On April 10, the Boston Red Sox Single-A affiliate Salem Red Sox announced they will undergo a rebrand before the 2026 season.
The rebrand hasn't officially been announced, but we know they will stay in Salem, VA, and continue their affiliation with the Red Sox. The press release published by the club states that the team will debut a new name, logos and uniforms on Opening Day, 2026.
The Salem Red Sox have not given much detail yet other than the rebrand taking place in 2026. It's long overdue, though. Boston already has the Worcester Red Sox as their Triple-A team. Having two minor league teams simply having the Major League nickname is all types of boring. Frankly, no minor league team should be named directly after a big league club.
The minor leagues are wacky. They have crazy promotions and weekends where they don special uniforms and change the team name. On Thursdays, Salem becomes the "Beermongers," and Worcester becomes the "Whoopie Pies," sometimes. The Sea Dogs also just announced a new, incredible alternate identity, the Candlepins.
Red Sox Single-A affiliate Salem Red Sox announce rebrand for the 2026 season
Salem Red Sox to Undergo Exciting Rebrand Ahead of the 2026 Season!
— The Salem Red Sox (@salemredsox) April 10, 2025
More information: https://t.co/ACNUAXaVVA pic.twitter.com/d3xuQs8XNT
In Reading (Philadelphia Phillies Double-A affiliate), they have a Crazy Hot Dog vendor who runs out onto the field in the middle of the second inning riding a fake ostrich. He whips hotdogs into the crowd.
MiLB is inherently more silly than MLB. There's a simple reason for that: to get fans involved. The three biggest selling points are a cheaper experience, top prospects, and random, silly fun.
Top prospects aren't always guaranteed, and a cheaper experience is sometimes barely cheaper. The one that is the most reliable is the silliness. Every minor league team has gimmicks, and they're a good way for them to sell merch and maybe make the experience a bit less expensive, and therefore more accessible.
Having a shirt that says "Salem Red Sox" with essentially Boston's logo isn't going to get fans excited to buy merch or attend games (yes, I genuinely think the wackiness of a team name in the minor leagues helps with attendance the slightest bit.) Here's hoping Salem has fun with it and embraces the wackiness that is MiLB during this rebrand.