The Triple-A Syracuse Mets announced on Tuesday their plans to drop their current nickname following the 2026 season in favor of one with more local color.
They'll be making their choice by fan vote, and the "Re-Name the Team Community Contest” presented by VisitSyracuse.com is already underway. For the rest of the month of August, fans can submit their original ideas via the team's website, after which they will begin the (also fan-led) process of narrowing down the list, culminating in the official unveiling of the new team identity in fall 2026.
Although rebrands are relatively common in Minor League Baseball, things have stayed pretty consistent in Syracuse since the team's inaugural season in 1934. Until 2018, they had been known as the Chiefs (from 1997 through 2006, they were officially the SkyChiefs, a bit of a "Rays vs. Devil Rays" distinction).
When the Mets purchased the franchise in 2018 with the intent to move their own Triple-A team there in 2019, the team's branding closely mirrored that of the Nationals, with whom it had been affiliated since 2009, necessitating the "Mets" makeover.
The rebrand-by-committee approach is well-loved by Minor League Baseball teams -- it was also the one used by the Mets' Double-A affiliate in Binghamton when they too decided to drop the "Mets" moniker for the 2017 season. (They became the Rumble Ponies.)
But popular as it's been, the outside help for a rebrand has never been trendier than it is right now. Recently, over 40 clubs answered an invitation from John Oliver to have the late-night host and his "Last Week Tonight" writers craft them a new alternate identity; the Erie Seawolves ultimately received the honor and would later suit up as the Moon Mammoths.
That name was, like all the best MiLB nicknames, a reference to a bit of local lore; Syracuse general manager Jason Smorol suggested in the team's announcement that they're in the market for a similar change, noting that many fans "long[ed] for a local connection to their hometown team."
Name change aside, the team does plan to hold onto the blue-and-orange adopted from its parent club, as the affiliation with the Mets runs through at least 2030. Note to prospective voters: Whatever they choose is likely to stick at least until then, so really make this count.