Categories: Phillies Nuggets with Tim KellyUniforms

Here’s why the Phillies haven’t worn their polarizing red jerseys as often lately

Bryce Harper and the Phillies are playing in San Francisco Wednesday. (Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)

The Philadelphia Phillies are wearing their red alternate tops Wednesday afternoon in San Francisco, marking the first time that the polarizing uniforms have been worn since April 18 in Chicago.

Since July of 2021, the Phillies have worn the red tops as their “getaway day” jerseys, typically donning them for the final game of a road series. Occasionally, like on April 18 against the White Sox, the uniforms have been worn for the second game of a doubleheader.

On Wednesday’s telecast on NBC Sports Philadelphia, announcer Tom McCarthy explained the recent absence of the red tops:

Sunday, April 30 in Houston: The Phillies didn’t wear their red tops as they went for the sweep at Minute Maid Park because the Astros elected to wear their orange alternate tops. Typically, at least one team will wear either white or gray in a game, and it’s not hard to imagine orange vs. red wouldn’t have been aesthetically pleasing.
Sunday, May 15 in Colorado: The Phillies didn’t wear their red tops at Coors Field on Mother’s Day because they had won five in a row and didn’t want to mess with the good vibes. Never mind that the first three games of said winning streak came at home, with the Phillies wearing their cream alternates for two of the games and red pinstripes for another.

It’s also fairly obvious why the Phillies didn’t wear the red tops in the series finale against the *Reds* — who also have a red alternate top — in Cincinnati on April 16.

What we don’t know is why the red alternate jerseys weren’t worn in Los Angeles on May 3, the series finale at Chavez Ravine against the Dodgers. The Dodgers famously have red numbers on the front of their uniforms, but it’s hard to believe that would stop the Phillies from wearing red.

Regardless, it’s entirely possible that 2023 will be the final year for the red tops. The Phillies will be getting a City Connect uniform in 2024, and as part of Nike’s controversial “4+1” rule, they’ll likely need to eliminate one of their current five uniforms. The red tops — originally introduced as a home alternate in 2016

— would seem to be the most likely of the current crop to be shelved.

If the red jerseys are indeed the ones to go from the regular season rotation, it’s unclear what that will mean for their future as the Spring Training uniforms. In 2023, Nike elected not to produce the popular St. Patrick’s Day uniforms that the Phillies have typically worn for Grapefruit League games that take place on March 17. Will the reds eventually get the same fate?