The Washington Nationals and Wizards’ new cherry blossom-inspired jersey are pure heat — at least that’s what fans seem to think. The two-team “City Connect” uniform campaign, announced Tuesday in collaboration with Nike and, perhaps surprisingly, the Budweiser Clydesdales, received immediate praise from fans online.

https://twitter.com/grahamsaccount/status/1508886421997699072

While nothing is universally liked — one baseball reporter wondered why the Nats used “WSH” on the jersey instead of “DC” — a lot of people were having Sean Doolittle’s reaction to the new drip.

https://twitter.com/Nationals/status/1508821593371422723

The two teams decided to join forces when they realized they were working on similar jersey campaigns in 2020, according to The Washington Post. While it’s the first collaboration between an NBA and MLB team from the same market, per a Nationals press release, MLB and Nike launched their City Connect program last season with the goal of connecting each team with its home city. With D.C., the program now includes 14 teams.

The Nationals’ highly detailed, grey-toned baseball jerseys will make their debut April 9-10 when the Nats face off against the New York Mets at Nationals Park, and appear again at the April 23 game against the San Francisco Giants. The jerseys will get some field time about twice a month, per the Post. The Wizards will wear their “Bloom City Edition” jerseys this fall, at the start of the 2022-2023 season.

Adding to the fervor, the Budweiser Clydesdales — yes, those beautiful, heavy-limbed horses you’ve seen in all the commercials — are also involved?

Apparently, the Clydesdales are headed for D.C. and will be making “surprise stops” around Navy Yard Wednesday before arriving at Nationals Park to drop off the merchandise around 10 a.m., according to a press release. At the launch party on the N Street SE plaza near the stadium, fans will be able to purchase the cherry blossom gear, sample concessions from the stadium, get a chance at winning opening weekend tickets, and, yes, take photos with the horses,

At least one local business isn’t buying it. Capitol Hill Books tweets: “Aren’t the Clydesdales from STL? Are the @Cardinals attempting some sort of Trojan horse trick?”

It’s true, Warm Springs Ranch in Missouri does claim the home stables for the the beloved horses — but Budweiser has also been the Nationals’ primary beer sponsor since 2016 and Nike has had its swoosh on MLB jerseys since 2020. Even if it’s not a sabotage attempt by the St. Louis Cardinals, the whole thing is a hodgepodge of branding that’s a bit dizzying.

According to the Post, the basketball jerseys were partly inspired by the Wizards’ evolving relationship with Japan — Wizards forward Rui Hachimura is from Japan and has a large fanbase there.

Players from the Wizards and Nationals will participate in the annual Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday, and both teams plan to include cherry blossom imagery in their overall marketing. For example, a cherry blossom-inspired cocktail from Pratt Standard Cocktail Company will be served at each bar at Nats Park.

The Nationals and Wizards reportedly aren’t the only local teams with floral uniform plans. According to Athletic staff writer Pablo Iglesias Maurer, DC United is planning a cherry blossom-themed kit for next year, and there were rumors last year that the Washington Spirit women’s soccer club might join the fun, as well.

For now, local fans can enjoy Doolittle’s dramatic narration in the cherry blossom jersey launch video:

https://twitter.com/Nationals/status/1508806372879745038