Grading MLB’s City Connect uniforms
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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 were 20 uniforms released prior to this year, 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 27), 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, including grades for each design by ESPN MLB writer David Schoenfield. We’ll continue to update the list as new City Connect unis are unveiled.
2024
Debut: May 3, 2024
Design inspiration: The Rays use elements that highlight the unconventional nature of their organization, leaning into the skateboarding culture in Tampa Bay with one of the more notable decals of the City Connect series: a Ray executing a “stalefish” skateboard trick on the inside neck and pant hip.
Schoenfield’s grade: A-. Another black/gray base is a little cliché by this time for the City Connect line, but these are pretty cool, as the neon really pops and I love the cap with the purple bill. The numbers might be a bit hard to see on TV, but definitely a jersey you can see Rays fans wearing.
More: Unconventional Rays use a balance of “grit and glow” »
Debut: April 27, 2024
Design inspiration: The Mets wanted to create a uniform that not only related to fans of the team but captured the connection to New York City as a whole, leaning heavily on the “NYC” across the chest to represent “a city like no other.” They pay homage to New York’s subway stations with multiple design elements, most specifically purple flourishes representing the 7 line, which stops at Citi Field. There’s also the Queensboro Bridge, which connects Manhattan and Queens, across the cap.
Schoenfield’s grade: F. This feels like a big swing and miss for the obvious reason that it gives off a Yankees vibe rather than a Mets one, and you can’t screw up worse than that. Why not go with “Queens” on the chest rather than the predictable “NYC”? And the Queensboro Bridge cap just doesn’t work.
More: Mets go with “NYC” to connect to whole city, rather than just one area »
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.”
Schoenfield’s grade: C. I’m not sure why the city flag is supposed to be an inspiration, as many Phillies fans wanted a dark maroon throwback style. The biggest problem the Phillies faced, though, was the fact they were never going to top their regular jerseys, the best overall set of uniforms in the majors.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: C+. The Pirates played it pretty safe here with the traditional black-and-yellow scheme, although there are some nice subtle design patterns (which are not really visible on television).
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: C-. An all-black uniform is usually a love it or hate it look, and this one isn’t helped by the boring block Baltimore lettering or that the minimal coloring requires the players to uncuff their sleeves or pants. The stylized “B” on the cap is a nice touch, even if it’s in white instead of orange.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: C. I do like the “C” on the cap with the five lines, but this is one of those jerseys that looks better hanging in a team store than it does watching a game in person or on TV.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: B+. They almost nailed it, as the blue tops with the yellow trim and the blue cap with the black bill and old-school trident logo were instant classics, but the black pants make the overall effect resemble a 1983 men’s softball league look.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: D. Just too much going on here, from the mythical peagle to the gothic lettering (nothing says “Texas” like a font from the Middle Ages) to the too-large logo on the cap.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: A-. It’s not exactly reinventing anything here since it’s similar to the uniform the Braves wore in the early 1970s. But it’s one sweet-looking uniform, with great eye appeal on TV, in photos or on baseball cards.
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.”
Schoenfield’s grade: A. I get that this might not be for everybody, but it’s distinct and colorful, seems to represent the city well and is a nice change of pace from the Padres’ brown-and-gold scheme.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: A. You have to love this one: That patch of a grill on the uniform sleeve? More teams should have had a little more fun with this like the Brewers did.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: A-. Some have called it bland, but in general you can’t go wrong with a cream-colored look and the Angels nailed the chest script and number on the front (inspired by California lifeguard tower numbers).
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: B. This look definitely screams “Colorado” more than the unexciting purple-trimmed jerseys the Rockies wear. But too much of the design was stolen from those state license plates, so they lose points for lack of creativity.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: C. Some nice design elements here, like the fountain-inspired “KC” lettering on the front, but the choice to go with navy over, you know, royal blue is kind of odd. In the end, it just feels like a lesser version of their regular jerseys.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: B-. I love the cap and the NASA-inspired font for the team name (and names on the back) plus the colorful socks when the pants are worn high, but I wonder if orange pants — bring out some of that colorful Astros history! — instead of another monochrome look would have been the way to go.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: B. I kind of liked this one, but obviously the Nationals themselves weren’t big fans with the early retirement of the jersey after 2024. Plus, the subtle flower pattern on the jersey is invisible when actually watching a game.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: F. The Dodgers seemed to give this no effort, and they’ve already twice modified the original all-blue 2021 version. They will have a completely new look coming out in 2024.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: C. They could have done something cool here with the Golden Gate Bridge and the fog, but there’s too much white and not enough color.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: B. The design itself, with the Spanish spelling of snakes, isn’t anything unique or special, but the desert-sand jersey color does stand out and improves the grade.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: D. Nothing wrong with “Wrigleyville” across the chest, although that’s a lot of lettering to squeeze in, but in a city with a rich history like Chicago, this was a missed opportunity to do something creative. The all-navy look is another miss.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: B+. Probably the most the predictable of the City Connect uniforms, given the White Sox’s already heavy emphasis on black (although these are officially dark gray), but it’s a nice look.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: A. I love the top because when you see these, you know you’re watching the Marlins. It certainly feels a lot more Miami than the Marlins’ uninspired regular uniforms.
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.
Schoenfield’s grade: B. It took guts to completely abandon red from the look, but think of the early history in Boston and the fun the team could have built in: a patch of a bag of tea or the U.S. Constitution or Paul Revere’s horse.
More: Red Sox ‘push the envelope’ with marathon-inspired blue-yellow uniforms »
Auburn is moving its 2026 home game with Baylor to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as part of an arrangement with the Aflac Kickoff Game to provide NIL opportunities for Auburn players, a first in college football for neutral-site games.
The Peach Bowl, in coordination with the Aflac game, will provide opportunities for promotional appearances for Auburn players promoting ticket sales and ancillary events.
“Any time we have the ability to advance Auburn student-athletes’ ability to earn third-party NIL compensation, we will take that opportunity,” athletic director John Cohen said. “The exposure of playing on a national stage against a Power 4 opponent in one of the premier neutral-site games in the country will not only benefit our student-athletes financially, but it will also enhance their brands.”
Baylor and Auburn met in this year’s season opener for each team, with the Tigers winning 38-24 in Waco, Texas. Next year’s game was originally scheduled to be played at Auburn as the second game of a home-and-home.
Auburn will receive an allotment of 20,645 tickets for the game, while Baylor will receive the SEC standard 3,000 tickets held for visiting teams. The Aflac Kickoff Game will sell the remaining inventory.
This game will mark just the sixth time that Baylor and Auburn have met dating to 1954. The series is currently tied 2-2-1, including the Tigers’ win this year.
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Adam Rittenberg
No. 7 Indiana is set to regain All-Big Ten cornerback and special teams ace D’Angelo Ponds this week as the seventh-ranked Hoosiers visit No. 3 Oregon.
Ponds, a first-team All-Big Ten selection and second-team All-America selection in 2024, was a late scratch from Indiana’s Sept. 27 game against Iowa with an undisclosed injury. The Hoosiers did not play last week, and coach Curt Cignetti said Monday that he expects Ponds “to be fine and play.”
The 5-foot-9, 173-pound Ponds had 11 tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception and a blocked punt return for a touchdown this season. He had 55 tackles, three interceptions, nine pass breakups and a blocked kick in 2024.
Ryland Gandy started in place of Ponds against Iowa.
“[Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines] took out the eraser and ink pen and the game plan changed a little bit, played a little bit more zone than he planned on playing going into the game, and I thought we did well,” Cignetti said.
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Greg Wyshynski
Connor McDavid responded to months of speculation by signing a contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Notice how we didn’t say that he “ended” that speculation: McDavid’s contract, which carries an extremely team-friendly $12.5 million average annual value, is only for two years beyond this one, meaning the best hockey player in the world could still become the most coveted free agent in NHL history in summer 2028.
But if you’re the Oilers, you’re taking the glass-half-full approach. Or more to the point, a half-full (Stanley) Cup: Connor McDavid has at least three more chances to bring the first championship since 1990 to Edmonton.
As with any significant decision in the NHL, there are winners and there are losers.
Here’s the fallout from Connor McDavid’s new contract:
WINNER: Connor McDavid
Since it’s only a two-year extension, McDavid will have a slew of questions about why he chose that term and what it means for his ultimate future in Edmonton. But then after those questions are asked and answered, McDavid will focus on winning a Stanley Cup in Edmonton and a gold medal for Canada this season without being burdened with speculation. With this season and then two more, those questions can wait until at least September 2027.
This deal was done before the first puck was dropped on the NHL season, and one has to assume Connor wanted it that way.
With McDavid’s contract situation settled, the entirety of the rumor mill will now focus on Crosby’s future with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It’s a topic that Crosby is already sick of discussing but one that’ll grow in volume with each Penguins loss — and the pundits are predicting a lot of Penguins losses this season.
At least McDavid’s pending unrestricted free agency lured some of that spotlight away from Sid. Now, he’s the primary fuel source for this season’s rumor industry.
WINNER: Edmonton fans
When Oilers fans would say that McDavid wasn’t going anywhere, it sounded more aspirational than emphatic.
Maybe this season would be the last shot. Maybe he desired to play for one of the NHL’s glamour franchises, or one he felt had a longer contention window than Edmonton’s.
Visions of teary-eyed news conferences of the past filled their memories, like that time the other greatest player in franchise history ended up being The Great One in Los Angeles — heck, the Kings were even one of the teams that had the cap space ready for Connor next summer.
But he chose Edmonton. Not for the long term — at least not now — but he chose Edmonton. To continue living there. To continue playing there. Because he wanted to bring a championship there.
LOSERS: Everyone else
No McDavid rumor mill. No McDavid free agency frenzy. No McDavid arriving in New York or Dallas or Los Angeles or Tampa Bay or (gasp) Toronto to elevate those teams into immediate Stanley Cup favorite status. No hearing the faint sounds of the “Imperial March” as we tuned in to watch McDavid taking his talents from Edmonton to the highest bidder.
Yes, the smart money was always on him staying in Edmonton. It doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t be a little bummed that he left all that fun on the table — along with over $100 million in free agent riches.
WINNER: Stan Bowman
McDavid decided on Monday that he wanted to ink a two-year extension with the Oilers. That was after months of contemplation about whether — and if so, for how long — he wanted to commit to Edmonton. Part of that process was sitting down with Bowman to hear the GM’s plans for the Oilers moving forward. Ultimately, they got him to remain an Oiler for a few more runs at the Stanley Cup.
Now, one could say that the pitch enticed McDavid to remain with the Oilers for only two more seasons beyond this one, which might not say much for its effectiveness. And one could say that McDavid having essentially given Bowman money out of his pocket to spend should empower the player to have more say in organizational decisions. But, c’mon, no franchise player has that kind of pull within the organization.
On an unrelated topic: Congratulations to Oilers’ coach Kris Knoblauch, who coached McDavid in juniors, on his new contract, given to him by Jeff Jackson, who is CEO of hockey operations and used to be McDavid’s agent.
LOSER: The Oilers’ runway
Now comes the hard part: Building a team around McDavid and fellow Oilers star Leon Draisaitl that can finally celebrate a Stanley Cup championship; or, failing that, one that convinces McDavid that the future in Edmonton is bright enough for him not to take his stuff and leave in 2028.
There’s frankly a better chance of the former happening than the latter.
The defending Western Conference champs bring back most of the same roster as last season, although the loss of Corey Perry might doom their Stanley Cup Final karma. After that, Bowman has some decent money coming off a rising cap next summer, including both goaltenders.
McDavid is essentially Uncle Jimmy in Season 4 of “The Bear,” slamming down a countdown clock until the restaurant is a success or goes bust. Bowman will spend the next three years frantically pawing at ingredients to find the right recipe.
WINNER: GM empowerment
Every NHL general manager has, at some point, tried to sell a player with an expiring contract on taking a little less to help the team in a salary-capped league. Most times, that player will absolutely refuse to be the victim of past contractual mistakes by management — maybe there’s a small hometown discount, but the stars want to be paid as such.
It used to be that Sidney Crosby was the model for contractual sacrifice, as he has had the same $8.7 million AAV since the 2008-09 season. Back then, it was 15.3% of the cap. On his latest extension, it’s 9.1% of the cap. As of now, McDavid will make 12.0% of the cap in 2026-27, although that could still decrease.
It’s team-friendly to the point that he’s not even the highest-paid player on the Oilers. Every GM in the league is going to harmonize when saying in unison: “Be like Connor.”
If the Oilers win during that two-year deal … well, now they have proof of concept, too.
LOSER: NHLPA
Any time a player decides to take less than market value, it’s not exactly a rising tide lifting others’ boats.
While the NHLPA was no doubt thrilled that Kirill Kaprizov got the Minnesota Wild to improve on what was already a record-breaking offer to settle on the highest value ($136 million) and AAV ($17 million on an eight-year term) in league history.
But the mind boggles at what McDavid could have landed as the most coveted free agent in hockey history, instead of maintaining his current cap hit for two more seasons.
WINNER: Leon Draisaitl
As I reported earlier this year, Draisaitl’s decision to sign an eight-year contract extension through 2033 did not mean that McDavid would commit long term to the Oilers, too.
As it stands, Draisaitl will have McDavid feeding him pucks for the next three seasons at a minimum. That’s three times better than just having him for the 2025-26 season, which was certainly a possibility as McDavid mulled his future as a pending UFA.
It’s not ideal, but it’s not catastrophic. And hey, he’s still the highest-paid player on the Oilers! Who saw that coming?
Of all the potential landing spots for McDavid, none would have knocked the hockey world off its axis like the Ontario native taking his talents to the Toronto Maple Leafs. A 1-2 punch of McDavid and Matthews might have convinced even the most cynical Leafs fans that the team could win its first Stanley Cup since 1967.
Alas, after losing Mitch Marner to the Golden Knights in the offseason, Matthews will have to wait until summer 2028 to potentially play with McDavid … when they’re both UFAs … and coincidentally share the same agent. Now that’s a fun summer.
WINNER: McDavid’s legacy in Edmonton
Assuming he plays the full term, McDavid will have given Edmonton 13 years of his life — after a bunch of draft lottery balls bounced the Oilers’ way in 2015 — in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
He has lifted the team to two straight Cup Finals and three conference finals overall, to the point where he was just the second skater in NHL history to win playoff MVP in a losing effort. Two additional seasons might not sit well with some Edmonton fans, especially after Draisaitl committed to eight more seasons last September.
But the majority of fans likely see this as McDavid propping the contention window open by leaving a Scrooge McDuck money bin of free agent riches on the table, and giving the Oilers added cap flexibility. If he leaves in 2028, he won’t have abandoned Edmonton — it’ll be after giving that franchise his everything. If it ends without a Cup, it’ll be the Oilers’ legacy to have squandered it.
LOSER: The state income tax debate
The advantages for those teams that play in states without income tax have been restated and hotly debated ever since the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights started lifting the Stanley Cup. Players such as Brad Marchand have noted that a lack of state income tax has enabled teams to maintain roster consistency and attract talent.
But it didn’t lure McDavid on this contract. Which, as Panthers executive Roberto Luongo cheekily tweeted, doesn’t really stoke the fires of this burning issue:
No state tax strikes again! https://t.co/NCRxsSFBOy
— Strombone (@strombone1) October 6, 2025
He might still end up playing in Florida or Las Vegas or Dallas when this contract is up. But for now, he’s committed to playing in Alberta, where the income tax rate is 15%.
We’ll just have to wait for the Panthers to win a third straight Stanley Cup over the Oilers for that debate to reignite…
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