The Tampa Bay Rays have revealed their City Connect uniforms for the 2024 season, and the new threads drew inspiration from the franchise's time as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Rays will wear their new uniforms for the first time when they take on the New York Mets on Friday.
First wear is Friday, but we’re going against the grain all weekend. pic.twitter.com/BbPk42sRPs
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 29, 2024
The uniforms will be worn every Saturday, and the Rays will also become the first MLB team to wear their City Connect uniforms multiple times on the road. They'll wear the jerseys on June 16 against the Atlanta Braves and on Aug. 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
When the Rays first became a franchise back in the 1990s, they utilized black and purple very heavily in their uniforms, and these are no different. The slogan for the City Connect uniforms is "Grit and Glow."
Warren Hypes, the Rays' vice president of creative and brand, told ESPN the "grit" is related to the idea of doing things differently as a franchise. On the other hand, the "glow" has to do with the "vibrance" of Tampa Bay. The eye-popping design is inspired by the city's "counterculture scenes," including skateboarding, street art, tattoos and music.
The logo on the hat is a combination of a ray and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The team wanted to show the aspects of its "vibrant underground community" rather than just a vacation spot that many people associate it with.
The letters on the front of the uniform are derived from the original Devil Ray lettering.
