Francisco Lindor Knows the Mets’ City Connect Jerseys Are Gonna Hit: “The Color Purple Is Definitely In!”

Photograph courtesy of the New York Mets; Collage: Gabe Conte

New York has been the epicenter of American fashion for generations—and, every once in a while, that includes the city’s baseball teams. The Mets made some fashion news recently by dropping their City Connect jerseys, which they’ll wear for the first time on Saturday against the Cardinals. These uniforms pay tribute to NYC with several homages to the city’s subway system, a hat featuring the Queensboro Bridge, and a shade of gray inspired by the concrete jungle. All enough to qualify for a plum spot at the intersection of sports and fashion. That’s a place their shortstop—the impeccably dressed, always smiling Francisco Lindor—knows well.

Knowing they have one of baseball’s sharpest stylistic eyes in their very own dugout, the Mets included Lindor in some of the design discussions for the uniforms. “The concept was already there when I was brought into the whole project. I think I saw it somewhere around prototype three,” Lindor explained to GQ. “It was close to being done, it was just a matter of giving input on font, colors, and figuring out what to do with the hat. But I wasn’t like, This is the one. I wanted it to be more collaborative. They knew this meant a lot to me. I had a good time!”

While the concrete hue is the dominant color, there are also some splashes of purple. One shade of purple in particular: the one that represents the 7 train, which delivers millions of fans to Citi Field every year. Lindor—who’s done some modeling for Aime Leon Dore in his spare time—broke down the colorway as only a true fashion head can. “That color purple is definitely in. It’s in in ‘24 and I think it will be in in ‘25 as well. That specific purple, for some reason, is a color that brings a little bit of happiness and vibrant energy,” he said.

Being privy to the early prototypes came with some workplace responsibility. To avoid leaks, Lindor had to keep everything under wraps, including from his teammates, who didn’t see the jerseys for the first time until they were on set for the team’s first photoshoot. Much like when he’s fielding his position, Lindor handled this job with style and grace. “I saw it last year and throughout the offseason, and saw the final product in spring training,” he said. “It was top secret stuff! It felt like the biggest secret in Mets history.”

From a sartorial standpoint, Lindor is excited about the way the unis will look on the field, as well as on people getting fits off around the city. “The darker gray makes people look fit,” he laughed. “The purple makes people look a little out there, and for some New Yorkers, it’ll have that tough, New York vibe. It’s a good combination. They did a really good job. I don’t know how it’s going to play in the fall, or with oversized stuff, but for the summer it’s definitely going to be a big hit!”

Notably, these jerseys do not say “Mets” across the front, and to the chagrin of some fans, they don’t say “Queens,” either. Instead, the front of the uniform is adorned with a bold-faced “NYC.” Lindor, who calls the vibes of the Big Apple “extremely amazing”, is hyped to wear the city across his chest. “Mets fans aren’t just in Queens, they’re throughout the nation, and the world as well,” Lindor said. “That’s part of being a big market. Everywhere you go, you run into someone who’s a Mets fan. It feels good to represent people that relate to me. It’s one of the reasons I play the game: for the fans and for the city.”

The fact that Lindor will be rocking a 7 train uniform made me wonder: has he ever actually ridden the train to Citi Field? He was honest in his reply: “Umm…no. Never. Years ago, when I was a rookie with Cleveland, I got on the train to go to Yankee Stadium. After that, never been on the train.” One assumes that when the Mets’ faithful see him manning shortstop in his new uniform, they’ll forgive him.

Originally Appeared on GQ