The Houston Astros on Wednesday became the first MLB team of the season to reveal their City Connect uniform, paying homage to the city’s contributions to space travel.
Houston’s previous City Connect look focused on a similar theme, with “Space City” across the chest.
This time around, the all-white uniform has “Stros” across the front of the jersey, marking the first time the organization has formally adopted the fan-driven moniker. The uniform’s trim and pinstriping also give a nod to the history of the moon landing with a lunar pattern.
The look is equipped with a brand-new hat logo that forms a “futuristic” take on the Astros’ star. According to the organization, the “A” is inspired by concept art used throughout the organization’s history. The star is wrapped in the “A,” which replaces the usual “H.”
A unique detail of the design appears on the jock tag.
It features a quote from President John F. Kennedy’s space travel speech Sept. 12, 1962, at Rice University: “We choose to do things not because they are easy but because they are hard.”
Similar to each space mission, a unique mission patch for the uniform appears on the sleeve. The team said the base design is a reference to the Union Station logo that appears on the historic building next to Daikin Park. Houston specifically customized that design to include the Astros “H.”
The only nonwhite portions of the uniform are the “afterburner” socks that feature a “fiery mixture of orange and yellow.” The Astros say the color is meant to symbolize the afterburners of a rocket ship.
Even though this is a new design, there are subtle callbacks to Houston’s first City Connect look. The neckline boasts a “Space City” tagline on a lunar surface texture. The rainbow gradient of the trimming is another carryover from the first uniform, designed as a modernized version of the Astros’ tequila sunrise pattern.
Houston will debut the look on the field against the San Francisco Giants on March 31.
