Up until now, the Diamondbacks have successfully kept their City Connect 2.0 design under wraps. There have been some hints and educated guesses — speculation that the design might be purple, team prexy Derrick Hall saying that the design will be a “drastic change” (whatever that means) — but no solid info, no purported leaks.
Until now. Uni Watch reader Jon Kramer has spotted an eBay listing for what the seller claims is the D-backs’ new City Connect jersey. As you can see in the photo above, the chest insignia is sort of an “Arizona”-ized version of the team’s inaugural 1998 home jersey. Here are the seller’s other pics:
A few thoughts:
- The “Player” NOB and No. 25 (for 2025) suggest that this is a prototype jersey.
- The snakeskin, the gradient, the “Arizona Born” inner-collar slogan, and the Arizona-shaped “1998” icon on the jock tag all feel very City Connect.
- Ditto for the sleeve patch, which is based on the Arizona state flag:
- The eBay seller has a 100% feedback rating, so he’s not a scammer. (I sent him a note this morning to ask how he acquired this jersey but haven’t yet heard back. I’ll update this post if he responds.)
With all of that info in mind, here’s my take: This is almost certainly a legitimate prototype for a design that the D-backs were considering at some point in the CC ideation process. Is it the final design that they’ll eventually unveil? Quite possibly — but it could also be a design that was discarded or modified, as we’ve sometimes seen with other prototype leaks.
The D-backs’ CC uniform is scheduled to make its on-field debut on May 9 (that’s about three weeks from now), so we won’t have to wait too-too long to find out if this jersey is what they’ll be wearing. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to follow this story and keep you apprised of any further developments. Stay tuned!
awesome
If that’s it I like it. Could do without the gradient pattern though.
As a Phillies fan that hates the gradient on the Phillies CC (among other reasons I hate it), ditto.
I don’t love the gradient either but I suspect what they’re going for here is a hybrid uni that touches on their entire uniform history. Everything I’m looking at here is a callback to a uniform they’ve worn before. I’m very curious what the typeface and number treatment will look like.
“I’m very curious what the typeface and number treatment will look like.”
Well duh, if I had scrolled down for an additional two seconds I would have seen it. The lettering and numbering looks pretty similar to their current set.
Dump the black sleeves and I like it
Its going to be a vest.
No it’s not lol. They wouldn’t add trim and a sleeve patch to a retail version just to throw those out the window on the on-field versions. It’ll definitely have black sleeves.
With the advent of the advertising patch, has the Vest become extinct?
If this turns out to be legit, it’s not the worst CC out there.
I will allow the gradient, but I can’t unsee “ARIZ8NA.”
If true, solid A-/B+.
I’m surprised to see people liking these. I actually don’t like these but I’m so burnt out on getting excited to see a new design and having them just be, like, one step below mediocre, I can barely muster the energy to care that I think this sucks.
This has become the Ennui Connect program for me.
looked great until i scrolled down and saw the gradient. can we stop with that, please?
Then there’s me, always saying “cool- a gradient design” and wondering why uni-watchers are so negative about them.
Because they look gaudy, cheap and trashy. At least that is what I think.
The snakeskin pattern is a nice touch, but could it be too subtle to see? Also: missed opportunity to incorporate the state flag. I really hope the Cardinals use it when the time comes.
Sorry if spelling name wrong but Derek Montilla on X has seen the finished CC and can confirm that this was a prototype but the real one is similar in some ways
Certainly one of the better-ish ones.
The ARIZ8NA reminds me of DE2ROIT from Detroiters.
I think the “ARIZ8NA” is meant to commemorate the D-Backs’ eight World Series championships…. wait a second I think I did my math wrong.
Drop the black sleeves and the gradient and it would be fine. All purple, black pinstripes, done
Yes please
Sleeve patch is great! The rest is truly fugly. In other words, about average for a CC.
Love the subtle 48 inside the 1998 above the jock tag in the state outline – since AZ is the 48th state.
I don’t hate it, if it’s real. Nice nod to both their inaugural uniforms from ’98 and also their vest unis from the Randy Johnson era.
At first glance, I thought the wordmark on the front of the jersey read “ARIZANA” because of the weird little diamond in the middle of the O that’s identical to the diamond used as the stylized crossbar in the A’s. It doesn’t help that each A curves inward at the bottom, making them look that much more like an O when viewed quickly. From a functional design standpoint, I’d rate that as a failure.
Paul is such a good friend that he’ll even write about a purple jersey when Phil needs him to haha
***PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT***
When I was in school, every year, we had an art assignment.
We were to take something, and make it our own.
(For instance, take out favorite ballpark and add our twist on it).
The Friday school day reveal, was always one of my favorite school days of the year.
Now, I’m the one handing out the assignment to the students.
This year, I decided to end it.
Why did I decide to end it?
Because today’s youth, is incapable of being creative or innovative.
One student asked me to just give him an “F” , because “He just isn’t the creative type”.
That’s what is happening here, with new uniforms.
Think about it like this: In the last 5 years, the nicest new uniforms, were what?
Throwbacks.
“Because today’s youth, is incapable of being creative or innovative.” seems like a particularly unfair generalization.
nice new non-throwbacks over past 5 years:
-LA Clippers new primaries
-Celtics Bill Russell alts
-Bengals all white alternate
-both of the Nationals cherry blossom alts
and SO MANY minor league alternate identities.
it seems like you aren’t looking hard enough
That is a work of art!
Not what I was hoping for, but even as a CC enthusiast I can admit it could be a lot worse. I agree with the comments saying the gradient is unnecessary but not uni-breaking.
I hope the roof will be closed and the A/C on because a dark purple/ black jersey in Phoenix in the summer sounds like a bad idea. Oh, and that sleeve patch will be nearly invisible from farther than 5 feet away.
Love the snakeskin everywhere and the fonts. Don’t like the gradient effect.
If this is The City Connect, I like it, it pays Homage to the Original Dbacks Colors, which I loved, I was at their 2nd game in Franchise at Home vs. Colorado Rockies, and lived there at the time. Please update with your confirmation, if this is going to be their Jersey. I like it!!
Black sleeves look like something a little league team would wear. Gradient seems to fit current CC trend and is awful. Hard to judge without cap and pants. Sadly I can see the gradient to black CC pants. Based on this jersey only, I would grade it D-.
This is believed to be the actual one:
link
I do hope the keep serpientes! I like that theme for a CC
It’s time Nike comes up with a new name for the cash grab jerseys. Other than having the city name on it, not a whole lot to ‘connect’ it to the city, much like the (A)Stros new set. These are just alternate jerseys.
Agree on the City Connect theme. You can really only do “one” In Chicago the CC1’s for the WhiteSox where great with the Southside theme. Now CC2 is a Bulls jersey. The Cubs had CC1 for Wrigleyville which is appropriate even thought the uniforms sucked. But there CC2 is actually a city connect but they are not calling it a City Connect so go figure.
Love everything about this CC jersey. Hated Serpientes and the “sand” color. The purple and teal colors are a throwback in a great way. Very cool how they incorporated 48 in 1998. Love the snake print as well. Not sure about the black sleeves yet.
Yes: to the Arizona flag, to a snakeskin motif, to turquoise, to the state outline.
No: to the gradient, to the faux vest, to purple-black as the main colors. Not wild about the main wordmark.
I like these guys better as the Snakes/Serpientes. Red and turquoise mainly (unique within their division), but they can use the other colors too. “S” is a great visual letter, and the word “Snakes” is almost autological. “Arizona Diamondbacks” is such a demanding name, it often gets shortened to “D-Backs,” which unfortunately but inevitably morphs into “D-Bags.”
The Arizona flag is great, and every big professional team in the state should lean into it more. Not every team has claim to a whole U.S. state, and not every state boundary is visually distinct. If a team has those attributes, they should use them. Recolor the flag if you have to (I guess…) but don’t upstage it with another logo. We should at least see the star.
A snakeskin or diamond-back motif is good, but this looks too subtle and seems hidden by the same gradient it helps create. I guess we’ll have to see how it looks on the players in the game (or as an expensive shirt on a fan). The diamonds lining up to make pinstripes near the shoulders is cool, but also hidden by the rest of the design.
Hmmm… not saying you’re wrong, but I’ve been a baseball fan for almost 25 years and this is the first time I’ve ever heard someone refer to them as the “D-Bags”.
As a Rockies fan, I can confirm that baseball fans did, in fact, call the Arizona team “the D-Bags” starting in 2007 when they introduced their new uniform set with the “brick” and “sand” color scheme. As I recall, many of the Diamondbacks’ NL West rivals were all too quick to pick up on that little quirk of their wordmark.
Yep. I’ve always hated D-Backs, because of the D-Bags name. Even Dodger fan Jason Bateman referred to them as the D-Bags on one of the late night shows.
This looks like a men’s league softball jersey. I don’t get Nike’s fascination with sublimated patterns, especially gradients. If the jersey was solid purple with pinstripes and the wordmark across the chest it would be gorgeous.
I wonder if that hand-written 5 on the tag means it was the 5th version? like maybe they had 4 others at least to choose from?
Shiny
they should go back to this color scheme permanently. they never should have changed it. obviously the city connect elements are a bit too busy for everyday use but for this purpose this is a fantastic look. the wordmark on a white home jersey and purple away jersey would look amazing.
I like it if not for that carnival gradient, that gaudiness, chepaness and trailer trash aesthetic that seems fascinate post-ironic consumers. Call me a boomer snob but I dislike gradients with a strong passion.