Houston Astros: Grading the City Connect uniforms

On Sunday, the Houston Astros were the latest team to unveil their Nike City Connect uniforms. The new uniforms pay homage to Houston’s history with space travel, but are these uniforms out of this world? We take a look at the possibilities.

Here’s how we graded the new Houston Astros Nike City Connect uniforms

Take a look at the new uniforms that the Houston Astros will debut on April 20 when the Los Angeles Angels pay a visit to Minute Maid Park.

The Astros also put out a video explaining the connection between the city, space travel, and the new uniforms.

Houston’s City Connect uniforms are the second to be unveiled this season, with the first being the cherry blossom-themed uniforms unveiled prior to the start of the season by the Washington Nationals.

Perhaps the thing that jumps out the most is the tip of the cap (pun intended) to NASA on the hat. A baseball in orbit surrounds the familiar H and star that is normally on Astros caps, and the baseball is traveling in a different direction than the one in the NASA logo. However, the salute to space is still very easy to detect.

There is also the addition of rainbow gradient socks and rainbow piping mixed into other parts of the uniform as well, a salute to the jerseys that were so prominent in the days of Nolan Ryan and J.R. Richard.

Also, as another tip to the past, each player’s right pant leg will also bear his number, another flashback to Astros jerseys of days past.

The uniform also has a “mission patch” and the words “Go for launch” as a part of the new look, reminders of the vital role that Houston has played in America’s journey to space.

You can read more about the jersey and all of its intricacies here.

Overall, the flashbacks to the 70s stand out more than the “Space City” across the chest and other ways the team tried to tie the jerseys to their home city. For showing an embrace of the past as well as a true connection to the city, let’s give the new jerseys a grade of B.

How would you grade them? Let us know in the comments below.