Rumor: Cincinnati Reds City Connect Jerseys Leaked

The apparent new City Connect Jersey has been leaked online.

Three AH-64 Apache helicopters and one UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, fly over during the National Anthem before the first inning of the MLB Opening Day game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The game was tied at 0 after four innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds look to be the next team replacing their City Connect Jerseys in the 2026 season. While the current black jerseys worn by the team for Friday home games are fairly popular, per the MLB agreement with Nike, the jerseys will change every few seasons.

We have a leak of what’s believed to be the Cincinnati Reds new City Connect jersey

(h/t @drewsturgell19) pic.twitter.com/MVLE7DK9OB

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 31, 2026

As shown in the photo above from "Talkin' Baseball", the new apparent City Connect Jerseys are a dark red with black pinstripes compared to the current uniform, which is all black with black writing and a red outline.

Sep 19, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The logo is the same design as the current jersey, but the color scheme changes slightly, with a white C instead of the current red one.

The hat is yet to be released by New Era, so we will wait to make a full judgment on the new uniforms until then. As far as the change, while it makes sense in regards to the Nike MLB licensing agreement to put out new City Connect Jerseys every few years, this feels like a downgrade from the current jerseys worn by the team since the 2023 season.

Reds fans have been clamoring for new uniforms for quite some time, so the black jersey release was a bit of a breath of fresh air where these jerseys at first glance feel like a slight step back.

Another concern with the jersey at first glance is that it looks very similar to the Chicago White Sox City Connect jersey unveiled last season, which pays tribute to the hometown NBA team, the Chicago Bulls.

Aug 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox left fielder Michael A. Taylor (21) and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) run back to the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Early reactions to the rumored leak have already ignited the kind of debate that always seems to follow a new City Connect design, especially for a franchise as tradition‑anchored as Cincinnati. The Reds were among the last clubs still waiting for their turn in Nike’s rotation, which only heightens the scrutiny.

Fans immediately zeroed in on the bold, modern aesthetic — a sharp contrast to the club’s classic home whites and iconic wishbone‑C. Some praised the willingness to push boundaries, while others questioned whether the design strays too far from the team’s visual identity. That tension is exactly what City Connect uniforms are meant to provoke: a reinterpretation of a city’s story through a contemporary lens. If the leak proves accurate, Cincinnati’s 2026 edition appears to lean heavily into that mission, signaling a stylistic shift that could redefine how the franchise presents itself on the field.

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