MLB teams have been trying out uniforms across the league labeled as the “City Connect” collection. Some are cool, some are lame and some are… the Cincinnati Reds.
Full disclosure: I am a Reds fan. It’s a painful existence, to be certain (Cincinnati hasn’t won a playoff series since 1995 when I was 6 years old). But I’m not sure that I’ve seen anything as disgusting on the field as the uniforms the Reds wore on Saturday night against the Detroit Tigers.
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Prior to the game, the Reds welcomed the team’s 2026 Reds Hall of Fame Class, including Brandon Phillips, Lou Piniella, Aaron Harang and Reggie Sanders. And then they subjected those team legends to the worst uniforms in franchise history. A history that also includes many sleeveless jerseys, by the way.
For the squeamish among us, I’d encourage you now to either shield your eyes or go read another story (preferably not that one, retention time is important for me).
Seriously, what the heck are these uniforms? The all-red is atrocious. The logo is huge and ugly. And, you might not be able to tell, but there are also faint pinstripes on the jersey, the pants and the helmet. Why? It’s as if the designer’s direction was “Hey, can you make the ugliest uniforms in Reds history?”
“Done and done.”
And just to be clear, this is the actual plan: an all-red City Connect 2.0 set with faint pinstripes and a darker red sleeve. It’s not a one-off mistake.
For the record, here’s what the Reds official website says about the uniforms:
“A perennial favorite of both Reds fans and players alike, pinstripes have been featured on various Reds uniforms throughout history. City Connect 2.0 brings back this classic element to a new generation, but in a modernized tone-on-tone style. The sleeve is a darker shade of red and the jersey’s pinstripes [are] intentionally cut off at the shoulder, a nod to the popular vest-style uniforms last worn two decades ago.”
Why in the world are they reminding people about the “vest-style” uniforms? Those were terrible too!
With all the discussions about the New York Yankees looking to finally add an alternate uniform, I think it’s time the Reds went the opposite direction. Cincinnati is the oldest franchise in MLB history. They should have simple, classic uniforms. I get it, I sound like a mid-30-year-old trapped in the mind of an 80-year-old. Fine.
Give me the classic Reds uniforms all day over this “modern” abomination.
