MacKenzie Gore gifts Nationals rotation with basketball jerseys

Jessica Camerato

This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato's Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

There are many methods to build team chemistry, especially in a small group such as a starting rotation. So when southpaw MacKenzie Gore approached his first full season with the Nationals, he wanted to come up with a way to foster that camaraderie among his fellow pitchers.

Gore thought back to what veteran right-hander Joe Musgrove shared last year on the Padres during Gore's rookie season: custom-designed basketball jerseys. He decided to do the same with Washington, where he was traded last August.

"It was cool, it was different, something to wear around the clubhouse," Gore said.

This clothing concept originally stemmed from Musgrove's interest in finding something that would be distinctive to his teammates. The jerseys became incorporated into the Padres’ pregame attire.

"I just really liked the look," Musgrove explained. "I know a lot of guys end up cutting their shirts up or wear sleeveless stuff anyway. … For everyone to have the basketball jerseys, it was unique to us. We were the only ones that would have it, and I wanted everyone to kind of feel that, have that experience."

Gore connected with Free Style Cut & Stitch, the San Diego-based apparel company that created the Padres jerseys for Musgrove. They sent Gore design options during Spring Training -- the first, a gray and pink edition to coincide with the Nationals cherry blossom-inspired City Connect uniforms. There is also another edition in the works to match the Nationals traditional team colors.

"I think it's awesome," Trevor Williams said. "... Everyone gets shirts, but to have a custom-made basketball-baseball jersey is fun. I was happy to see that in my locker."

Gore had jerseys made for Cade Cavalli, Patrick Corbin, Josiah Gray, Chad Kuhl, Stephen Strasburg, Williams and himself. There are plans to have one made for Jake Irvin, too, since he joined the rotation more recently.

"It's something small to bring us all together, bond over," said Gray, who looks forward to donning his jersey for warmups during the summer weather. "The starters now have something they can wear that brings a little bit more camaraderie to the clubhouse."

There is a special addition to the starters: there also was a jersey made for shortstop CJ Abrams, who played for the Padres with Gore last season.

"It's almost like a gift, and there's no pressure for anybody to wear them if they don't want to wear them," Gore said. "It was funny, too, the other guys were like, ‘Where's ours at?’ So that was cool. I figured I would get some heat [smiles]."

Gore was on the injured list when he was acquired by the Nationals, and he spent the remainder of last season rehabbing and being away from his new teammates at times. This year, he is embracing the opportunity to have a complete season to bond with the players with whom he shares a mound every five days.

"It's cool to see a young guy do that," Williams said. "It means a lot to him, and whenever we wear it, we’re reminded that he was looking out for us."