Top 10 Best Minor League Baseball Team Names
Hundreds of Minor League Baseball teams are scattered across this great nation, each name as unique as the last. With it being the MLB All-Star break and interesting sports news being scarce, what better time to rank the 10 best names in all the Minor Leagues?
10. Lansing Lugnuts
The Lugnuts are the High-A affiliate of the Oakland A's and hail from Lansing, Michigan. Their name comes from Lansing's status as an industrial hub. The team has shifted through many names since its beginning in 1955, but have been going with Lugnuts since 1996.
Oddly enough, the people of Lansing have not always been in love with the name. There was once a poll in the Lansing State Journal that showed that 90% of fans didn't like the current name. The Lugnuts stayed though, which is great because that name is awesome.
9. Amarillo Sod Poodles
The Sod Poodles are the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Amarillo landed on their team name from a "Name the Team" contest. A sod poodle is a pioneer's nickname for prairie dogs. The name was chosen from Texas' pioneer ties, appeal to kids, and marketability. Minor league names are all about standing out and being fun, which lands the Amarillo Sod Poodles on this list.
8. Hartford Yard Goats
The Yard Goats are the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games in Hartford, Connecticut. Like the Sod Poodles, the name came from a "Name the Team" contest which drew over 6,000 submissions. Yard Goat is railroading slang for a small locomotive that switches cars from one train to another, which makes sense because their stadium is across from the Hartford Rail Yard.
What are some other names from the "Name the Team" contest? The Hedgehogs, Praying Mantis, River Hogs, and Whirlybirds. They also get bonus points with their color scheme paying homage to the Hartford Whalers.
7. Richmond Flying Squirrels
The Flying Squirrels are the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. The team changed its name from the Connecticut Defenders, which is a terrible name, when the team moved to Richmond, Virginia in 2009. Flying Squirrels was chosen by a "Name-the-team-contest" in the local newspaper. There's definitely a consistent theme here.
The name was submitted by Brad Mead, who was awarded two season tickets to Flying Squirrels' games for life. The re-brand became an instant hit. Richmond led the Eastern League in attendance in their debut season and recorded the top-selling merchandise in all of Minor League Baseball.
6. Down East Wood Ducks
The Wood Ducks, or the Woodies as fans call them, are the Single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They play their home games in Kinston, North Carolina. The Wood Ducks' name was chosen on a fan vote, though the winning fan's name was never announced. Some of the other Down East name finalists were the Eagles, HamHawks, Hogzillas, and Shaggers.
At first, the names drew backlash from fans over no city being represented in the name. They also felt some of the potential names were demeaning. The criticism eventually died down though, and people began to embrace the moniker.
Down East was the Carolina League co-champions in their first season in 2017. They were also named the best logo/branding for Minor League Baseball in the same year.
5. Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The name refers to the city's steel-making history, in particular, the refining of pig iron into steel. The team was previously called the Ottowa Lynx but changed the name after the team's move to Lehigh Valley. The name was selected by a public vote of eight total finalists. The other seven names were the Crushers, Gobblers, Keystones, Phantastics, Phillies, Vulcans, and Woodchucks.
Ron Steele, who is credited with coming up with the name, received VIP game tickets and assorted memorabilia. Even if the name was not referring to anything significant, the IronPigs is still a great time. This alternate logo below also played a part in putting them this high on the list.
4. Akron RubberDucks
The RubberDucks are the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The team has undergone several name changes throughout its 100-year history but has been named after the famous bath toys since 2013, after coming under new ownership. The other three finalists for the name were the Gum Dippers, Tire Jacks, and Vulcans (again).
The first part of the name pays homage to Akron's nickname of "Rubber Capital of the World." The latter half refers to the ducks of the Ohio and Erie Canal, which is located next to the team's stadium.
3. Montgomery Biscuits
The Montgomery Biscuits are the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The name was submitted by a fan in a name-the-team contest after the team moved from Orlando in 2003. The team leaned into their nickname right away. They not only sell a variety of biscuits at the stadium, but they also shoot biscuits into the crowd out of a biscuit cannon. Again, that is a BISCUIT CANNON.
Their mascot, who goes by Big Mo, is described as a "Biscuit-eating, aardvarky sort of creature." That is incredible. They may not have the top name on this list, but they certainly have the tastiest.
2. Rocket City Trash Pandas
The Trash Pandas are the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They were formerly known as the Mobile BayBears before coming under new ownership in 2020. Some of the other name options were the ThunderSharks, Moon Possums, Space Chimps, and Comet Jockeys. None of those could hold a candle to the Trash Pandas who took home a whopping 45% of the fan vote.
The Rocket City moniker references the nickname for Huntsville, Alabama, which is located just to the northeast of the team's hometown. "Trash Pandas" is a reference to a raccoon, which is native to the Huntsville area. The combination of the two names easily makes one of the most unique mascots in sports.
1. Sugar Land Space Cowboys
The Space Cowboys are the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. The Space Cowboys were previously known as the Sugar Land Skeeters (named after a mosquito) from 2012-2022. They played in an independent league, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, for most of that time. It wasn't until they signed with the Astros as their Triple-A affiliate that they changed their name to the Space Cowboys.
The name combines Texas' Cowboy tradition and Houston's contributions to space exploration. The name is what makes Minor League Baseball great. It's a great combination of local influences, it's incredibly marketable, and the logo is great. Put all three together and it equals the top spot on this list.