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While the Los Angeles Dodgers were not set to release their newest line of City Connect jerseys until June, an alleged leak gave fans an early glimpse. Perhaps somewhat predictably, the reaction can hardly be characterized as an outpouring of support.
Commissioned through a partnership between the league and Nike, the MLB City Connect jerseys aim to showcase the unique culture and identity of a city through avante-garde uniform designs. Although the Dodgers were among the first teams to release a City Connect kit in 2021, now all but five teams have come forward with their unique styles.
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"A leak of the Dodgers new Nike City Connect jersey. They'll be the first team to have two (via @dyemycolor)" - Talkin' Baseball
The design was spotted in Japan by an X user. Though the Cleveland Guardians unveiled their own City Connect jerseys Monday, news of the leaked Dodgers jersey had fans more interested. Although it was not scheduled to be dropped until June 21, fans allegedly got an early opportunity to voice their displeasure.
As one of the first teams to try the City Connect scheme, the Los Angeles Dodgers came out with their first design in 2021. The first design comprised of a blue cap, jersey and pants with "Los Dodgers" printed across the front. Art on the sleeves is a further nod to the street art culture in LA.
"Horrendous" - claimed one fan.
"Yeah these jerseys suck" - said another.
"The cupcake jerseys" - joked another X user.
To date, some 25 teams have come out with designs, which have been met with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Among the teams who unveiled their new look this year were the Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, two teams whose traditional fans were not too pleased.
Other comments were as follows:
"Like a strawberry pop tart"
"Yikes that's terrible"
"Like a wonderbread bag"
Los Angeles Dodgers continue their roll despite jersey unpopularity
Despite the muted enthusiasm that greeted first sights of the jerseys, the Dodgers have given fans little to complain about so far this season. Largely owing to some incredible performances on offer from Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and others, it is likely that the fanbase will not be as concerned as we might think with what the team is wearing as October draws ever nearer.
