Cherry blossoms burst with flair on Nationals' City Connect uniforms

The cherry blossom trees which bloom every spring around Washington, D.C., signify renewal and endless possibilities, much like the start of a brand-new Major League Baseball season.

This icon of the nation’s capital is featured prominently on the uniform and cap of the Washington Nationals’ 2022 Nike MLB City Connect jerseys, which were unveiled Tuesday.

• City Connect: Here Comes the Bloom

The uniforms will be worn during select games throughout the season and will make their on-field debut during the team’s Opening Day Weekend on April 9 and April 10 vs. the Mets.

The jersey features an anthracite base color, cherry blossom print and a pop of pink on the trims. The cherry blossom motif will also be featured in a variety of ways throughout the season at Nationals Park, including on souvenir soda cups and ice cream helmets at concession stands.

“Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms represent hope and new beginnings, making them the perfect symbol of this Nationals team,” said Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner. “We’re excited to unveil these beautiful uniforms as the embodiment of our historic organization’s hopeful future as we lead the District of Cherry Blossoms celebration with our friends at the Wizards.”

After the Nats unveiled their City Connect uniforms Tuesday and began merchandise sales on Wednesday, they posted record numbers. Their retail launch now accounts for:

• MLB Shop’s best first hour of sales for any City Connect team launch
• MLB Shop’s highest sales for any City Connect Day 1 launch, beating the previous record by +58%
• The Nationals’ main Team Store’s highest volume day since the 2019 postseason

Nationals fans lined up around the block to be among the first to purchase merchandise from the team’s City Connect line.

The NBA’s Washington Wizards will join the Nationals in celebrating the District’s cherry blossoms when they don their own special edition shooting shirt during warmups before Tuesday's game against the Bulls.

The “WSH” graphic on the front of the jersey reflects the power and strength of the neoclassical architecture found across the District in buildings such as the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial.

The District of Columbia flag, with its three stars and two horizontal bars, is displayed as a patch on the left sleeve and across the uniform socks. Based on the Washington family’s coat of arms, the flag’s presence on the jersey pays homage not only to America’s first president, but to all former, current and future Washingtonians.

The Nike MLB City Connect uniform series, which launched in 2021, explores the personality, values and customs that make each community and its residents unique. There were seven participating clubs last season -- the Cubs, D-backs, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, Red Sox and White Sox -- and seven more teams will sport City Connect uniforms this year, beginning with the Nationals on that first Saturday of the regular season.

Here is the full schedule of when each newly participating team will debut its 2022 City Connect uniform:

Washington Nationals: April 9
Houston Astros: April 20
Kansas City Royals: April 30
Colorado Rockies: June 4
Los Angeles Angels: June 11
Milwaukee Brewers: June 24
San Diego Padres: July 8

The City Connect merchandise will be available exclusively at the Nationals team store, MLBShop.com and neweracap.com from March 30 through April 4 before hitting Nike online and select retail locations April 5, and full online and in-store distribution on April 10.

Fans are invited to attend Wednesday morning’s launch party, which will feature the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales delivering the City Connect merchandise to the Team Store. They are scheduled to arrive at the center field gates at 10 a.m. ET.