LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers unveiled two alternate uniforms on Thursday, marking a fresh look for a franchise that previously functioned without dedicated alternates.
The Tigers will wear their new orange jerseys for select home games this season and will wear navy alternates for select road games. The team will still wear its City Connect uniforms on limited occasions.
Excluding City Connects, the Tigers and New York Yankees were the only MLB franchises without a dedicated alternate uniform. The Tigers have long prided themselves on the rich history of the Old English D insignia. Although the team has worn alternate uniforms honoring the Detroit Stars of the Negro Leagues and their “Tigres” jerseys honoring Latin American heritage, the Tigers wore non-white jerseys at home only once before the 2024 inception of their dark blue City Connects.
That instance came on May 7, 1995, when the Tigers wore their now-infamous blue alternates for the first and only time. Even during MLB’s Turn Ahead the Clock night in 1999, the Tigers merely shortened the sleeves and adopted a more futuristic font, but otherwise, they hardly altered their existing look.
Before departing from that tradition, the organization embarked on an 18-month process of polling fans through surveys, focus groups and A/B testing. The organization also consulted with players before concluding that a large percentage of supporters were ready for an alternate uniform.
The Tigers aimed to make their uniforms pay homage to history, with subtle touches such as sleeve striping similar to what they wore in the 1984 World Series.
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(Courtesy of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment)
“We’re proud to introduce these new uniforms, which have been years in the making,” said Ryan Gustafson, president of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, in a statement. “We believe it’s important to ask fans what matters to them, and constantly hear responses centered around getting more creative with merchandise, exploring alternate jerseys, incorporating more elements from uniforms worn by the 1984 team, and steering into the color orange.”
The alternate uniforms will debut in spring training games. Both jerseys will be available at the D Shop in Detroit and Lakeland, Fla., beginning Friday. Online availability is expected to begin Sunday, with other “lifestyle merchandise” hitting stores closer to Opening Day.
“Our creative team developed hundreds of concepts that were debated by colleagues in the front office, fans in focus groups, and players in the clubhouse,” Gustafson said in the statement. “What you see today is a result of nearly everyone being drawn to the alignment between our existing uniforms and new alternates, featuring the iconic Olde English ‘D’ and script Detroit, while bringing navy and orange to the forefront. These uniforms are thoroughly rooted in our tradition — fresh takes on Detroit classics — pushing us to evolve with authenticity in mind, just like our city has for centuries.”