Houston Astros Blast Off with New 2022 Space City Connect Uniform

Houston, we have a uniform.

The Houston Astros this morning became the second team to unveil their Nike MLB City Connect uniform for the 2022 season following the Washington Nationals late last month. Five more teams will follow before the end of the year.

Paying tribute to Houston’s contributions to space travel (which is fitting considering the name of the baseball team), the all navy blue uniform features an overall out-of-this-world design. Across the chest “SPACE CITY” is stencilled in orange “space-inspired” lettering, though it’s clearly a nod to NASA’s famous “Worm” logo. Piping down the front and around each sleeve follows an orange-to-yellow and back again gradient similar in feel to the Astros “Rainbow” uniforms of the 1970s and ’80s, when paired with the dark navy blue base the team says this is all based on the colours of the Houston skyline at night.

SHOP: Houston Astros 2022 City Connect jerseys, caps, & more available now!

On the sleeve of the jersey is a re-coloured State of Texas flag with the Astros “H-star” logo replacing the Lone Star, “SPACE CITY HOUSTON, TX” as well as the four area codes that make up the Houston area are included around the design.

The sleeves also feature a subtle light blue gridlike pattern, a tribute to the star charts used for space missions. A further reference to past space missions is included with the jock tag which shows the lunar lander from NASA’s plentiful moon missions in the 1960s and ’70s with the famous words “Houston, the Eagle has landed,” uttered following the touchdown of Apollo 11 on the surface of the moon in 1969.

The back of the jersey includes the player’s name and number, in orange with a yellow outline. The font carries over from the front of the jersey (note the “A” on Alvarez’s jersey here, love it); of course, any futuristic jersey number style in baseball immediately makes me think of the Turn Ahead the Clock uniforms we saw in 1999. Not a knock, just an observation.

“Our City Connect uniform links the past and the present, making the old new, with a nod to our city’s great history of space travel. The Astros retro elements with a forward-thinking approach matches the constant pursuit of new opportunities and extraordinary wins that represent the great city of Houston,” said Houston Astros Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Anita Sehgal in the press release. “This uniform is a thank you to our fans for their relentless support to the Astros and to growing our great community – we don’t see this as just a uniform, but as a movement for our city and we are excited to share it today.”

The Astros City Connect cap gives an interesting new, modern spin on their classic “H-Star” design, the “H” remains the same but the star has been converted to a simple outline, a baseball orbiting the entire graphic, all while including the rainbow gradient from those classic 1970s uniforms again. The side of the cap includes an orange badge with “ASTROS” in the same NASA-style typeface from the front of the jersey.

SHOP: Houston Astros 2022 City Connect jerseys, caps & more available now!

Moving down to the pants, the player number has been added to the front, yet another nod to those Astros uniforms of the ’70s. The Socks from Stance carry on that orange-to-yellow gradient, a sock design I feel like the Astros should be using full-time (that gradient is so yours, guys, embrace it like the Padres have learned to embrace brown! Own it!)

The Astros will wear their new City Connect “Space City” uniform for the first time on April 20, 2022, following that début they will be worn for every Monday home game throughout the remainder of the 2022 season.

City Connect merchandise will be available from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Houston Time) today at the Astros Team Store at Minute Maid Park. The Houston Astros 2022 City Connect “Space City” caps, jerseys, socks, shirts and more are available to purchase right now through our affiliate link here. If the Nats merch is any indication, these might sell quickly, so heads up.

LINK: Houston Astros complete logo and uniform history

Following the Astros debut on April 20th, we’ll see 2022 City Connect uniforms for the first time from the Kansas City Royals on April 30, the Colorado Rockies on June 4, the Los Angeles Angels on June 11, Milwaukee Brewers on June 24, and San Diego Padres on July 8. Learn more about the 2022 City Connect uniform program here.