Braves City Connect jerseys, new retail brand and store, in-stadium and on-air talent, and self-checkout markets headline what fans can expect this season
ATLANTA (March 28, 2023) – Today, the defending National League East Champion Atlanta Braves released details on what’s new at Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta for the 2023 season. From City Connect jerseys to newly redesigned food and beverage locations, there is something new for every fan to enjoy.
CITY CONNECT UNIFORMS
The Atlanta Braves have unveiled their new Nike City Connect uniform, a modernized classic, celebrating the enduring character and legacy of the one and only Hank Aaron. Inspired by the iconic 1974 Braves uniform, the design pays tribute to the year that Aaron hit home run 715 to break Babe Ruth’s record and solidify his place among baseball royalty. Nods to Aaron throughout the jersey pay tribute to his legacy and impact on the Braves, Atlanta, Major League Baseball, and the country, and marry iconic moments from the Braves’ history to inspire our next generation of fans. The classic jersey is reimagined with “The A” emblazoned across the chest, synonymous with Atlanta’s nickname. It is a visual representation of Atlanta as the home of the Braves, the team’s rallying cry “For The A,” and a celebration of the culture that makes the city unique.
The Atlanta Braves will debut their new city Connect jerseys on field, Saturday, April 8 – the day Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974. The team will wear the City Connect jerseys every Saturday home game for the remainder of the 2023 season. Images and a video of the jersey available here.
THREADS BY BRAVES CLUBHOUSE STORE
The new store will be located at 900 Battery Ave SE, Suite 1010 in The Battery Atlanta, opening in April. Renderings of the new store and images of Threads merchandise can be found here.
TALENT
- New Play-by-Play Announcer: Brandon Gaudin will join Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast as the new play-by-play announcer for Atlanta Braves telecasts beginning with the 2023 MLB season.
- New Public Address Announcer: This offseason, the Atlanta Braves named former Gwinnett Stripers Public Address (PA) Announcer Kevin Kraus the next ‘Voice of the Braves.’ Kraus’ first game behind the microphone will be Thursday, April 6 as the Braves celebrate their home opener versus the San Diego Padres at 7:20 p.m. Photos and video of Kraus are available for use here.
- New In Game Hosts: The Atlanta Braves named Otis Maher as their new In-Stadium Host for the 2023 season. Maher is known throughout Atlanta as an on-air personality with 94.9 The Bull. The Braves will also welcome Lauren Hoffman as their new Plaza Pre-Game Host. Hoffman’s career has taken her across the southeast with stops at Warner Media Sports, WLBT, the Baltimore Orioles, the Georgia Swarm and Bally Sports South.
NEW SPACES
- BLOOPER’s Clubhouse: This season, fans can visit Braves’ mascot BLOOPER inside BLOOPER’s newly designed Clubhouse. Located in Hope and Will’s Sand Lot, the dedicated space will allow fans to meet and interact with BLOOPER, make signs, write letters, and explore their imagination during each home game. BLOOPER’s scheduled appearance times will be posted each game inside BLOOPER’s Clubhouse.
- Braves of the World Exhibit in Monument Garden: The Atlanta Braves have created a Braves of the World Exhibit in Monument Garden to honor and recognize Braves players from around the world. To date, the Braves have fielded 262 international players from 23 countries throughout the organization’s history. This new visitor destination in Monument Garden will be unveiled on Opening Day.
DIGITAL TRUIST PARK
Last year, the Braves debuted Digital Truist Park, the first-of-its-kind digital twin of Truist Park. This season, Digital Truist Park will be open for regular visiting hours for fans to explore the space and meet other Braves fans. Digital Truist Park will host exclusive interviews with Braves players, coaches, and personalities. Fans can visit Digital Truist Park this year for:
- Open House Days: Digital Truist Park is open for exploration featuring a look ahead at the next homestand and Q&A with Atlanta Braves Radio’s Kevin McAlpin. Open House Days will be available 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. on the first day of every homestand.
- Gameday Play: Digital Truist Park will be open for a limited window where fans will have the opportunity to compete in minigames and search for Easter Eggs to redeem both digital and in-real-life prizes. Gameday Play will be open every Thursday and Sunday home game starting in May.
- Special Events: Throughout the year, the Braves will host keynote events where fans will be able to interact with the Braves unlike anywhere else. Special events will be held once a month throughout the season.
- Fans can visit Braves.com/DigitalTruistPark to view the 2023 Digital Truist Park schedule and register for more information.
CONCESSION OPTIONS
The Atlanta Braves and Delaware North, the official food and beverage partner of the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, will offer new foods and concession locations.
- As part of the new partnership with Global Payments Inc. as the official Commerce Technology Provider for Truist Park, five new self-checkout concession locations will be available inside the ballpark. These markets and Grill-N-Go options will feature scalable technology that provides fast, seamless transactions to help fans return to their seats quickly and enjoy the game. The new self-checkout locations will be in sections 137, 315, 335, 313, and 343.
- The Crown Royal Walk-Off Market, powered by Amazon One and Amazon Just Walk Out technologies, is new to section 130. Fans can enter the market by scanning their palm or dipping a credit card, grab what they want from the shelves – and just walk out.
- A new Terrapin Taproom Concourse Bar will be located at the ballpark entrance to Terrapin Taproom so that fans can easily pick up FOX Bros. BBQ and beverages during the game.
Delaware North will be serving a concessions menu featuring traditional stadium favorites with a twist. This will be the first full season for Executive Chef Louis Martorano, who has reimagined some ballpark classics. New foods include:
- The Cleanup Burger – Four grilled all-beef patties topped with golden hash brown potato, hickory smoked bacon, cheese and sunny side-up fried egg. Served on a fresh buttermilk Belgian waffle with maple syrup. Serves anywhere from one (if you dare) to four. Available at the 1871 Grille near section 113.
- The Submarine Sandwich – House-smoked turkey breast – carved to order in front of fans – topped with Red Dragon cheddar cheese sauce, applewood bacon, fried green tomato, butter lettuce and avocado crema. Can be built for one or as a 3-foot-long submarine for up to eight people. Available at The Carvery near section 112.
- Georgia BLT – Bologna, butter lettuce, tomato, pimento cheese and garlic mayo on a brioche bun. Available at the 1871 Grille near section 141.
- The Triple Play – A play on the Caribbean staple papas rellenas featuring a creamy potato filled with chicken and then fried golden brown. Available at the Section 313 market and Section 343 market.
- The ‘Douille Dog – Andouille Sausage topped with beef chili, onion and cheddar cheese. Available at the Section 313 market.
- The Closer – All-beef hot dog wrapped in mozzarella-whipped potatoes and fried golden brown. Served with spicy mayo. Available at the Section 343 market.
Photos of the new food offerings and renderings of the new spaces are available here.
Media contact: Charlie Roberts, Delaware North, [email protected]
NEW GRASS
The Truist Park field is now a hybrid Bermuda overseed with perennial Ryegrass. Grown in Southern Georgia, the field is comprised of 100,000 sq ft of new grass. About 700 rolls of grass were transported to Truist Park on 35 trucks.
NEW LED MATRIX BOARDS
The Braves continue to invest in technology to deliver the best fan experience in sports. Several state of the art, LED matrix boards will be new in 2023, including an upgraded fascia board on the Terrace Level that will display videos, full-color animations, scores, and other interesting content. These additions are a key component of our long-term planning strategy to keep Truist Park modern and engaging for our guests.
THE BATTERY ATLANTA
New additions to The Battery Atlanta for the 2023 season:
- Battle & Brew, the best in social gaming experiences in all of Atlanta will soon open at The Battery Atlanta. Battle & Brew allows guests to sit side by side with friends while playing the best games Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, PC or tabletop has to offer. Battle & Brew boasts a robust dining and spirits menu. (Coming soon)
- Cultivate Food & Coffee is a trend-forward brunch & coffee concept built on a foundation of fresh from scratch farm-to-table culinary principles, truly world-class customer service, and an aesthetically positive experience for all customers. (Coming soon)
- National Anthem is located in the Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta. National Anthem’s menu can be described as “familiar favorites you can eat every day with a few twists.” The menu is a wild ride through Chef Nick Badovinus’ interpretation of what “American food means,” which includes reliably good seafood, prime flat iron steaks, double stacked burgers, and high quality, simply prepared cocktails. This will be National Anthem’s second location, having originally opened in Dallas, TX, where Chef Badovinus is based. (Coming soon)
- Polestar wants to make buying a car as fun as owning it with carefully designed retail spaces to inspire, inform and delight customers. Minimalistic, monochrome interiors elevate the deliberately chosen materials, while promoting a calm and thoughtful atmosphere. Clearing away all the distractions so customers can focus on what matters: the cars. (Coming soon)
- Truist Securities, Truist’s full-service corporate and investment bank, will relocate its national headquarters to a new Class A building currently under construction in The Battery Atlanta. The 250,000-square-foot building will be home to approximately 1,000 Truist Securities teammates and will feature a state-of-the-art trading floor. The building is expected to open in 2024.
MLB RULE CHANGES
- Pitch Timer: The pitch timer will reduce downtime and increase action. It creates a better rhythm to games and helps avoid unnecessary delays that prevent fans – especially our young fans – from enjoying the final innings in the stands and while watching at home.
- The timer will be set at 15 seconds when bases are empty and 20 seconds with runner(s) on base. Hitters will receive one timeout per plate appearance and the pitcher can step off the rubber twice.
- Shift Restrictions: Shift restrictions will lead to more hits and emphasize athleticism. Games will again be decided by the defensive skills of our players. Some of the best athletes in the world will now show off the full extent of their abilities.
- Infielders must be positioned on either side of 2B when the pitch is released. All four infielders must have both feet within the infield when the pitcher is on the rubber.
- Bigger Bases: Bigger bases will increase safety and promote more action on the basepaths.
- 1B, 2B and 3B increased from 15” square to 18” square. This will result in a decrease of 4.5” between first and second base as well as second and third base.
- Additional resources on MLB’s Rule changes for the 2023 season can be found here.
- Kolby Allard, LHP
- Nick Anderson, RHP
- Dylan Dodd, LHP
- Sam Hilliard, OF
- Joe Jiménez, RHP
- Lucas Luetge, LHP
- Jordan Luplow, OF
- Sean Murphy, C
- Jared Shuster, LHP
- Eli White, OF
