The Phillies will unveil their City Connect jersey this week and announced a debut date. Not everyone is happy.
Will the jersey match the ones that leaked online? Some fans hope not.
Fridays at Citizens Bank Park are about to look a little different.
That’s because the Phillies announced that they’ll unveil their new Nike MLB City Connect jerseys on Friday at 10 a.m. and will begin wearing them on the field a week later (April 12) when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Bank. Not only that, but the new uniform will be worn for every Friday home game throughout the season.
Earlier this year, MLB confirmed that the Phillies would indeed be one of the nine teams getting a City Connect jersey, as they were one of the remaining teams that had yet to get the call — Nike limits the release to no more than 10 teams per season. But before that even happened, photos of what appears to be the new jersey leaked online.
Now, fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out if the above version is what the team will be wearing on the field in less than two weeks. Some, it seems, would be fine waiting a little longer.
But if you disagree with those fans and want to buy one of the City Connect jerseys or related merchandise, at least during the initial release, the only place to get them is at the New Era Phillies Team Store at Citizens Bank Park. Items will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
Later that day, the team and Fanatics will host a free block party from 3-9 p.m. on Citizens Bank Way that will include appearances by Phillies alumni (Shane Victorino, Mickey Morandini, Milt Thompson, Larry Andersen) and the Phillie Phanatic. There also will be food trucks, games, music, and a live WIP-FM broadcast from 2-6 p.m. The party leads right into the Phillies’ game against the Washington Nationals, which will be shown on a giant screen.
As for the on-field debut of the City Connect jerseys, the team is also throwing a party that night, as there will be a concert with DJ Jazzy Jeff at Pass and Stow following the game against the Pirates.
While the Phillies will be the first team in 2024 to debut the new City Connect look, the jersey comes amid an ongoing MLB uniform controversy. There’s been a rash of complaints about the new uniform material and templates being used by Nike and Fanatics — this season is Fanatics’ first time producing MLB uniforms — ranging from smaller nameplates to odd-fitting jerseys to see-through pants.