Welcome to the weekend, where we have breaking baseball news.
Rumors have abounded this past week that the Cincinnati Reds were unveiling a new white alternate jerseys in the near future. Today, Uni Watch can exclusively confirm that those rumors are indeed legitimate, thanks to our source with access to MLB’s style guide for the 2025 season.
As you can see, the team is going with no wording at all on the front of the jersey, just a wishbone C. This is the first time the Reds have had a home jersey with the wishbone C as the only element since 1960. There is a Mr. Redlegs patch on the sleeve, and the number and name font carries over from the team’s primary uniforms, complete with the dropshadows (as an aside, the Reds primary uni set is entering its nineteenth season. Time flies.)
Notably, the jersey features no embellishments on the front aside from the wishbone C — no uni number, no headspoon, nothing, making it quite plain for a modern MLB jersey. The sleeve trim, pants, and cap match the Reds’ primary home uni, which is somewhat surprising, I think — for an alternate jersey that’s so similar to the team’s primary home, you’d think they’d do something to make this stand out. Perhaps they’re soft-launching this is a new primary home?
The jersey is somewhat similar to what the team wore in 1956 and 1957, which was a vest and featured a front number. The Reds brought the road version of that uni set back for a throwback game in 1991.
This is also another new jersey adopted during the Nike Vapor Premier template era of MLB without a headspoon. Earlier this year, the Nationals brought back their red alternates after a one-year pause, but without the white-and-blue headspoon, and the Mets dropped the headspoon from their road jerseys. Makes me wonder if Nike, which imposed the narrower jersey placket as part of their move to the Vapor Premier template last year, is pushing teams away from headspoons. The headspoons do indeed look worse on the Vapor Premier template than they did before.
Yesterday, a platform-formerly-known-as-Twitter user with the handle @DougieBubsBets posted the following tweet, showing a screenshot of the newest MLB: The Show video game (which launched this week) and a screenshot from the Rally House website, both showing the new white alternate Reds jersey.
New @Reds Alternate Home uniforms this year???
Pics from Rallyhouse website and the new MLB the Show game that came out tonight@Nicholaspkirby @bryce_spalding @RedsInFour @RedsFan_Brandon @RedsDaily4 @HeyGingersaurus pic.twitter.com/OpZR9g1e2g
— Dougie Bubs (@DougieBubsBets) March 14, 2025
We saw @DougieBubsBets’ tweet and Phil got confirmation from his source with access to the style guide.
The Reds are yet to formally launch the new alternate, and we have no timetable for when they will. I would imagine it would happen before Opening Day, but you never know.
Anyway, what are your thoughts? Do you like the Reds’ new alternate? Do you find it kind of plain, like I do? Comment below!
Way to generic, lacks creativity. Please get rid of the black and odd name & number fonts once and for all.
Agreed. I’ve always hated the shadow and font. A button-down version of the Big Red Machine-era unis would be just fine.
If you’re going to have shadows, at least have the white layer between the red and the black on the wishbone C like the numbers and name on the back have.
I’m surprised at how long this quirky font has lasted for them. It felt gimmicky when they first brought it in, and shadows and extra layers tend to look terrible with NOBs, but the team has stuck with it all this time.
I DESPISE shadowing.
I’ll accept black outline. It’s unneccesary, but I’ll stand it over the black shadow.
Very nope.
Seems pointless.
This means they have to drop a jersey per Nike/MLB rules. Which one goes?
They’re not at their “Core Four” (yet). The reds have a home white, road gray, and red alternate. That leaves the fourth spot open for this new white alternate. They don’t need to drop anything.
The Reds dropped their red Spring Training jersey with the Mr. Redlegs logo after last season, which had been their fourth in the 4+1 rule. They’ve been wearing their normal red alternate jersey with the Reds script across the front this Spring Training.
Man, I didn’t know they dropped the Mr. redlegs alternate. Wish they’d kept that over the other one.
I hate the font and the drop shadow — both are too busy. If they fixed those I’d like this uni.
You seriously looked at an all white jersey with a Red C and a black drop shadow, with no piping, no numbers, no words, no stripes, and your takeaway was that it was too busy?
They had one element to put on the front, and they cluttered it up with the drop shadow.
Excellent reporting, guys. Well done!
Phil and team, you guys have done a wonderful job with Uni Watch!
Thanks Dave!
Sleek, simple and perfect for a charter NL franchise.
I hate to nitpick, but the Reds are not a charter NL franchise. The Cincinnati Reds that went 9-56 in the National League’s first season folded after the 1879 season.
The only NL charter franchises remaining are the Cubs and Braves.
The Giants (nee Gothams) and Phillies (Quakers) joined in 1883.
The Pirates (Alleghenys) moved from the American Association in 1887.
The Reds and Dodgers (Grays) moved from the AA in 1890
The Cardinals (Browns) moved when the AA folded in 1892.
I’d like to see a white uniform with bold black pinstripes, large black numbers displayed on the front/back, black wishbone C top left, matching pinstripe pants, and red socks. Cap would be white with a black bill and black wishbone C. No names on the back.
Way too much black and way too little RED for a team called the Cincinnati Reds in your suggested uniform, friend.
I wish it was a vest
Yes.
Beyond dull. Even for the Reds. Drop shadow is dated.
Everyone has a different opinion: as far as mine goes, I would take their existing home uniforms, and subtract the headspoon and drop shadow, and leave it at that.
A version of the ‘56 – ‘57 vest would be better. Clean and simple with block numbers.
With the history the Reds have, there is no reason why they shouldn’t have a top 3 look. As others have said previously, start by dropping the drop shadow and black elements. Then look no further than what they wore from, say 1900 to 1990 for inspiration. Not many teams can get away with only two colors and differentiate enough from the field. The Reds can do that.
Great idea! This, on the other hand, is not that. It feels like they started out with 10 min until deadline, so slapped the existing numbers/name font and drop shadow on and called it a day. The front us way too plain and the back is too much, plus a repeat of what already exists, so lazy, as well. Just silly and sad.
I like it. As a Sunday alt it’s a nice look. It reminds me of the circa 2000 Sunday(?) white uni the Astros used that only had the star on the front.
Will this alternate jersey be adorned with the Pete Rose memorial patch?
I don’t think Nike is actually “pushing” teams away from headspoons (except for the fact that they are forcing teams to wear the new template). I think teams just realize headspoons look really bad on the new template and are eliminating them by their own choice.
Nike pushes teams to jerseys that are cheaper to make, so Nike can make more profit. It is really that simple. Any braiding, like headspoons and sleeve soutache, is removed or replaced with a cheaper alternative. Why do you think the Yankees removed the white trim on their road unis after 50 years?
Because Aaron judge like it better that way.
I agree with Steve D. Nike is only in doing all this stuff to fill their pockets, I worked in the sporting good business for 40 years and Nike is the worst for doing this stuff, build a cheap jersey for MLB, NFL, NBA but sale that jersey at the ball parks and Rally House, Dicks and etc. for $100.00 or more
Vest & number on front.
This needs to happen.
Of all the teams, the Reds have such a simple solution. -C.
link
For gawd sakes, Cincy. Lose the BFBS accents. You’re the Reds. That’s all you need.
Reds need to bring back the vest, and the name under the number.
Not only is this boring, it’s also way too similar to their primary home whites. Add a front number and pinstripes and this is a good uniform, but in its current state it is just pointless.
I wish they would go back to solid red block font!
Agreed. That’s long overdue.
Wish they’d get rid of the drop shadow. It just makes the whole thing look cheap and lazy.
If they were swapping the primaries for this at least I’d understand, although I wouldn’t agree. I think the reds are one of the best dressed in baseball, and yes that includes their CC. I was hoping they’d do a red top and red pants uni as an alternate.
How is this an exclusive? This jersey has been floating around for at least a week.
Why did they remove the word? Off of the Uniform? Maybe because of Joe McCarthy . Sort of mirrors the way the world is today. bye-bye.
They eliminated the good things (front number and C-Reds logo), eliminated one bad thing (headspoon), kept one bad thing (dropshadows) and missed an opportunity to bring back vests. Thumbs down.
What’s the point?
Like to see someone go minimalist like the old Washington Senators – just a letter on the sleeve!
I like old school, minimalist jerseys with logos, but even I think this too much (or too little to be literal).
That uni on Glenn Bragg looks great though.
Throw some pinstripes on it and make Mr. Redlegs the main logo and I’d like them.
“This is the first time the Reds have had a home jersey with the wishbone C as the only element since 1960.”
They had an alternate home jersey in 2003 and 2004 that only had the C. I believe it was a Sunday alternate.
That uniform Braggs is wearing is perfect. Red…no black outlines. No black drop shadows. Just red. Too bad he looks like someone farted.
Is there a chance these could just be their Speedway Classic unis? Seems weird that the team wouldn’t have done any press around them as this point if they were going to be used regularly
Yeah, this is what I think as well – I bet these are for the Bristol game. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Braves have something we don’t know about yet, too.
Maybe theirs would be gray and have the A where the Reds C is.
I don’t mind the simplistic edge. Their late 60’s early 70’s looks was fantastic. But no more black shading please! Font stinks too. They are not the Red Sox. Block lettering white on red. Done.
I like it, but this was a lost opportunity to reintroduce the “ice-cream man” cap with the white crown. It’s a distinctly Reds look, one that distinguishes it from all the other interchangeable red caps out there.
I rarely advocate for vests in baseball, but the 56ers look a lot better to me here. The white cap with the contrasting red bill echoes the blocking in the vest and sleeves nicely.
As usual, the swoosh is draws far too much attention on the new jersey. Front numbers would help, but maybe a little bit smaller and a little bit lower than in the 56-57.
Mr. Redlegs is fine. The pant stripe is probably fine, but a thin red double stripe would be better. The sleeves would be better with either the thin red double stripe, or no stripe at all.
Really don’t need the drop-shadow on the back. It just makes the name and number harder to read, and clashes with the jersey’s overall push toward simplicity.
I actually like Reds current set a lot. Hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come
Why don’t they make the Nike swoosh the same size as the numbers were on the old vests, put it there & get it over with. Isn’t that what this is all about, making the Nike logo more & more prominent ?
No good reason for the Reds to have two snow white home uniforms IMO. Reds, like Pirates and Twins, have a fair history of going back and forth on pinstripes, so that would have been a fair and good move
“Yesterday, a platform-formerly-known-as-Twitter…”. I think it’s about time to start calling that platform by its proper name. It’s been almost two years since the change. It’s called X.
I’m not a fan of baseball uniforms that don’t have a front number. My favorite is the Dodgers with their red numbers.
Like other reader they need to get rid of the black shadow that went out of style 15 years ago. Also change the letter and number font back to the ones used in the early 2000’s. Drop the headspoon on the primary jersey.
I like it, but would like it better if there was a numeral on the front. Also, the steamboat letters/numbers need to go. It’s time to go back to the BRM-era letters and numbers.