While the Guardians play in "The Land," their High-A affiliate, the Lake County Captains, proudly represent the water. On Tuesday, the team unveiled a refreshed nautical-themed look for 2025 and beyond, embracing their close proximity to Lake Erie and rich maritime heritage.

Based in the Cleveland suburb of Eastlake, the Captains have long celebrated their nautical identity. The team's previous primary logo featured the Captains' wordmark over a ship's steering wheel. Now, the captain himself takes center stage. This seasoned mariner has been a cornerstone of Lake County's branding since its inception in 2003. The new logo honors this history while introducing new design elements.

"We started this process two years ago, doing a deep dive into the Lake County and Cleveland communities. We talked to fans to understand what they've always liked and how we can integrate it more," said Alan Miller, Captains owner and president. "We're bringing out the best of the past into a phenomenal new brand moving forward."

The redesigned Captain now features a more expressive face, a bushier mustache, a baseball sleeve cuff, and a team-branded cap perched atop his weathered brow. The cap prominently displays the team's new "C" logo, which cleverly incorporates an anchor. "It speaks to who we want the captain to be, the attitude and the person," Miller explained. For now, the Captain remains nameless, with the team preferring to let his identity evolve organically.

​The updated look reflects the Captains' commitment to honoring their maritime roots while engaging with their community and fans. As they sail into the 2025 season, the Lake County Captains are set to make waves with their bold new branding.

After much anticipation, the Lakeshore Chinooks are thrilled to introduce the Nook Nation alternate brand! This fresh "city connect" style branding will complement our existing logos, colors, and branding, offering an exciting new look for select dates in the upcoming season and beyond.

Honoring Our Roots
Nook Nation has been the nickname for our dedicated fanbase since 2013. The new branding honors our fans and our team’s location along the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan. The updated logo suite is a creative reimagining of our primary logo and the iconic fish logo. Chinooks GM Eric Snodgrass expressed, “The Nook Nation alternate brand has been years in the making. We wanted an alternate and fresh look that we could use occasionally throughout the off-season and during the summer while still keeping our classic branding as our primary look. From the unique elements in the logos to the new color palette, we think the new brand will be a great representation of our fan base in the Northshore and the Milwaukee metro area.”

Exciting Merchandise Launch
The first line of Nook Nation merchandise is available now and will be on sale until December 13th. Additional merchandise will be unveiled in the spring and sold at the Tackle Box Team Store at Moonlight Graham Field for the 2025 season.

Looking Ahead to 2025
​The Nook Nation alternate uniform and jersey will be officially unveiled in early 2025. Fans can look forward to seeing the team take the field in these new uniforms on select game dates in the upcoming seasons. Stay tuned for more updates and be sure to grab your Nook Nation gear today!

"It's a refresh, not a rebrand. We would say it's an evolution, not a revolution."

This sentiment from Ashley Havili, VP of marketing and merchandise for the Salt Lake Bees, perfectly captures the essence of the team's latest announcement. On Monday, the Triple-A Angels affiliate unveiled its refreshed logos and uniforms, marking a significant milestone as they prepare for their move to the new Daybreak Field in 2025.

A Nod to Tradition with a Modern Twist
The Salt Lake Bees, established in the Pacific Coast League in 1994, have undergone several name changes over the years—from the bee-adjacent Buzz (1994-2000) to the Stingers (2001-2005), before settling on the Bees in 2006. The "Beehive State" heritage runs deep, and the team has been a staple in Salt Lake City's professional baseball history since 1915.

Embracing Their Legacy
"We're moving to a new ballpark in the southwest quadrant of the [Salt Lake] Valley. With the move, do we completely go through a rebrand and come up with a new identity for the team? Or do we stay the Bees?" said Havili. "[The Bees] are one of Utah's most beloved and recognizable brands. Instead of pivoting and abandoning the brand equity that we've built, we decided to lean into it."

The New Look
The updated color palette of the Bees remains predominantly black and gold, with the addition of "Angels red" as an accent color, visible on the sleeve patch and the sleeve trim of a cream-colored alternate uniform. A new custom primary script, black with yellow accents, adorns the home and black alternate jerseys. The primary logo features Bumble, the team's beloved mascot, who has received a slight makeover to appear a bit more serious, yet still fun and iconic.

"Bumble is our most famous player because it's Minor League Baseball," explained Havili. "There's so much transition with the players, they come and go. But Bumble is an icon for us. He's a little bit more serious of a bee now, like a killer bee, but he's really fun. He's going to be on our on-field hat, which will probably be one of our most popular."

​This refresh celebrates the Salt Lake Bees' rich history while embracing a fresh, modern look that fans will enjoy for years to come. As the team prepares for its move to Daybreak Field in 2025, the new logos and uniforms symbolize a perfect blend of tradition and innovation.

The Milwaukee Brewers' Single-A affiliate team, the Carolina Mudcats, known for their iconic catfish logo and based in Zebulon, N.C., is set to undergo a significant transformation. Following the 2025 campaign, the team will relocate 25 miles east and rebrand as the Wilson Warbirds. This new identity was unveiled on Friday afternoon at the Wilson Industrial Air Center, a site originally developed as a World War II naval aviator training center. The Wilson Warbirds, a Carolina League team owned by the Brewers, will make their on-field debut at a new ballpark in downtown Wilson in 2026.

Introducing the Wilson Warbirds
The "Warbirds" name is a tribute to retired military aircraft that have been restored and remain operational. During the unveiling event, three such warbirds served as a dramatic backdrop, including a T-6 Texan Trainer, the plane used to train pilots at the Wilson Air Center during WWII.

Tyler Barnes, the Brewers' senior vice president of communications and affiliate operations, explained that the Warbirds name embodies "a sense of power, patriotism, Americana [and] the persistence to keep these old planes flying as a tribute to American history and willpower."

Honoring Local Heritage
The Warbirds moniker also honors Vollis Simpson, a WWII veteran from the Wilson area, known for creating wind-powered sculptures called whirligigs. Many of these sculptures, a source of local pride, are displayed in the city's Whirligig Park. Barnes recounted how Simpson built his first whirligig out of parts from a B-29 bomber out of necessity while stationed in Saipan.

"Whirligigs Park is visible from and adjacent to the ballpark behind the left-field wall," Barnes said. "So you’ll see these giant wind-powered sculptures that are 30 or 40 feet high. It's a perfect view, and a lot of them are classic aviation-themed."

The Warbirds' New Look
The Warbirds' new identity was crafted by Scott Starr, founder and creative director of Milwaukee-based design studio Rev Pop. The team's home uniforms will feature white with black pinstripes and red trim, while the road jerseys will incorporate two shades of blue, creating a classic, throwback feel—or as the team describes it, a "timeless aesthetic."

​This exciting rebranding marks a new chapter for the Brewers' Single-A team, blending local history and heritage with a fresh, dynamic identity. Fans can look forward to the Warbirds taking to the field in 2026, bringing a high-flying spirit to Wilson.

The Baysox have officially announced their renaming to the Chesapeake Baysox during a special event at The Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis. This new team name marks an exciting chapter in Baysox baseball, reflecting the broad and diverse community of fans who support the team across the region. Despite the name change, the Chesapeake Baysox will continue to call Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie, Maryland, their home.

Expanding the Fanbase
During the 2024 season, the Baysox welcomed fans from 378 zip codes across Maryland, representing all 23 counties in the state. Beyond Maryland, fans from 1,733 zip codes across 42 other states visited, totaling 2,111 zip codes from 43 states. To better represent this impressive regional draw, the team will now be known as the Chesapeake Baysox.

A Community-Focused Team
The Chesapeake Baysox aim to be more than just a baseball team—they strive to be the heart of the community, fostering connections across generations throughout the region. While maintaining their “Baysox” identity and home at Prince George’s Stadium, the shift to “Chesapeake” highlights their growing fanbase in the broader Chesapeake Bay area. This new chapter features refreshed branding with bold, Bay-inspired logos, including a striking crab holding a baseball bat and the Maryland flag. Fans can also look forward to an all-new uniform set debuting at the start of the 2025 season.

Commitment to the Community
Greg Baroni, Founder and CEO of Attain Sports and owner of the Chesapeake Baysox, emphasized the team’s dedication to the community: “The Chesapeake Baysox, proudly based in Bowie, Maryland, are dedicated to offering affordable, family-friendly entertainment and outstanding customer service in a welcoming atmosphere for all. Our stadium is more than a venue—it’s a gathering place where the community comes together to experience the excitement of the game, rally behind our players, and celebrate together. We are here for everyone who calls the Chesapeake region home, as well as those who come to experience the beauty and spirit of our area.”

​As the Chesapeake Baysox embark on this exciting new journey, they invite all fans to join them in celebrating the new era of baseball and community engagement.

In an exciting announcement for baseball fans, Minor League Baseball is set to return to Rickwood Field, America's oldest professional ballpark, in 2025. On June 4th, the Birmingham Barons, Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, will host the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in a special tribute to the Negro Leagues.

Rickwood Field, a historic venue that once served as the home of a Negro Leagues franchise, stands as a living monument to the thousands of Birmingham fans and the hundreds of Black baseball pioneers who played there. Among these pioneers are Baseball Hall of Famers such as Satchel Paige, Willie Wells, and Mule Suttles. Willie Mays, who grew up just five miles away from Rickwood Field in Fairfield, Alabama, also began his professional career there, joining the Birmingham Black Barons at the age of 17 in 1948.

Opened in 1910, Rickwood Field was originally home to both the Birmingham Barons and, beginning in 1923, the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American, Negro Southern, and Negro National Leagues. The ballpark remained the Black Barons' home through 1960 and continued to serve the Southern League's Barons until 1987.

In June 2024, Rickwood Field was thrust back into the spotlight during Major League Baseball's Tribute to the Negro Leagues. The event saw the Barons hosting the Montgomery Biscuits in a Minor League Baseball game, while the San Francisco Giants faced the St. Louis Cardinals in a Major League game at the historic venue.

​This upcoming game in 2025 not only celebrates the rich history of Rickwood Field but also honors the legacy of the Negro Leagues and the significant contributions of Black players to the sport of baseball. Fans can look forward to a memorable event that brings together the past and present of America's pastime in one of the sport's most iconic settings.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) is set to introduce the Fair Ball Act, a legislative proposal aimed at providing greater protections for minor league baseball players by revisiting past legislation that excluded them from wage and hour laws. Sources informed ESPN on Wednesday about this impending bill.

Durbin, a passionate advocate for minor league players and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, aims to repeal the exemption granted by the Save America's Pastime Act (SAPA). This act, which was included in a 2018 spending bill, allowed Major League Baseball (MLB) teams to bypass the Fair Labor Standards Act.

If passed, the Fair Ball Act would ensure that minor league players are entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement.

Minor league players unionized with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in September 2022 and negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with MLB by March 2023. This agreement significantly improved salaries and benefits after years of sub-minimum wage compensation.

"Workers deserve a fair playing field everywhere -- including in baseball," Durbin said. "Executives at MLB lobbied Congress hard for federal wage and hour law exemptions to avoid legal liability with the 2018 Save America's Pastime Act. While I commend MLB for recognizing the unionization of Minor League Baseball players in 2022, it is time to roll back SAPA in deference to the gains made by that historic unionization. I'm proud to stand with these workers, unions, and the integrity of the sport. I stand ready to pass the Fair Ball Act into law."

MLB declined to comment when contacted by ESPN.

The treatment of minor league players became a focal point in 2014 with a class-action lawsuit where players argued that MLB teams violated labor laws. In response, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky) introduced SAPA in 2016 to exempt MLB teams from paying minimum wage to players, who often earned as little as $1,000 per month and were only paid during the playing season. Although SAPA did not gain traction in Congress, its provisions were included in a 2018 spending bill.


Following the unionization of minor league players, minimum salaries increased, ranging from $19,800 per year for players at team complexes (up from $4,800) to $35,800 at Triple-A (previously $17,500). MLB later agreed to a $185 million settlement in the class-action lawsuit.

"For generations, minor league players' working conditions were indefensible," MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said. "This indignity was compounded by the perversely named Save America's Pastime Act -- a law that was enacted to save money, not baseball, by depriving minor leaguers of a minimum wage. By narrowing the act so that it applies only when players are protected by a CBA, the Fair Ball Act is a win not just for minor leaguers, but for the institution of collective bargaining as a whole."

​The reduction of more than 40 minor league teams before the 2021 season and past player treatment continue to resonate. The Fair Ball Act, also supported by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), and Peter Welch (D-Vermont), seeks to prevent MLB from using SAPA as leverage in future negotiations after the minor league agreement expires following the 2027 season.

The Hudson Valley Renegades, in a bid to celebrate the core aspects of their home state, have introduced a new alternate identity called the "Big Apples." This exciting unveiling took place at a gala event on Friday morning and marks a significant nod to both the region's rich apple heritage and the iconic Big Apple, New York City.

The Significance of Big Apples
New York state ranks as the second-largest producer of apples in the United States, with the Hudson Valley region being a hub of apple orchards. This new identity, therefore, complements the Renegades' previous local food-themed identity, the Cider Donuts. Additionally, the Big Apples name pays homage to New York City, approximately 100 miles south of the Hudson Valley. The Renegades' affiliation with the Yankees since 2021 further solidifies this connection.

Design and Inspiration
The Renegades will debut their Big Apples uniforms on three occasions in 2025: July 26, August 15, and September 4. These logos and uniforms, designed by San Diego-based Brandiose, feature the primary logo character named Empire. Empire references both New York's nickname and a variety of apples first cultivated in the state. Empire is depicted holding the Statue of Liberty's torch in his left hand and wearing a giant foam finger on his right. The design incorporates a blue and gold color scheme inspired by the New York state flag.

Historical Tie-Ins and Celebration
"We were really intentional about when we wanted the first [Big Apples] game to be," said Vasile. "July 26 coincides with the date in 1788 when New York signed the Constitution and officially became a state. The New York ratifying convention took place in Poughkeepsie at the Dutchess County courthouse, just 25 miles north of the ballpark."

The unveiling event at Heritage Financial Park featured representatives from apple orchards throughout the region. The Renegades also announced the continuation of their partnership with Hudson North Cider, which had previously collaborated with the team on a Cider Donuts-inspired beverage. This partnership will now extend to a special Big Apple cider using apples from New Paltz, a nearby town.

Merchandise and Fan Engagement
Big Apples merchandise is now available both at the ballpark and online. While the Renegades gained notoriety for their scented Cider Donuts merchandise, the Big Apples offerings are currently aroma-free. "We talked about it, but couldn't figure out what we wanted the smell to be," said Vasile. "Apple-scented would probably be too close to what we had with Cider Donuts, and then it's, well, what kind of smell would make it smell like New York?"

​The introduction of the Big Apples identity is a celebration of the Hudson Valley Renegades' local roots and their connection to New York's rich cultural and agricultural heritage. Fans can look forward to seeing the team don their new uniforms in 2025, bringing a fresh and exciting element to the game.