The Cincinnati Reds have given fans an early glimpse of a fresh look for the 2026 season, teasing a new City Connect uniform in a short team-released video that features several players reacting positively to the design. Star slugger Elly De La Cruz is shown among the group and summed up the reaction in one word: “sick.”
The team said the full uniform will be officially unveiled on April 9. The teaser itself offers little in the way of specific design details, instead focusing on players’ enthusiasm as they preview the gear, but the date sets up a reveal in the opening weeks of the 2026 campaign and provides a firm timeline for merchandise and promotional plans.
City Connect is MLB’s alternate uniform program created in partnership with Nike that encourages clubs to lean into local culture, history and color palettes for one-of-a-kind looks. The Reds’ previous City Connect offering was an all-black combination, a dramatic departure from the club’s traditional red-and-white identity. That prior uniform drew attention for its stark contrast with the team’s usual aesthetic, and the organization’s latest tease has stirred curiosity about how the Reds will reinterpret Cincinnati’s visual and cultural cues this time around.
Teaser videos of this type are often used to build anticipation and give players a role in promoting the new look; the Reds’ short clip follows that pattern by foregrounding locker-room reactions rather than showing the full uniform details. The choice to include a high-profile player like De La Cruz underscores the marketing push behind the reveal: his breakout performances and highlight-reel play have made him one of the franchise’s most visible faces.
The April 9 unveiling will likely produce a deeper look at color schemes, logos and any local motifs that influenced the design — elements City Connect uniforms typically emphasize. It will also mark the moment when the team begins selling replica jerseys and related merchandise for fans, an important aspect of the program given how alternate uniforms can drive retail interest and fan engagement throughout a season.
With the teaser now public and a firm reveal date set, speculation about the new uniform’s look is already circulating among fans and collectors. Whether the Reds will return to a more traditional palette, build on the monochrome approach of their last City Connect, or try something entirely new remains the central question leading up to April 9. The team’s brief video accomplishes its apparent goal: it has most people watching and waiting to see what Cincinnati’s next City Connect chapter will look like.