DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers are looking to continue their victory streak after winning three games in a row this weekend. Could their City Connect jerseys be a good luck charm?
Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch seems to think so. After the 14-11 victory on Sunday, May 26, Hinch said the jerseys would, “make their Tuesday debut at 6:40 p.m. against the Pittsburgh Pirates … we’re going to keep the mojo going.”
Tuesday’s game was postponed until Wednesday due to weather, but the Tigers were still wearing the jerseys for at least the first game of the now-doubleheader against the Pirates.
The Tigers’ record while wearing the new City Connect jerseys was 4-1 heading into Wednesday. The jerseys debuted on May 10 in a 9-3 loss against the Houston Astros -- but the Tigers have been undefeated in the jerseys since.
The City Connect luck continues after the Tigers beat the Pirates 8-0 in the first game of the doubleheader Wednesday. The Tigers are going to wear the jerseys again in the second game. The Tigers’ City Connect record now stands at 5-1.
This begs the question: How have other teams fared in their own City Connect uniforms?
Of the six teams that have released their City Connect looks this year, five of them have a winning record while playing in those jerseys.
The Philadelphia Phillies were the first team in the 2024 season to debut City Connect jerseys on April 12. The Phillies lost then to the Pittsburgh Pirates, but have since won three games in a row in the uniforms, with an overall 3-1 record.
The New York Mets are the standalone team this year with no recorded wins in the City Connect uniforms. The Mets debuted their gray and black striped uniforms on April 24. They have a record of 0-3 in the jerseys.
The Tampa Bay Rays have worn their City Connect jerseys the most this year compared to any other team. They have a 6-1 City Connect record since debuting their jerseys on May 3.
The Cleveland Guardians debuted their jerseys on May 17 and were undefeated in them as of Wednesday. The Guardians have a 3-0 overall City Connect jersey record.
The St. Louis Cardinals debuted their jerseys on May 25. Although they have only played one game in the uniform, they have a 1-0 winning record.
The Toronto Blue Jays are the next team scheduled to release their jerseys on May 31. The Minnesota Twins will also debut their jerseys on June 14.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are also scheduled to release City Connect jerseys on June 21. This is their second set of City Connect uniforms, making them the only team with two styles of the jerseys.
The Tigers are not the only team to lean into the City Connect superstition. Last season, the Boston Red Sox won 10 games in a row while wearing their yellow City Connect jerseys. As of August 3, 2023, the Red Sox were 22-4 all-time while wearing City Connect.
Are the jerseys good luck? It’s hard to say.
One thing we do know for sure is that the jerseys won’t score runs for teams. However, it is an interesting statistic that five out of the six teams debuting the jerseys this year have a winning record.
After this season, the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics will be the only teams that don’t have a City Connect look.
City Connect jerseys are alternate MLB jerseys made in partnership with Nike. The goal of the jerseys is to celebrate the culture and history of each city. The Tigers’ City Connect jerseys feature tire tracks, a VIN number and an M-1 patch on the sleeve paying homage to the Motor City.
Jersey designs debuted for a handful of teams in 2021, and have slowly spread throughout the MLB with groups of teams releasing their designs each of the last few years.
The Tigers’ City Connect uniforms were initially expected to be worn only at Friday home games, but the team has worn the jerseys more frequently than that after they debuted.