What jerseys should A’s wear in Sacramento?

Now that the regular season is over, it’s time for some wild speculation about the A’s upcoming trip north to Sacramento! It’s unlikely we’ll hear any final word on Team A’s jersey selection until January, if not closer to camp opening in February. More specifically, what will those with the letter A wear on the road now that they no longer have the city designation?

We have some thoughts.

Most likely, at home (Sutter Health Park), the “A” players will mainly wear their typical white jerseys, just like in Oakland. There was speculation during the September Chicago Cubs broadcast that the team would get rid of the Stomper on their jerseys once they landed in Sacramento. We couldn’t get a clear yes or no answer to this question, but whether or not the elephant is on the shirt, Stomper appears to remain the mascot.

You’d have to be crazy to completely get rid of the elephant while still wanting to keep the history of the A intact, as it’s one of the parts of the A that goes back as far as 1902.

But what will A wear on the road? It turns out that not every team wears their city on their road jerseys. Here’s Shohei Ohtani last week on the road (top) and at home (bottom), wearing both jerseys with “Dodgers” on the chest.

September 29, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) leaves the plate in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

September 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) scores on an RBI single by shortstop Mookie Betts (50) in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Given the amount of imagination the A’s ownership has, the team will likely end up with “Athletics” on their chest in exchange for gray jerseys.

That leaves the question of an alternate jersey option, considering they have no connections to any city or city to connect to, and their kelly green jerseys have “Oakland” written across the chest. The guess we’re going to throw out here will stir up a bit of nostalgia among A’s fans, and that’s the gold jerseys from the 2012-2013 seasons.

October 5, 2013; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Grant Balfour (50) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning of Game 2 of an American League playoff baseball game at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Tigers 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Another option could be to use the old green alternative shirts with the word “A” on the left side as a second alternate shirt, potentially only for away games, while the gold shirts could be used at home. Thanks to this, players will actually have the opportunity to choose which shirts they will wear in each match, instead of being dependent on whether the club is playing at home or away.

September 25, 2014; Arlington, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Coco Crisp (4) comes to first base in the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Texas defeated Oakland 2-1. Mandatory Source: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The A’s could also create something completely new and innovative by trying to sell some merchandise while in Sacramento, but as far as options the team already has templates for, these seem the most likely at the moment. They could also wear a green “Athletics” jersey from around the same era, or even reintroduce the ever-popular black jerseys in the Sacramento heat.

Regardless of what the team ultimately chooses, it will be interesting to see what direction they take, as this is an opportunity for a very soft rebrand.