Which MiLB identity was the best of 2024?
The 2024 MiLB Awards Show will be broadcast on MLB Network on Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. ET, and YOU have a say in which team will go home winners of the Best Alternate Identity category. Voting is open here until Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. ET. And, of course,
The 2024 MiLB Awards Show will be broadcast on MLB Network on Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. ET, and YOU have a say in which team will go home winners of the Best Alternate Identity category. Voting is open here until Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. ET. And, of course, you can purchase gear featuring your favorites.
Let's take a look at the nominees.
Wichita Chili Buns (Wichita Wind Surge, Double-A affiliate of the Twins)
Hearty Midwestern fare doesn’t get heartier than the chili bun, a big bowl of chili topped with a frosted cinnamon roll. The Wind Surge paid tribute to this sweet and savory concoction over two games in April, wearing red jerseys with a vintage diner aesthetic and a hat featuring the filling foodstuff in question.
Chattanooga Wreckers (Chattanooga Lookouts, Double-A Reds)
Did you know? An enterprising Chattanoogan named Ernest Holmes, Sr. invented the wrecker -- a predecessor to the tow truck -- by attaching a chain, pulley and poles to his 1913 Cadillac. The Lookouts saluted Holmes’ ingenuity, and the city’s subsequent role in the towing industry, by playing six games this season as the Wreckers.
Winston-Salem Hype Hens (Winston-Salem Dash, High-A White Sox)
Last season the Dash played as the Hyphens, finally acknowledging that the punctuation mark between Winston and Salem is not a dash, but a hyphen. This year brought the Hype Hens, but it’s not just a play on words. This lively look was inspired by the “Fowl Ball” chicken dance party that the Dash hosted in 2023, which was followed this year by the installation of a chicken coop on the outfield concourse.
Jersey Diners (Somerset Patriots, Double-A Yankees)
New Jersey is home to more diners than any other state, and the Somerset Patriots are located in the center of it all. Their chrome-topped Jersey Diners identity features a smiling coffee cup as its primary logo, with secondary marks that pay tribute to pancakes, steak and eggs and the Garden State sandwich staple known as the Happy Waitress.
Great Lakes Pontooners (Great Lakes Loons, High-A Dodgers)
As their name makes clear, the Midland, Michigan-based Great Lakes Loons play in close proximity to water. Their Pontooners identity celebrates the pleasure boats that are popular throughout the region, as few things are more relaxing than lounging on a lake. The primary logo features an anthropomorphic pontoon -- say that three times fast.
Biloxi King Cakes (Biloxi Shuckers, Double-A Brewers)
Biloxi is home to the largest and longest-running Mardi Gras celebration in all of Mississippi. The Shuckers’ King Cakes identity celebrates the spirit of Carnival, and specifically one of the foods associated with it. King Cakes are customizable desserts made with a cinnamon roll-style dough; the Shuckers’ version clutches a bat and is topped with yellow, green and purple frosting. Batter up.
Spokane King Carl (Spokane Indians, High-A Rockies)
Carl Maxey, a Gonzaga boxing standout turned prominent trial lawyer and civil rights leader, made his mark in Spokane and beyond over the course of a groundbreaking 46-year-career. The Indians honored his life and legacy with their King Carl identity; its Easter egg-laden primary logo depicts a crown-bedecked boxing glove.
Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MiLB.com and writes Ben's Biz Blog. Follow Ben on Twitter @bensbiz.
MiLB podcast breaks down Spring Training storylines
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Leaf Peepers? Thunder Chickens?! Coming to the Minors this year
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Dodgers greats Newcombe and Campanella made history as Minors teammates
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
15 prospects primed for a bounceback season from injury
A lot of players will be getting a fresh start heading into the 2025 season. Prospects who missed significant time due to injury have had upwards of six months between regular-season games to return to health. Now they'll be looking to re-establish their value and maybe even reach new heights.
Check out the newest Minor League team logos for 2025
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Here are 18 prospects who also starred on the gridiron
The two-time defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and plenty of baseball prospects will be keeping a close eye. After all, many current Minor Leaguers played football at a high level before committing fully to the diamond. No, there aren't any
Did you know the Superdome was once home to a Minor League team?
On Sunday, one of the world’s most-watched sporting events will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Believe it or not, decades before Super Bowl LIX came to town, the same building was home to a Minor League Baseball team for one season. The 1977 Triple-A New Orleans Pelicans
How a Black pitcher's brief PCL stint in 1916 generated a historic card
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2010. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
The Show Before the Show: Episode 489
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minors legend Jones still holds batting record
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2008. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers. Grover "Deacon" Jones spent more than a half-century in baseball, serving the game at almost every level and in
Hooks have a new look -- and more -- on the line for 20th season
In advance of a milestone season at Whataburger Field, the Corpus Christi Hooks are making a change. The Houston Astros' Double-A affiliate unveiled new logos and uniforms on Friday evening, marking the first time they have significantly altered their look since debuting in 2005. According to Hooks general manager Brady
Here's how Jackie Robinson fueled Montreal to a Minor League title in 1946
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
They're due! MiLB's longest active title droughts
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
These players could earn teams extra Draft picks in 2025
Since the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, four players have earned their clubs extra Draft picks. The PPI rewards teams for promoting their best prospects to the big leagues at the start of the season, enabling them to earn a Draft pick if
Each team's best non-Top 100 prospect
There just isn't enough room to fit all the worthy talents on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. We unveiled our latest rankings last Friday, and now we're going to spotlight the best prospect in each farm system who couldn't quite make the cut. We undertook the same exercise last
MiLB collaborates with Stand Up To Cancer
Minor League Baseball announced a new collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), an organization that funds the development of new and promising cancer treatments to help patients today. Founded in 2008, SU2C raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers with the aspiration to cure all patients.
These are the best tools on the new Top 100 Prospects list
Players featured on last year’s edition of the best tools among Top 100 prospects should look familiar to even casual baseball fans at this point. Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (best fastball, slider) took the Major Leagues by storm as the NL Rookie of the Year, thanks to his hard-throwing ways
Answering your Top 100 Prospects list questions
MLB Pipeline released its new Top 100 Prospects list on Friday, and it was met with a bevy of questions and comments about fans' favorite prospects. To help make sense of all the inquiries, Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo took to Reddit and responded to fan questions in a Top 100 Prospect-focused
Here are every organization's Top 100 prospects for 2025
MLB Pipeline’s 2025 Top 100 Prospects list went live on Friday night, led by the newest Dodger, right-hander Roki Sasaki, Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony and Twins outfielder Walker Jenkins. There’s a lot of offensive firepower throughout the list, beyond those two outfielders at the top, but while the bats
Check out MLB Pipeline's 2025 Top 100 Prospects list
He was one of the most sought-after talents this offseason, and he hadn’t even played stateside ball yet. Now, he can add another bullet point to his already lengthy baseball resume. Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki tops MLB Pipeline’s 2025 preseason ranking of the Top 100 prospects, followed by Red Sox
The Show Before the Show: Episode 488
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Get ready to cheer for ... the Bathtub Donkeys?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to The Baseball Traveler newsletter here.
These are MLB’s No. 1 prospects at each position
MLB Pipeline's 2025 rankings of the Top 10 prospects at each position are official and the 2025 Top 100 Prospects list will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET on Friday on MLB Network and MLB.com.