The Pittsburgh Pirates run four uniforms in 2026, and the closet is about as black-and-gold as it gets. The set isn't scheduled with the published-timetable precision of a team like the Phillies, but it has one genuine anchor — the new City Connect on Friday home games — with the home white, grays, and black alternate handling the rest. The big change for 2026 is the City Connect itself: the bright yellow PNC Park kit from 2023 through 2025 is gone, replaced by an all-black uniform with gold gothic lettering. Here's the full Pirates wardrobe and exactly when each jersey comes out.
Want them graded instead? Here is every Pittsburgh Pirates jersey ranked, worst to best.
Live 2026 Tracker
See every jersey the Pirates have actually worn this season, day by day.
Open the Pirates uniform calendar →If you are trying to call tonight's Pirates uniform before first pitch, pair this page with our MLB daily uniform tracker, which logs every team's look every day, and the league-wide 2026 MLB uniform schedule guide.
Sample Home-and-Road Week at a Glance
One honest caveat the grid can't show: outside the Friday City Connect at PNC Park, the Pirates don't run a fixed day-of-week system. The black alternate can surface on any day, home or road, whenever the staff wants it — Paul Skenes is famously a fan of it. Treat the week above as a representative homestand, not a guarantee.
The Pirates carry four uniforms in 2026, and three of them are holdovers — the home white, the road gray "Pittsburgh" script, and the black alternate are all unchanged. The one new piece is the City Connect, which got a complete redesign this spring: the bright yellow 2023 kit was retired and replaced with an all-black, gold-lettered uniform that debuted on April 17. Everything else in the closet is the black-and-gold identity Pittsburgh has worn for decades.
Home White (Most Home Games)
The home white is the Pirates' default and the look most fans picture: a clean white jersey with no pinstriping, "Pirates" arched across the chest in black lettering outlined in gold, gold piping at the collar and sleeves, and the black cap with the gold "P." It's worn for the bulk of every homestand — essentially any home game that isn't claimed by the Friday City Connect. It's a quiet, classic baseball look, and leaving the white plain is what lets the black-and-gold script carry it. The Pirates are smart to leave it almost entirely alone.
Shop the Pirates white jersey at Fanatics
Road Grays — The "Pittsburgh" Script (Most Away Games)
On the road, Pittsburgh wears the standard gray set with the cursive "Pittsburgh" wordmark arched across the chest, paired with the black cap and gold "P." This script was revived ahead of the 2020 season — script "Pittsburgh" had last appeared on the road jerseys from 1990 through 2000, and for the 19 years in between the away tops used a blocky capitalized treatment. Fans loved the throwback cursive enough that the team brought it back, and it's been the road default ever since. It's the workmanlike look for most away games, and the retro script gives it a warmth that a plain block font never had.
Shop the Pirates gray jersey at Fanatics
Black Alternate — The Black "Pittsburgh" (Manager's Choice)
The black alternate is the wild card and one of the most popular shirts in the closet. It's a black jersey with the same retro "Pittsburgh" script across the chest in gold, worn with the black cap. Like the gray road top, this black alternate was unveiled in January 2020 as part of the "script is back" refresh. There's no fixed day attached to it — it's the jersey the Pirates reach for when they want to lean all the way into the black-and-gold, and it shows up both at home and on the road. Paul Skenes has made no secret of loving it, which is part of why it gets so much camera time on his starts. It's the darkest, boldest piece in the regular rotation, and the lack of a schedule is exactly what keeps it feeling like a choice rather than a chore.
Shop the Pirates black alternate jersey at Fanatics
City Connect — The New Black-and-Gold Kit (Friday Home Games)
The biggest story of the Pirates' 2026 season is the brand-new City Connect, which made its on-field debut on Friday, April 17 against the Tampa Bay Rays and now owns every Friday home game at PNC Park. It's a complete reset from the bright yellow "PGH" kit the team wore from 2023 through 2025. The new version goes all-black from cap to pants, with gold doing the heavy lifting and a sharp touch of red used sparingly throughout. The centerpiece is "Pirates" written across the chest in a bold gothic, bridge-inspired typeface — a deliberate nod to the lettering and steel architecture that define the city — replacing the old "PGH" abbreviation with a fuller wordmark. It comes with two cap options: a standout gold crown with a black brim, and an inverse black crown with a gold brim, each carrying a Jolly Roger logo with crossed swords. Tying the loudest jersey in the closet to a guaranteed weekly slot is a smart move, and early reviews of the gold-on-black look have been strong.
Shop the Pirates City Connect jersey at Fanatics
How the Pirates Rotation Actually Works
Let's be straight about it: the Pirates are not a published-timetable team the way the Phillies are. Pittsburgh really has just one soft anchor — the City Connect on Friday home games — and everything else is feel and matchup. The home white covers the rest of the homestand, road grays handle most of the trip, and the black alternate gets dropped in whenever the staff (and the pitcher) wants the full black-and-gold, with no day-of-week assignment behind it.
It still works, because the one anchor covers the jersey fans actually plan around. The Friday City Connect is the look people buy tickets and merch for, so handing it a standing slot at PNC Park builds anticipation even without a rigid system. The home white, grays, and black alternate are perfectly content to do the quiet work in between.
Frequently Asked Questions
What jersey are the Pittsburgh Pirates wearing today?
If it's a Friday home game at PNC Park, it's the new all-black City Connect with gold gothic "Pirates" lettering. Any other home game is most likely the home white, and most road games are the gray "Pittsburgh" script set. The black alternate is the wild card with no fixed day, so it can turn up at home or away whenever the staff wants it. Check the day of the week and whether the Pirates are home or away, and Friday-at-home is your one reliable City Connect tell.
What jersey did the Pirates wear last night?
A Friday home night at PNC Park was the all-black City Connect with the gold gothic "Pirates" lettering. Any other home night was most likely the home white and any road night the gray "Pittsburgh" script set, with the black alternate a wild card that can turn up on any date.
For the uniform we logged in their most recent game, see the Pirates uniform tracker, which we update every morning.
What uniform are the Pirates wearing tonight?
Friday at PNC Park is the all-black City Connect. Any other home game is most likely the home white, and the road is the gray "Pittsburgh" script set. The black alternate has no fixed day and can appear either way.
What are the Pirates wearing tomorrow?
Friday at home is your one reliable tell, and it means the City Connect. Otherwise check home or away and assume the home white or the gray script set.
How many uniforms do the Pirates have in 2026?
Four: the home white, the road gray "Pittsburgh" script, the black alternate, and the new City Connect. Three are holdovers; only the City Connect was redesigned for 2026.
When do the Pirates wear the new City Connect uniform?
The 2026 City Connect debuted on Friday, April 17 against the Tampa Bay Rays and is worn for every Friday home game at PNC Park the rest of the season. It's an all-black uniform with gold gothic "Pirates" lettering and a touch of red.
What City Connect jerseys have the Pirates had?
Two. The first was the bright yellow City Connect with "PGH" across the chest in black, with lettering textured after Pittsburgh's bridges. It was unveiled in June 2023, first worn on June 27, 2023, and used from 2023 through 2025. The second is the all-black set with an arched gold "Pirates" wordmark and red accents, first worn on Friday, April 17, 2026 against the Rays. It is the Pirates' City Connect for 2026.
What happened to the Pirates' yellow "PGH" City Connect jersey?
It was retired after the 2025 season. The bright yellow "PGH" kit worn from June 2023 through 2025 was replaced for 2026 by an all-black, gold-lettered design. The biggest visual change is the chest, where "PGH" gave way to a fuller arched "Pirates" wordmark.
Why does the Pirates road jersey say "Pittsburgh" in script?
The cursive "Pittsburgh" wordmark was revived ahead of the 2020 season after fans asked for it. Script "Pittsburgh" had previously appeared on the road jerseys from 1990 to 2000; the same script also lives on the black alternate.
Do the Pirates have a strict uniform rotation like the Phillies?
No. Outside of the City Connect on Friday home games, the Pirates pick their jerseys by feel rather than a published schedule, so the black alternate and the everyday whites and grays stay flexible.
The rest of the NL Central
Every division rival's jersey calendar for 2026.
Chicago Cubs 2026 Uniform ScheduleCincinnati Reds 2026 Uniform ScheduleMilwaukee Brewers 2026 Uniform ScheduleSt. Louis Cardinals 2026 Uniform ScheduleAll 30 teams · the 2026 MLB Uniform Schedule →Why are the Pirates wearing a number 9 patch?
The No. 9 sleeve patch honors Bill Mazeroski, the Hall of Fame second baseman whose walk-off home run won Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. Mazeroski died on February 20, 2026, at 89, and the Pirates have worn the patch for the 2026 season starting with their April 3 home opener against the Orioles.
Why are the Pirates wearing a number 4 patch?
That is Lou Gehrig Day. On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the Pirates and every other MLB club wore a custom No. 4 decal for Gehrig's retired Yankees number, along with red "4-ALS" wristbands, to raise awareness in the fight against ALS. June 2 marks both the day Gehrig became the Yankees' starting first baseman in 1925 and the day he died in 1941.
Why are the Pirates wearing green hats?
Those were MLB's Armed Forces Day caps. For every game on the weekend of Friday, May 15, through Sunday, May 17, 2026, the Pirates and all on-field personnel across the league wore service-inspired New Era caps with an olive green crown, the club logo, a U.S. flag patch on the side and camouflage inside, with matching camo socks available too.
More MLB Coverage
- St. Louis Cardinals 2026 Uniform Schedule — the NL Central rival with one of the most rigid systems in baseball
- Chicago Cubs 2026 Uniform Schedule — the division's four-jersey closet, broken down
- Cincinnati Reds City Connect 2026 Schedule — every game date for the Reds' City Connect 2.0
- Philadelphia Phillies 2026 Uniform Schedule — the gold standard of a true scheduled rotation
Uniform details compiled from team and league sources. ColorWay Sports is an independent design site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Pittsburgh Pirates or Major League Baseball.
