Hiroshima Carp Unveil New Away Uniform: Tai Sasaki Vows to Lead the Next Generation and Revive the Club’s Golden Era

The Hiroshima Carp unveiled their new away uniform for the 2027 season on October 13. The design features a red base with navy lettering and numbers, while light blue—a color associated with the uniforms worn during the club's golden era in the 1980s—returns as an accent.

Tai Sasaki, the 23-year-old infielder who wore the uniform at its unveiling, spoke passionately about the responsibility facing the next generation of Carp players.

“We have to be reborn and carry the golden era forward,” he said.

The new design marks the club's first uniform change in four years, following the 2023 redesign. Its concept is “Carrying on tradition and pride, toward the beginning of a brilliant future.”

Club owner representative Kazuhiro Matsuda said the design balances simplicity with a composed appearance.

“We've kept it simple while maintaining a calm, understated look. I hope it becomes a uniform in which we can build a new chapter of history,” he said.

A modern design inspired by the 1980s

The main fabric uses a new shade of red that shines vividly under the light. Previously, the chest lettering and numbers were red on red, leading to complaints that they were difficult to see. The club has switched to navy to improve visibility.

The most distinctive detail is the light-blue edging around the navy lettering and numbers.

During the 1980s, Hiroshima won three Central League championships and two Japan Series titles, establishing what is widely remembered as the club's golden era. Light blue featured on the team's away uniforms during that period.

By bringing the color back to highlight the navy lettering, the Carp hope to express their determination to restore the club to its former strength.

The new uniform is also designed to accommodate the demands of athletic movement, with reported improvements in stretchability of approximately 25% vertically and 40% horizontally.

Sasaki praised the feel of the new material.

“The fabric is lightweight, and it's really comfortable to wear. I can't wait to get out there and compete,” he said.

He also said the uniform had strengthened his determination to help build the next successful era of Carp baseball.

“Wearing it made me feel that we have to carry the tradition forward ourselves. The team won't get stronger unless the younger players produce better results, so I want us to energize the team through the strength of the next generation.”

Sasaki looks to build on a challenging season

Sasaki was given a major opportunity in his second season, batting cleanup in 11 of the team's first 11 games. However, a prolonged batting slump led to a demotion to the farm team in May.

He gradually improved during the summer by returning to the fundamentals of his approach: hitting the ball hard on a low trajectory.

He finished the season with 121 appearances, a .254 batting average, six home runs and 26 RBIs.

“It was a difficult season, but I was determined to turn things around somehow. Being able to recover my numbers to some extent gives me confidence. Next season, I want to maintain that level from Opening Day through the end of the season,” he said.

In November, Sasaki will join teammates Takashi and Tatsumi as members of Samurai Japan for the Ragsus Asia Professional Baseball Championship 2026, scheduled for November 12–15 at Tokyo Dome.

As he heads into the offseason, his priorities are clear.

“I want to rebuild my body properly and improve my speed and power. I think those things are more important than technique right now.”

Wearing the new uniform, Sasaki hopes to become one of the leading figures in the younger generation as Hiroshima works to revive its golden era.

Other players welcome the return of light blue

Ōsera, Kuribayashi and rookie Shō Katsuta also attended the uniform unveiling. All three welcomed the return of light blue, associating it with the club's successful past.

Ōsera said, “I simply think it looks cool. It brings back images of the golden era, and I want us to build a new tradition while keeping that history in mind.”

Rookie Katsuta shared that sentiment.

“This design brings to mind the image of a strong team. I want to do my best to help build a new, stronger Carp team.”

Kuribayashi also praised the design and appealed directly to the fans.

“The light blue changes the overall impression, and I really like it. I hope the fans will join us in supporting this new Carp team as we enter a new era.”