlanta will be wearing their new City Connects on Friday nights at home. Today, we are going to rank them from best to worst.
1. Atlanta Braves
Maybe I’m a sucker for powder blue, but these pop to me. The Braves had a similar color back in the 80s, and spinning a throwback into a modern look is always tasteful. Scripted Atlanta across the chest with the “A” on the hat is perfect.
On the sleeve is “ATL,” and the ride piping scene on the color, sleeves, and pants offer enough red to balance out the blue. I’m glad they did not color soak the uniforms by carrying the blue through the pants, as I think that would have been overkill.
My only gripe is the number and underbill of the hat. I’m not too headstrong on this opinion, but I think red numbers and a red underbill would have been nice. Or, at the very least, an outline of the numbers.
2. Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh’s 2026 City Connect jerseys are a massive upside from their previous release. They leaned heavily into black, which was the right choice, but didn’t abandon the gold too much. Let’s start with the hat. Oh, that 90s Pirate logo is so, so good. The touch of red on the bandana and Nike logo is a great complement. I’m sure these hats will sell well.
The yellow piping, belt, and wording keep enough of a color balance to not make these jerseys feel too dark. I’m not sure the best way to explain the font, but I’ll describe it as “villain,” if that makes sense. Pittsburgh is a city that prides itself on its blue collar, gritty identity, and I believe these meet that identity without being boring and still feeling modern.
I wouldn’t say I have any complaints. If I’m nitpicking, the piping on the sleeves sticks out as slightly too wide, but it is balanced out by an awesome pirate logo with “PBH 1887”, which you cannot see in this photo. A close second that would have been first if not for the powder blue.
3. San Diego Padres
San Diego has done it again by nailing their City Connect jerseys. The first edition – a vibrant neon party of pink and lime green – was always going to be difficult to follow up. While these still pop and have their own vibrant look, they are tuned down but done so without losing life.
The orange and navy contrast well, with a pink line adding some spunk, but not too much. They are going for a sunset feel and succeeded. This particular navy has a modern feel and helps the other colors pop while lifting your eyes to the patch honoring Dia de los Muertos.
Overall, these are excellent. They highlight the culture of San Diego and immediately make you feel the city and its surroundings. I would have preferred a chest logo and I’m not crazy about the pants, but a strong showing with a hat that will certainly sell well.
4. Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore’s first City Connect jerseys had mixed reviews, and I’m sure these will too. There’s a lot going on and a ton on the front, but I don’t mind it. I like the use of the Oriole and appreciate the number font. The shade of green, which represents the ballpark, is a shade I wish was used more in baseball.
Orange piping and highlights on the batting gloves is a nice touch. However, these are a step down from the first three on this list. I am not crazy about the two-tone hats, even if they were used in the past, or the hat logo. I’ll give them credit, these are different and for once a Maryland based team didn’t lean heavily into their state flag.
Let’s address the elephant in the room. “BMORE.” BMORE? I have never heard anyone say that, and maybe that’s because I live in Kentucky. However, any nickname that is strong enough to identify with your city is likely to be well known – like ATL for Atlanta.
5. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds stuck with the same logo from their previous City Connect uniforms and moved away from “Cincy” across the chest to a left chest “C” logo. I like the font and number placement, even if it is non-traditional.
The pinstripes are a great addition and are placed in a way that serves as a nod to the vest jerseys the Reds once wore. Well, why not just do a vest? I think they could have pulled it off and would have been a fun difference from the rest of the City Connect jerseys. Although, that would have taken away from the Tyler Davidson fountain on the sleeve, which I like.
The color-soaked look is a bit much for my taste. It feels like that Seinfeld episode when the chicken place with the red neon light illuminates Kramer’s apartment. I prefer the first City Connect effort from the Reds, but these are not bad.
6. Kansas City Royals
We have now entered the tier of meh, or even yuck. The Royals already have a powder blue, so I understand not using that shade, but I’m not sure what is going on here. The transition of colors on the hat and logo does not do it for me. The “crown” looks like a combination of three smiling face which I cannot get out of my head.
I like the “R” and appreciate the nod to the past, but it does feel huge. You cannot see it in this photo, but two lines run from the collar down to the sleeve, which I thought was a nice touch. Also, they have “HEY HEY HEY HEY” on the inside of the collar, which is a reference to the Beatles song played after wins. That I appreciate.
I have wanted the Royals to lean into the gold a little more. This could have been an opportunity to go bold in doing so, but they went a safer route. I do think these have potential
7. Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee’s 1.0 jerseys were so good that any follow-up was going to fall flat. I like the shade of blue that was chosen to represent the lakes across the state. “Wisco” is another abbreviation I was not familiar with, and considering it references the state and not the city, it missed the City Connect vibe.
The font used is far too similar to many teams that start with a W. That the sleeves include a pattern that matches wheat is a great nod to the brewers across the state. However, the other colors used in the piping just don’t feel very Milwaukee or even Wisconsin to me.
To me, these don’t feel like they accomplished the goal of City Connects. They aren’t atrocious, but are a little boring and confusing.
8. Texas Rangers
The Rangers leaned heavily into Hispanic culture, starting with “Tejas” across the front, a charro pattern down the pants and around the sleeves, and a beautiful papel picado patch on the right sleeve. I love how they tied culture into the design, but the aesthetic of these jerseys is weak.
For some reason, the first thing that came to mind when I saw these is “they look like a college team”. Why? I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps it is the font, which looks dated to me. Not incorporating any blue was also a miss. Some variation of blue on the sleeves, or maybe with the charro pattern, would have helped these stand out.
By no means are these the worst City Connect jerseys ever made. In fact, I think all eight of these releases are at least acceptable, but Texas gets the crown for the least exciting or bold.
Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, the City Connect series has been a resounding success. It has been a unique and fun way to highlight the history, culture, and communities that have supported these teams for decades. Bold, colorful, and against the grain has not been baseball’s identity, and this has been a step in the right direction.
The players and fans have seemed to enjoy it as well. Next time you go to a game, look around and see how much of the City Connect apparel you see. I’m sure it will be a lot. At the very least, it provides people with merchandise that they can be proud of. Not just because of their team, but because of their city.
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