Pittsburgh Pirates' New City Connect Jerseys Capture the City's Essence

ESPN's review of the uniforms misses the mark, failing to understand the significance of the design choices.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 8:34pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting the Pittsburgh Pirates' new City Connect baseball jersey, with the design broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in the team's signature black and gold colors, capturing the uniform's intentional and symbolic elements.The Pirates' new City Connect uniform design pays homage to Pittsburgh's industrial roots and shared civic identity through a bold, geometric interpretation.Today in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Pirates unveiled their new City Connect jerseys for the 2026 season, and the design has already received rave reviews from fans. However, ESPN's David Schoenfield gave the uniforms a 'C' grade, criticizing the use of black and gold colors and the Jolly Roger sleeve patch. The article argues that Schoenfield's review completely misses the point, as the new jerseys are intentionally designed to capture the essence of Pittsburgh and its strong civic identity.

Why it matters

City Connect uniforms are meant to celebrate a team's connection to its local community, and the Pirates' new design does exactly that by embracing the city's iconic black and gold color scheme and incorporating meaningful symbols like the Three Sisters bridges and the Jolly Roger. Schoenfield's critique shows a lack of understanding of the purpose behind these specialized uniforms.

The details

The new Pirates City Connect jerseys feature a rugged wordmark that subtly mirrors the arches of the Three Sisters bridges, including the Roberto Clemente Bridge. The Jolly Roger sleeve patch is also a clean, timeless design that captures the team's pirate lore. While Schoenfield criticized the use of black and gold, the article argues that this color scheme is a fundamental part of Pittsburgh's sports identity, shared by the Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins, and should not be abandoned for the sake of novelty.

  • The Pirates' new City Connect jerseys were officially unveiled on April 9, 2026.

The players

David Schoenfield

An ESPN columnist who reviewed the Pirates' new City Connect jerseys and gave them a 'C' grade.

Paul Skenes

A Pirates player who described the new uniforms as 'pirate-y', a simple but accurate evaluation.

Dave Parker

A former Pirates player from the 1970s, whose all-black uniform era was cited by Schoenfield as a cautionary tale, which the article argues is an inappropriate comparison.

Willie Stargell

A former Pirates player from the 1970s, whose all-black uniform era was cited by Schoenfield as a cautionary tale, which the article argues is an inappropriate comparison.

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What they’re saying

“Sometimes the simplest evaluation is the right one.”

— Paul Skenes, Pirates player

The takeaway

The Pirates' new City Connect jerseys are a successful design that captures the essence of Pittsburgh and its strong civic identity. Schoenfield's critique misses the mark by failing to understand the purpose and significance of these specialized uniforms, which are meant to celebrate a team's connection to its local community.