Only in minor leagues you will find teams called spicy meatballs, space potatoes and frozen pizzas, even if only for a few games.
The “alternative identities” of minor leagues have returned for another season, bringing with them the splashes of color, humor and, often, absurd.
The double-A affiliate of the New York Mets, the Binghamton Ponies, became the last team to join the action, presenting his alter ego “Southern Tier Spicy Measballs”. The spicy meatballs will replace the rumble ponies with a series of three games against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in August.
Ayyy, that's a spicy meatball! 🍝@Rumbleponiesbb Have a new tasty alternative identity based on the Italian roots of a nearby neighborhood: pic.twitter.com/srwr7uxunr
– Minor Leagues Baseball (@Milb) March 10, 2025
The distinctive identity pays tribute to the Italian roots of the region around Binghamton, New York, specifically the people of Endicott.
The rumble/spicy meatball ponies will not be the only smaller leagues squad that looks unique in 2025. These are some of the other part -time looks.
Team: Arkansas Travelers
Alternative identity: Barkansas Dizzys
The travelers took the opportunity to honor no less than their stadium puppy, dizzy, with their alter ego. Dizzy is Greg Johnston's dog, vice president of operations of the team's stadium.
Complete with a logo with a dizzy with anxiety eyes with anxiety holding a ball in the mouth, Barkansas will go to the field for six games in June.
Team: Wisconsin Wood
Alternative identity: Wisconsin frozen pizzas
Did you know that Wisconsin is the capital of the frozen pizza? Well, if you see the renowned wood mounts, the Milwaukee brewer affiliate, play a selected game on July 12, you will soon.
The first 1,000 fans to enter the field of neuroscience doors on game day will also receive a pizza baking bobblehead. The inspiration for the concept dates back to 2021, when the team organized “Frozen Pizza Throwdown” in 2021, showing more than a dozen marked frozen pizza brands of the state of Badger.
Team: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Alternative identity: Jacksonville honey drippers
Traditionally, the Jumbo shrimp, the triple-A affiliates of the Miami Marlins will spend two weekends this season as the Jacksonville honey drops.
Honey dropons are a basic summer element of the southern southern, with the name of delight by tracking its back to Jacksonville. Reflecting its summer theme, the alter ego of the giant shrimp comes with a vibrant blue, yellow and pink color palette.
Team: Fresno Grizzlies
Alternative Identity: Fresno Tacos
The tacos are an alternative identity with a serious story: the Fresno Grizzlies (the single an affiliate of the Rockies of Colorado) have played selected games such as Fresno Tacos since 2015. The name pays tribute to the Annual Tacck Truck Festival of the franchise, the Tack Drowdown taco.
The Central Valley of California, where Fresno is located, is the birthplace of the Taco truck.
Team: Akron Rubberduks
Alternative identity: Akron cheese salads
A Akron distinctive plate, the cheese salad is a garnish that has lettuce, slices of tomato and black olives among other ingredients … as well as, of course, an abundant help of mozzarella cheese at the top.
The Rubberduks, the double affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, are celebrating the dish with a one -night season in the alter ego on July 11.
Team: New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Alternative identity: New Hampshire Space potatoes
Normally, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the alternative identity of the Toronto Blue Jays affiliates became a couple of local legends in a single name.
The potato has been the state vegetable since 2013 and has a deep history in the state. But the part of the space? That dates back to an incident in the 1960s, when Granite State Barney and Betty Hill residents claimed to be kidnapped by aliens.
Team: Winston-Salem Dash
Alternative identity: Winston-Salem Hooch Pooches
It is an alter ego mixture inspiration of car races and smuggling of the era of prohibition. On June 20, the Winston-Salem Truist stadium will become a “smugglers paradise”, since Hooch pooches pay tribute to an infamous part of Chicago's history (Dash is an affiliate of Chicago's white socks).
Serial car races bring their origin to the prohibition, since smugglers would make modifications to conventional cars that would allow vehicles to overcome the authorities.
Team: Toledo mud chickens
Alternative identity: Toledo mud tracker
Sticking with the existence of the team, Toledo will play six games this season as mud trackers.
The triple-a affiliate of the Detroit Tigers will not deviate too much from their bird-oriented roots with the appearance: the alternative identity logo presents a duck that mounts an off-road vehicle through the mud with three fingers in the air.
