Fastball

Tampa Bay Rays Reveal 'Grit and Glow' City Connect Alternate Uniforms

The Tampa Bay Rays became the latest MLB team to release alternate uniforms as part of Nike's City Connect series, showing them off for the first time Monday.

Sam Connon

Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays/X
Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays/X /
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In honor of the region they call home, the Tampa Bay Rays are going to put their grit and glow on full display this season.

The Rays became the latest MLB team to unveil their City Connect uniforms on Monday, adding to Nike's league-wide line of alternates. The uniforms are meant to celebrate the independent, underground spirit of the bold, bright and vibrant Tampa Bay, according to the team.

Inspired by "iconic" skate media, the dark gray uniforms feature logos, trims and designs using neon green, purple and teal. As a result, "Grit x Glow" is the slogan the team is using to promote the new look.

And for the first time since they rebranded from the Devil Rays to the Rays in 2007, "Tampa Bay" will be front and center on their jerseys.

The Rays will wear the uniforms for the first time against the New York Mets on Friday, May 3.

The team released an explainer for the new-look uniforms, going in-depth on all their features and design elements.

At the top of the pants, there is a patch of a skating ray. The logo on the hat, meanwhile, is a combination between a ray and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge that connects St. Petersburg to the rest of the surrounding communities.

Another logo is made up of three palm trees – an ode to Perry Harvey Sr. Park – as well as a pelican, which is a nod to the area's old Negro League team, the St. Petersburg Pelicans.

The underbill of the hat's purple brim and the jersey numbers will have a skateboard grip texture to them, while the texture of the jersey itself is meant to imitate a black shirt that has been weathered in the Florida sun.

While the jersey reveal was surely scheduled months ahead of time, it comes amid an odd moment for the Rays.

Tampa Bay is sitting dead last in the AL at 13-16, fresh off a three-game sweep at the hands of the historically awful Chicago White Sox. The Rays' winning percentage could take yet another hit prior to this weekend, considering they are about to open up a three-game road series against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

On the other hand, perhaps the new threads and deeper connection to Tampa can give the Rays the juice they need to turn things around.

After all, fan responses to the Rays' City Connects are leaning far more positive than they have been for other teams this season, far outpacing the Philadelphia Phillies and the Mets. From the overall aesthetic to the logos, people seem to be heavily in favor of Tampa Bay's new look.

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Sam Connon

SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.