New City Connect Looks

Major League Baseball dropped eight new City Connect uniforms on April 9, and the loudest reaction landed on three clubs that all took the idea in different directions at once: Baltimore went ballpark-history, Milwaukee went statewide, and Pittsburgh went full pirate. City Connect started in 2021 as a Nike alternate-uniform program, and Major League Baseball now lets teams rotate to a new version after three years, which is why these clubs are on their second round in 2026 instead of tweaking the old sets. Baltimore’s new look is not actually black-and-orange at center stage. The Orioles built this set around cream, dark green, and orange, with “BMORE” across the chest and details pulled straight from Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which opened on April 6, 1992. The Orioles packed the jersey with local references that only make full sense if you know the ballpark. One sleeve patch copies the brass plaques on Eutaw Street, where 134 home runs have been marked, and the distance on the patch is “410,” a nod to Maryland’s 410 area code. Milwaukee went the other way and treated “City Connect” like “state connect.” The Brewers put “Wisco” on the chest, used a water-toned blue base for Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers, and stitched in “Forward,” which is the state motto. That shift is a real change from Milwaukee’s first City Connect set in 2022, which centered on the city’s People’s Flag and hid “414,” Milwaukee’s area code, inside the cap design. The 2026 version is broader on purpose, with Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger saying the club calls it “State Connect” internally. Pittsburgh’s redesign is the easiest one to read from across the room. The Pirates kept the city’s black-and-gold sports identity, then added a pirate-style wordmark, red accents, and Jolly Roger details that turn the jersey from “Pittsburgh team” into “actual pirates.” The bridge between city and mascot is literal in Pittsburgh’s case. The chest lettering draws from the city’s three “Sister Bridges” over the Allegheny River, while the sleeve patch uses a 1997-era Pirate with an eyepatch and red bandana next to “PGH” and “1887.” The timing matters because these are not just photo-day uniforms. Baltimore said it will wear its new set for the first time on Friday, April 10, against San Francisco, and Pittsburgh said its debut is Friday, April 17, at PNC Park against Tampa Bay, with the Pirates then wearing them for every Friday home game in 2026. Nike, Major League Baseball, and Fanatics released all eight 2026 City Connect sets for sale on April 9, which helps explain why the reveals now feel like launch events instead of simple uniform updates. Jerseys hit Nike, Major League Baseball Shop, Fanatics, the Major League Baseball Flagship Store, and team stores on the same day. That is why fans immediately started arguing over favorites instead of waiting to see the uniforms on the field. A cream Camden Yards tribute, a blue “Wisco” statewide pitch, and a black-and-gold pirate costume all landed within hours of each other, so the debate became part fashion poll, part city pride test, and part baseball rollout machine.