The Round Rock Express announced Sept. 20 that it will kick off its 20^th season aligned with the Houston Astros. The Triple-A team announced two days prior that it was parting ways with the Texas Rangers after eight seasons. “The Texas Rangers organization was first class for us,” General Manager Tim Jackson said. “We are so thankful for those last eight years.”

The Express was founded as a Double-A franchise in 2000 by Ryan Sanders Baseball, a group made up of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, his sons Reid and Reese, Houston businessman Don Sanders and his sons, Bret and Brad. Reid currently serves as the President of Business Operations for the Astros while Nolan is an Executive Advisor.

Jackson said the family ties coupled with the success of the Astros made the alignment a good fit. “It’s a no brainer across the board,” Jackson said. “It was ideal for [the Ryan family] and for us.” To celebrate the realignment as well as the team’s 20^th anniversary, the Express announced a slight rebranding Sept. 20. The team altered its logos and color scheme to an aesthetic more similar to what its players wore in the early 2000s.