Only in minor league baseball will you find teams called the spicy meatballs, space potatoes and frozen pizzas -- even if only for a few games.
Minor league "alternate identities" are back for another season, bringing with them splashes of color, humor and often outright absurdity.
The New York Mets' double-A affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, became the latest team to join in on the action, unveiling their "Southern Tier Spicy Meatballs" alter ego. The Spicy Meatballs will replace the Rumble Ponies for a three-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in August.
Ayyy that's one Spicy Meatball! 🍝@RumblePoniesBB have a new tasty alternate identity grounded in the Italian roots of a nearby neighborhood: https://t.co/Zw8MccksDM pic.twitter.com/sRwR7UxUNr
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) March 10, 2025
The distinctive identity pays homage to the Italian roots of the region around Binghamton, New York, specifically the village of Endicott.
The Rumble Ponies/Spicy Meatballs won't be the only minor league squad to sport a unique alter ego in 2025. Here are some of the other top part-time looks.
Team: Arkansas Travelers
Alternate identity: Barkansas Dizzys
The Travelers took the chance to honor none other than their ballpark pup, Dizzy, with their alter ego. Dizzy is the dog of Greg Johnston, the team's longtime vice president of stadium operations.
Complete with a logo featuring a starry-eyed Dizzy eagerly holding a ball in his mouth, Barkansas will take the field for six games in June.
Team: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Alternate identity: Wisconsin Frozen Pizzas
Did you know Wisconsin is the frozen pizza capital of the world? Well, if you watch the rebranded Timber Rattlers -- the high-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers -- play a select game on July 12, you soon will.
The first 1,000 fans to enter the gates of Neuroscience Group Field on game day will also receive a pizza oven bobblehead. The inspiration for the concept dates back to 2021, when the team hosted "Frozen Pizza Throwdown" in 2021, showcasing over a dozen brands of frozen pizza native to the Badger State.
Team: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Alternate identity: Jacksonville Honey Drippers
Traditionally the Jumbo Shrimp, the Miami Marlins' Triple-A affiliates will spend two weekends this season as the Jacksonville Honey Drippers.
Honey drippers are a frozen southern summer staple, with the name of the treat tracing its roots back to Jacksonville. Reflecting its summer theme, the Jumbo Shrimp's alter ego comes with a vibrant blue, yellow and pink color palette.
Team: Fresno Grizzlies
Alternate identity: Fresno Tacos
The Tacos are an alternate identity with some serious history -- the Fresno Grizzlies (the Single A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies) have played select games as the Fresno Tacos since 2015. The name pays homage to the franchise's annual taco truck festival, the Taco Truck Throwdown.
California's Central Valley, where Fresno is located, is the birthplace of the taco truck.
Team: Akron RubberDucks
Alternate identity: Akron Cheese Salads
A dish distinctive of Akron, the cheese salad is a side dish that features lettuce, tomato slices and black olives among other ingredients ... as well as, of course, a hearty helping of mozzarella cheese on top.
The RubberDucks -- the Cleveland Guardians' Double-A affiliate -- are celebrating the dish with a one-night stint in the alter ego on July 11.
Team: New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Alternate identity: New Hampshire Space Potatoes
Normally the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Toronto Blue Jays' Double-A affiliate's alternate identity came to be by mixing a pair of local legends into one name.
The potato has been the state vegetable since 2013, and has a deep history in the state. But the space portion? That dates back to an incident in the 1960s, when Granite State residents Barney and Betty Hill claimed to be abducted by aliens.
Team: Winston-Salem Dash
Alternate identity: Winston-Salem Hooch Pooches
It's an alter ego mixing inspiration from stock car racing and prohibition-era bootlegging. On June 20, Winston-Salem's Truist Stadium will become a "bootleggers paradise," as the Hooch Pooches pay homage to an infamous part of Chicago's history (the Dash are a Chicago White Sox affiliate).
Stock car racing traces its origin back to Prohibition, as bootleggers would make modifications to conventional cars that would allow the vehicles to outrun authorities.
Team: Toledo Mud Hens
Alternate identity: Toledo Mud Crawlers
Sticking with the team's existing muddy identity, Toledo will play six games this season as the Mud Crawlers.
The Detroit Tigers' Triple-A affiliate won't stray too far from its bird-oriented roots either with the look -- the alternate identity logo features a duck riding an off-road vehicle through the mud with three fingers in the air.