Rumor: Cincinnati Reds City Connect Jerseys Leaked

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.

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.

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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