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New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay grew up in the Bronx, so he knows all about Bronx Bombers lore.
Well, it looks like the Yankees are about to move away from it the furthest, after it was revealed Wednesday that the Yankees have an official alternate jersey for the first time in its team’s more than 120-year history.
The news came as reports emerged Wednesday that players had discussed the possibility of wearing a third jersey on the road with team higher-ups. MLB.com reported that the third jersey has been in the works “for some time.”
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Paul Goldschmidt, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees wait for the start of a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona on March 24, 2026. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Kay said he “didn’t care” if the Yankees strayed from their tradition, but his “problem with that” is that “it can’t be a one-way street.”
Kay said that if he were owner Hal Steinbrenner, who “would give[s] you guys, everything,” he would tell them, “win me a championship and I’ll give you stuff like that.”
“All I’ve seen over these years is, ‘Let’s make things better for the players. Let’s give the players everything they want.” And they deserve to have great things. It’s not an easy job, but they’re well paid. But you pay top dollar, you get a state-of-the-art clubhouse, you travel in style, you stay in the best hotels. OK, great, that stuff should be,” Kay continued.
“But the little extra things, ‘Let’s leave our hair longer. Can we have a beard?’ Well, win me a championship. Because if I want to get away from the Yankees and what the Yankees stand for, then I’m going to need something in return from you. »
“The players are probably saying, ‘We want to have fun like every other team. They have all these wacky uniforms.’ Win me a championship. Maybe that’s the problem. Win me a championship. I don’t think it’s a big ask.”
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees bats against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning of a spring training game at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona on March 23, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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The Yankees’ navy batting practice tops, similar to their spring training road uniforms, were the ones approved for wear at games.
The Yankees have worn different jerseys in the past, including Players’ Weekend from 2017 to 2019, a nod to the 1912 team while playing in Boston on the 100th anniversary of the opening of Fenway Park, and jerseys commemorating the Black Yankees in 1996. The Yankees also wore replicas of their 1921 road uniforms for the first game on Field of Dreams in 2021. these jerseys were never officially put into rotation.
The Yankees also remain the only team to not have a last name on the back of their jersey, home or away. They are also just one of two teams, including the Athletics, without a City Connect jersey. The Athletics, currently in Sacramento after their lease in Oakland expired following the 2024 season, are expected to begin play in Las Vegas in 2028.
Ben Rice of the New York Yankees runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs in the third inning of a spring training game at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona on March 24, 2026. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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Steinbrenner has tended to change in recent years. The Yankees added an advertising patch to their jerseys in 2023, and starting last year, “well-groomed” facial hair under the lip was reintroduced after a 50-year ban by Steinbrenner’s father, George.
