The Nationals recently announced the return of a fan-favorite uniform: the red jerseys with the Curly W on the left breast are back after being sunsetted in favor of a pullover featuring the Capitol logo in 2024.
The announcement was made with press photos featuring Dylan Crews (MLB Pipeline's No. 4 prospect) wearing the jersey over a dress shirt; those images can be found in this article from SportsLogos.net.
The jerseys aren't quite the same as they were in previous years. The number on the front that was previously present has been removed, and the white and navy piping down the middle of the jersey has also disappeared altogether. Instead, the team has opted for a white and navy collar around the neck, while flipping the order of the colors on the sleeve cuffs.
According to the render of the uniforms in the team's style guide, the jersey will be paired with an all-red Curly W cap with a NATS20 patch on the side, as well as uniform pants with a two-tone navy and red stripe down either side.
The announcement of the revival of this uniform precedes any unveiling of a second City Connect design after Nike's planned obsolescence of the cherry blossoms that were widely regarded as some of the most stylish alternate uniforms in the league. Besides whatever new City Connect design is introduced in 2025, the Nats' other uniforms for 2025 are their home whites, road greys, and navy script alternates.
It was a curious decision when the Nationals announced that they were going to do away with the red jerseys, which have been a staple in the team's rotation since the club came to DC, and now it appears that the team has made things right. While the pullover jerseys that the team utilized last year were an interesting attempt at trying out a new concept, the backlash that they received from both Nationals fans and baseball fans nationwide was probably not one that they anticipated.
The Nationals having a red jersey just had to happen, given that the main color for the Nationals and for every other DC sports team has red of some sort, and again I am very glad that the team was able to bring these back, even if they do look a little bit different than before.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on the Nationals' refresh of an iconic jersey. Help us continue the conversation by reaching out to us on Twitter @DistrictOnDeck, or contact me directly on Bluesky @theottspot.bsky.social.