"Mets going full prison jumpsuits"; "These are tragic" - Fans disappointed as Mets unveil their new City Connect uniforms

On April 19, the New York Mets became the 22nd team in MLB to release their City Connect jerseys. Conceived via a partnership between Nike and the league, City Connect jerseys aim to showcase and promote the unique cultural attributes of the team which they were commissioned to represent.

As one of the oldest teams, the Mets' blue, white, and orange color scheme is nothing short of iconic. For this reason, the new black and purple color arrangement ruffled more than a few feathers within the team's fanbase.

"The Mets unveiled their City Connect uniforms. @Mets" - FOX Sports: MLB

The New York Mets' City Connect outfits feature a black-fonted "NYC" across the front of the shirt, with an image of the Brooklyn Bridge printed across the hat. A large deviation from the team's traditional scheme, many fans were not impressed.

For a long time, the Mets' colorful arrangement differentiated them from their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees. However, in light of the darker look, some fans believe that the Mets are looking far too similar to their counterparts in the Bronx.

The Mets are set to wear the new kits for the first time on April 26, when they welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to Citi Field in Queens. The team's official store began selling the controversial new merchandise at 11 am on Friday, though sales figures are yet to be reported.

"thanks i hate it" - lamented one fan

"These are tragic" - opined another

"These ain't it" - claimed FAX Sports, an MLB parody page

Of the 21 other teams who have come out with City Connect jerseys of their own, the reaction has been very mixed. For example, Houston Astros fans were largely taken with their team's "Space City" Connects. However, for other clubs, such as the Baltimore Orioles all-black pattern, the reaction was far less enthusiastic.

Some other comments came in as follows:

"Disappointed! Unsurprising!"

"Worst ones yet by a long shot"

"These win "Most Terrible""

Despite fan blowback, Mets remain committed to City Connect Jerseys

Hundreds of detracting comments flooded in within an hour of these designs being made public. However, despite the fact that some traditionalists are not happy, the team seems intent on incorporating the new look. According to SNY, the Mets chief marketing officer, Andy Goldberg said:

“We wanted it to capture the true essence of New York in a way that wherever you go in the world, if you're wearing this jersey or a piece of swag from our City Connect story, it's identifiable with the Mets"