If you watch enough Pittsburgh Pirates baseball, you have probably noticed it too: every time Paul Skenes takes the mound, the Pirates come out in the black jerseys. That is not your imagination, and it points to one of the most overlooked quirks in the sport, which is that the players, not the marketing department, usually decide which uniform a team wears each game.
The Quick Answer
For most games, the starting pitcher chooses which jersey and uniform the team wears, usually on superstition or how he has performed in a certain look. The manager can overrule him, the equipment staff sets it up a day ahead, and MLB's rules draw the outer lines. So the reason the Pirates go to their black alternate almost every time Skenes starts is not a coincidence and not the schedule. It is the ace exercising baseball's oldest wardrobe perk.
The Starting Pitcher Usually Gets the Call
This surprises people, but it is a tradition that goes back more than a century. In the early days of baseball, starting pitchers often doubled as team captains, so the uniform decision fell to them. The captain role faded, but the perk stuck around. Today, with a few exceptions, the pitcher taking the mound that night picks the team's look.
And because pitchers are the most superstitious athletes in the sport, the choice is rarely about aesthetics. A guy who threw seven shutout innings in the black alternate is going right back to the black alternate. It is less a fashion statement than a good-luck charm. So if Skenes likes how he feels and how he throws in the Pirates' black, he has every right to keep calling for it, start after start. That is very likely a big part of why the pattern looks so real.
The Manager Has the Final Say
The pitcher gets the first choice, not the only choice. If a starter has no preference, or defers, the manager makes the call. Managers can also override a pitcher outright and mandate a specific uniform, though most leave the superstition alone and let their starter have the day. Think of it as the pitcher picking and the manager holding a veto he rarely needs to use.
The Equipment Manager Makes It Happen
Behind every jersey on the field is a clubhouse staffer who made sure it was hanging in the right locker. The equipment manager or a clubhouse assistant typically approaches the next day's starter ahead of time to lock in the choice, so the full set can be prepped, pressed, and ready by first pitch.
On the road there is a twist. The starter often waits until game day to decide, because he needs to see which uniform the home team is wearing first so the two clubs do not show up in clashing looks.
Why Skenes Almost Always Means Black
Here is where it gets fun. The Pirates carry a black alternate jersey, and when Paul Skenes starts, that is what they wear, over and over again. This is the pitcher's-choice tradition working exactly as advertised: Skenes clearly likes how he throws in the black, so start after start, out it comes. It is not the schedule and it is not the marketing team. It is arguably the best pitcher in baseball picking his own uniform.
Worth clearing up one thing, because it trips people up. This is the Pirates' regular black alternate, not their 2026 City Connect. The all-black "Black and Gold" City Connect runs on a set Friday home schedule for the whole team. The Skenes black is the everyday alternate, showing up on his starts regardless of the day or the City Connect calendar. Same color family, two different jerseys, and it is the alternate that has quietly become his signature look.
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MLB's Rules Set the Boundaries
The team picks from a menu, and MLB decides what is on that menu. League rules still call for a distinctive white uniform at home and a different color on the road, which is why home whites and road grays remain the backbone of the sport. That tradition is loosening fast, though, and colored jerseys have actually overtaken both white and gray as the most common look in recent seasons.
There is also a hard cap on options. Since 2023, the so-called "4+1 rule" limits each club to a home uniform, a road uniform, two alternates, and one City Connect. That is why teams map out an entire uniform schedule in advance rather than improvising all 162 games, and it is why the black is a choice from a fixed set, not a blank check.
So Is It the Team or the League?
Both, at different levels. The league sets the rulebook and approves every design. The club's design and marketing staff build the wardrobe, sometimes years ahead, which is a whole process of its own that we broke down in our look at who really designs the uniforms. But once those jerseys are hanging in the clubhouse, the day-to-day "which one tonight" decision comes down to a superstitious pitcher, a manager with veto power, and an equipment manager making sure it is all ready to go.
The Bottom Line on Who Picks MLB Uniforms
The next time the Pirates run out in black behind Paul Skenes, you will know it is probably not the schedule and definitely not an accident. For most MLB games the starting pitcher picks the jersey and uniform, usually for luck, the manager can overrule him, the equipment staff sets it up a day early, and MLB's home-white tradition and 4+1 limit draw the lines around what is even possible. It is one of the quirkiest little power structures in sports, hiding in plain sight every single night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the Pirates wear black every time Paul Skenes pitches? Essentially, yes. The Pirates go to their black alternate jersey for Skenes starts again and again. Because the starting pitcher traditionally picks the team's uniform, a superstitious ace who likes throwing in the black can keep calling for it. Note that this is their regular black alternate, not the Friday-scheduled City Connect.
Does the pitcher choose the jersey in MLB? Usually, yes. For most games the starting pitcher picks which jersey and uniform the team wears that day, a tradition dating back to when pitchers served as team captains. The choice is often based on superstition or how the pitcher has performed in a particular look.
Can the manager override the pitcher's uniform choice? Yes. If the starting pitcher has no preference, the manager decides. Managers can also mandate a specific uniform and overrule the pitcher, though most let the starter keep the choice.
Why do MLB teams wear white at home? MLB rules call for a distinctive white uniform at home and a different color on the road. It is a longstanding tradition, though colored jerseys have recently become more common than either white or gray.
How many uniforms can an MLB team have? Since 2023, the "4+1 rule" limits each team to a home uniform, a road uniform, two alternates, and one City Connect uniform.
Who decides the uniform when a team is on the road? The starting pitcher usually still chooses, but often waits until game day so he can see what the home team is wearing and avoid a color clash.
Why do the Pirates wear black and gold? Black and gold is Pittsburgh's citywide identity, shared by the Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins, which is why the Pirates' black jersey feels so central to the team's look. Their black alternate has become a fan favorite and, with Paul Skenes on the mound, a near-weekly sight.
Do MLB players get to choose their own uniform? Not individually. The whole team wears one coordinated uniform each game, so a player cannot mix and match. The one player with real say is the starting pitcher, who traditionally picks which jersey the entire team wears that day.
Does the home team or the away team pick the jersey first? The home team effectively sets the look first, since MLB tradition has the home club in white. The road team's starting pitcher often waits until game day to choose so the two teams do not end up in clashing colors.
What is a City Connect uniform in MLB? City Connect is a special alternate uniform program, originally launched with Nike, that lets teams wear a bold, city-themed look on select dates. Under the 4+1 rule, each team can carry one City Connect uniform on top of its four standard jerseys, and clubs like the Pirates run theirs on a set schedule, usually Friday home games.
Why do MLB teams wear colored jerseys instead of just white and gray now? Teams have leaned into colored alternates for identity and merchandise sales, and the look pops on television. Colored jerseys have actually become more common than either traditional white or gray in recent seasons, even though MLB still calls for a distinctive white uniform at home.
Who picks the uniform in the playoffs and World Series? The same process applies in October. The starting pitcher generally chooses the team's uniform, the manager can step in, and the home club still leans on its white uniform, though bold alternates show up on baseball's biggest stages too.
