Why the Mets and Dodgers Skipped City Connect Night: The Emma Stone Movie at Citi Field

If you watched around Major League Baseball on Friday, July 24, you saw a wild night of uniforms: Hall of Fame Weekend throwback caps on all 30 teams, and City Connects and alternates almost everywhere you looked. Except one game. At Citi Field, the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers both took the field in their plain, classic primary uniforms, the only matchup all night with no City Connect and no alternate in sight. There is a very good reason for that, and it has nothing to do with baseball: a Hollywood movie was filming at the ballpark.

The Movie: Emma Stone's "The Catch"

The film shooting at Citi Field is "The Catch," a baseball romance directed by Dave McCary that has been described as "Bull Durham meets Notting Hill" and is set for theaters on May 21, 2027. The production shot on location at the Mets' ballpark during the team's late-July homestand, including the Dodgers series, with an earlier round of filming reported around the mid-July Red Sox series. It stars Emma Stone, who reportedly plays "the most hated woman in baseball," alongside Chris Pine as a baseball player, with Juan Soto appearing in a scene as himself. The cast also reportedly includes Tim Robbins as Stone's father, Sissy Spacek as an aunt, and Ashley Padilla. Mets fans were even invited to fill the stands as paid extras for the ballpark scenes.

When a feature film shoots a baseball game, the production almost always wants the most timeless, recognizable version of each team on camera. Splashy City Connects and modern alternates date a scene and complicate licensing, while classic home whites and road grays read as baseball in any era. So instead of the Mets' usual Friday-night look, both clubs wore their signature primaries for the cameras.

Why the Mets Broke Their Friday-Night Habit

Here is the detail that makes this a real uniform story. The Mets almost always break out an alternate for Friday home games at Citi Field, most often their fan-favorite black jersey, and on some Friday nights the gray "NYC" City Connect. Either way, a Friday under the lights at Citi Field is usually an alternate night rather than a plain-pinstripes night, which is what fans plan tickets and merchandise around.

But not this Friday. With "The Catch" filming, the Mets went with the home white pinstripes instead, the clean, classic look that plays best on screen. The Dodgers matched the energy in their road grays with the script Dodgers across the chest. It gave the broadcast something you almost never see anymore on a City Connect Friday: two of the most timeless uniforms in the sport, sharing a field with nothing flashy in the frame. Sometimes the simplest look is the best one, and this time it was a movie's call, not a manager's.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the Mets and Dodgers wear classic uniforms on July 24? A movie was filming at Citi Field. The feature film "The Catch," starring Emma Stone, shot ballpark scenes during the Mets' late-July homestand, including the Dodgers series, and productions generally want timeless, recognizable uniforms on camera. So instead of a City Connect or alternate, the Mets wore their home white pinstripes and the Dodgers wore their classic road grays.

Why didn't the Mets wear black on Friday, July 24? The Mets normally wear their black alternate on Friday home games at Citi Field, but they skipped it that night because of the shoot for "The Catch." The production wanted a classic look, so the Mets went with their home white pinstripes instead of the usual Friday black.

What movie is being filmed at Citi Field? The movie is "The Catch," a baseball film starring Emma Stone and directed by Dave McCary. It shot on location at Citi Field during the Mets' late-July homestand — including the Dodgers series that opened Friday, July 24, 2026 — with live game scenes and fans in the stands as extras.

Who is in the movie "The Catch"? Reported cast members include Emma Stone, who plays "the most hated woman in baseball," Chris Pine as a baseball player, and Mets star Juan Soto appearing as himself. Tim Robbins, Sissy Spacek, and Ashley Padilla are also reportedly part of the cast.

Do the Mets always wear black on Fridays? The Mets typically wear an alternate for Friday home games in 2026, most often the black jersey and sometimes the gray "NYC" City Connect, so the exact Friday look can vary. What is clear is that July 24 was an exception either way: they wore their plain white pinstripes because of the movie shoot rather than any of their usual Friday alternates. More on their rotation in our Mets uniform schedule.

Why do movies use classic baseball uniforms instead of City Connects? Classic home whites and road grays read as timeless baseball on screen and are easy to license and stage, while City Connects and modern alternates tie a scene to a specific season and can complicate the production. That is why baseball films almost always put teams in their most recognizable primary uniforms.

What is the movie "The Catch" about? "The Catch" is a baseball-themed romance directed by Dave McCary, reportedly pitched as "Bull Durham meets Notting Hill" and slated for theaters on May 21, 2027. It shot scenes at Citi Field in July 2026, with Emma Stone starring as "the most hated woman in baseball" and Chris Pine as a ballplayer, which is why the production needed live game scenes and classic-looking uniforms at the Mets' ballpark.

Is Juan Soto in the Emma Stone movie? By reports, yes. Mets star Juan Soto appears in "The Catch" as himself in a scene shot at Citi Field. Cameos from real players are common when a film stages an actual major league game.

Did the Mets wear their City Connect on July 24? No. The Mets wore their standard home white pinstripes on July 24, not the gray "NYC" City Connect and not the black alternate. The plain pinstripes were the classic look the movie production wanted on camera.

What uniform did the Dodgers wear against the Mets on July 24? The Dodgers wore their classic road grays with the blue "Dodgers" script, one of the most timeless looks in the sport, matching the standard-uniform theme for the film shoot.

Could Mets fans be in the movie? Yes. The production put out a casting call for Mets fans to attend and cheer at Citi Field as paid extras during the filming week, so real fans in the stands are part of the ballpark scenes.

When was "The Catch" filmed at Citi Field? Reports place the Citi Field filming during the Mets' late-July homestand, including the Dodgers series that opened Friday, July 24, 2026 — the night the Mets and Dodgers wore their classic uniforms — with an earlier round of shooting reported around the mid-July Red Sox series.

More MLB Coverage

• 2026 MLB Uniform Tracker — what every team wore, every night, updated daily
• New York Mets Uniform Schedule 2026 — every Mets jersey and when they wear it, including Friday blacks
• Why Is Every MLB Team Wearing Throwback Caps? — the Hall of Fame Weekend cap night, explained

ColorWay Sports is an independent design site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Major League Baseball, the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, or any film production. Movie casting details via published reports.