Rangers pumped to wear new red 'Tejas' City Connects

ARLINGTON -- Kumar Rocker’s favorite color is red.

Unfortunately for him, the Rangers discontinued their red uniforms following the 2022 season, the same year Rocker was selected at No. 3 overall in the MLB Draft. And despite having the red caps at their disposal for home games, Texas has only worn them sparingly since.

But luckily for Rocker, the reds are back.

On Friday night, the Rangers debuted their new City Connect uniforms, celebrating the Mexican influences across the entire state of Texas.

“I like them, I think they're cool,” said starting pitcher Jack Leiter, who also never wore the old red jerseys. “They definitely put a lot of effort into them. The pants, I think, kind of complete it. I think having a red jersey is cool, too. I never played in the red jerseys. We've worn the red hats here and there. Kumar went on a run where he was wearing the red hats on his start days. But never the red jerseys. This is cool.”

The red is fun, but the real story behind the Rangers’ City Connects is the way the entire uniform illustrates the Mexican heritage and craftsmanship that has become synonymous with Texas over the years.

Pregame festivities on Friday included a ceremonial first pitch by Fort Worth native and former Rangers pitcher Yovani Gallardo, who is just one of 13 players born in Mexico in franchise history. In 2015, the right-hander made 33 starts for his hometown team, posting a 3.42 ERA across 184 1/3 innings.

“I love it,” Gallardo said. “First of all, I like the color. It really stands out. It's a good color to compete in, and I love all the details on it, obviously with the Mexican heritage on the jersey itself. We all know here in Texas, there's a lot of Hispanic and Latin people in general. I was pretty excited once they asked me to have the opportunity to come out here and be a part of it.”