Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers have made their mark this offseason by revamping their starting rotation. However, they will also be upgrading their jersey rotation too.
Nike announced today that the Dodgers, along with eight other teams in the league, will receive a new City Connect uniform for the upcoming 2024 season.
What happens to the current City Connect?
Nike took over as the official in-game uniform supplier of Major League Baseball in 2020, replacing Majestic, who held that title since 2005.
The arrival of the iconic Nike Swoosh has had mixed results. Since 2020, Nike has implemented minor changes and designs as they looked to stand out compared to past jersey manufacturers.
One of the more unique changes was the introduction of the City Connect uniforms, which would be inspired by the team’s City rather than the team itself.
The Dodgers were one of the first teams to have a City Connect uniform during the 2021 season, where they showcased the “Los Dodgers” all-blue-themed jersey.
The results were mixed and underwent several changes over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The first change was the hat featuring the “Los Dodgers.” In 2022, it was reverted to the traditional LA with a black brim.
In 2023, the Dodgers also threw out the all-blue look as the team wore white pants with blue pipping down the sides. Lance Lynn also confirmed the jersey last season to be former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías‘s signature jersey for his start days.
However, per Nike’s new policy, a team can only have four jerseys in their rotation. If that team has a City Connect uniform, it goes to four plus one.
The Dodgers have their home whites, regular roads, alternate roads, and City Connect. However, due to fan and player backlash, we may have seen the last of the “Los Dodgers.”
What can we expect?
The Dodgers are such a historic franchise that it is hard to imagine them steering too far away from their iconic look. The New York Yankees are also in a similar status and have declined City Connect uniforms for the past three seasons.
The Dodgers’ first iteration went with a more “safe” approach, but this next round, perhaps they could take more inspiration from the Hispanic culture that Los Angeles is known for.
However, another approach could be marketing to the Japanese fanbase, which is expected to grow exponentially this upcoming season with the additions of Ohtani and Yamamoto.
The Dodgers brand is widely known in the eastern part of the world, stretching popularity throughout Japan and Korea. The Dodgers could try to capitalize on the market and introduce a unique blend of Los Angeles and Japanese culture.
Is Nike under fire?
As more teams report to their spring training facilities, players are introduced to the new Nike jersey template that will be worn across the entire league.
The changes are a drastic departure for many clubs, including the Dodgers, who have seen changes in color, number size, and name curvature.
Reports by Cardinals beat writers explaining the players’ frustration have already been published, and fans across the league have shared their opinions online.
Conveniently today, Nike and MLB have released a press release highlighting the New Jersey template and their explanation.
Over the next few days and weeks, seeing more comments by the players and their fans will be very interesting, as we are only a few weeks away from spring training games being played.
