Welcome back guys and thanks for joining us again for another edition of our Team Logo Power Rankings! We have been promoted once again. Took some hard work, determination, blood, sweat and tears, but we did it. We got the call. Double-A folks. Or is it Double-AA? Very strange to think about, and my brain is melting a bit, but here we go!
This is our first power rankings blog we’ve done since our High-A Logos Draft that we did with the guys from Baseball And Whatever and Paul Caputo. We took all 30 logos from the High-A League and all chose our 4 man roster. It was an absolute blast! If you haven’t checked that out yet, you definitely should. Go give it a listen on Spotify!
This week we head to the Northeast region of AA, with a 12 team circuit of honestly, some of the best logos we have seen thus far.
This week, we had 5 guys on the rankings. Sean, Manny, Chris, Alex and 1 sort of… guest? This week we have big news we wanted to share, and that being that Mr. Paul Caputo, MiLB Correspondent for SportsLogos.Net (Twitter @Count2Baseball) and the author of The Story Behind the Nickname: The Origins of 100 Classic, Contemporary, and Wacky Minor League Baseball Team Names somehow enjoyed his time on the High-A West Power Rankings and Draft enough that he will now be a weekly contributor to our Team Logo Power Rankings, as well as subsequent drafts! We are truly honored to have such a passionaite and knowledgable guy such as Paul with us on a regular basis to talk logos. We’re excited to continue learning from him and his experiences. Go check out his work, check out his social media accounts, and show him some love!
As usual, if you’re a regular reader of the blog, keep scrolling. We don’t want to drag you through all the scoring and category nonsense again. If you’re a first-time reader of either the blog or the Logo Power Rankings specifically, (THANK YOU for checking us out!), but check these blogs out now before reading on. It’ll definitely help you get a sense of how we do things!
As a reminder, we’re pulling our logos from this MiLB article series as our reference – the ones you see below 👇
Without Further Ado…
Double-A Northeast League Power Rankings
#12 NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS
Sean
“We all know how I feel about letter logos. The structure of this one reminds me of the Hudson Valley Renegades. Two letters and the tail of the animal representative. Colors aren’t bad, but from what I read, fisher cats are pretty fierce, so intimidation is high on this one.”
Manny
“Eh. Patriotic colors, but I’m trying to find some other redeeming quality.”
Cv9
“Great name but a letter logo is never what I like to see. With a such a unique name as the Fisher Cats they have so much room for a cool logo, but I guess this is probably the only interesting thing in the state of New Hampshire.”
Scoop
“Really love this logo. Takes letter logos to the next level, but I will die on the hill that they’re still not enough.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“Fisher cats are not cats and they don’t eat fish, but they are nasty little animals that live in New England that you would not want to encounter in a dark alley. They’ve had a bunch of different color schemes over the years, settling on a not-uncommon red and blue now. (Of note: They were almost called the New Hampshire Primaries with an Uncle Sam logo, which would have been great, but they changed direction at the last second because of public pushback.)”
#11 BOWIE BAYSOX
Sean
“Orioles bias aside, it’s a letter logo. They definitely jazzed it up with some eye popping colors, so I’ll give them that. The baysox name references the Chesapeake bay and I guess adding the Sox portion gave it more of a traditional baseball feel. I don’t love it, don’t hate it.”
Manny
“The colors are nice but it’s a letter logo and they will always be bottom tier in my eyes.”
CV9
“Better than the average letter logo but as I have stated and will forever state I HATE LETTER LOGOS. Cool colors with all hatred aside.”
Scoop
“Orange and blue is my favorite color scheme, and this makes me not hate letter logos as much. Kudos Bowie.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“The teal connects to the nearby bay, and the black and orange connect to the parent club in Baltimore. It’s a pretty straightforward text-based logo that is not bad, though it looks a little to me like it could be for a toothpaste as much as it could be for a baseball team.”
#10 HARRISBURG SENATORS
Sean
“American flag theme? Awesome. Tan outline with the red, white, and blue? Awesome. Letter logo? Not so great BUT the flag and baseball is giving this extra “umph” for me. Love the connection to Harrisburg being a location of government and Pennsylvania’s senators. Overall, solid letter logo.”
Manny
“Letter logo. Bleh. Cool letter logo, however I would incorporate the fact that they have a life-sized bobblehead museum into the logo somehow.”
cv9
“This logo is just so average it hurts negative points for the letter base plus points for America.”
Scoop
“Letter logos + America = Still bare minimum. Hard pass.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania, so the Senators nickname works. They’re an affiliate of the Nationals, so a patriotic color scheme is appropriate. In my mind, it loses points for uniqueness, and the intimidation factor does not really come into play.”
#9 SOMERSET PATRIOTS
Sean
“The classic New Jersey logo. As kids growing up in central NJ, we saw this everywhere and since I was maybe 10, going to Patriots games in the summer was always a fun time. The Patriot face looking right at you with shadowy eyes is absolutely perfect, I loved the history that went along with the team, and it’s pretty unique to the group we got going here. Call me Jersey biased, but I’ll take the Patriots logo here over many of the others.”
Manny
“The patriot is pretty intimidating as it stares into your soul and begs you to throw a hanging curveball so he can deposit it onto the NJ Transit tracks behind the stadium. Growing up in NJ, this logo and summer trips to the stadium were a whole mood. Glad to see the Patriots are in AA ball now.”
CV9
“Now I may have some or a lot of bias on this one being that its so local to me and ive been to and have played at their stadium numerous times, I think this logo gives a classic feel for a team thats only in its first year out of indy ball. Ive always liked their Patriot head logo makes me feel as if Paul Bunyan was their ace.”
Scoop
“Great logo, but I loved the old ones from their Independent League days.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“The first American flag was unfurled at the Middlebrook Encampment in the Patriots’ home in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, so the team can certainly claim the nickname—even if it has already been used by a certain NFL team of note. The colonial-era figure is imposing, and the patriotic color scheme is appropriate.”
#8 PORTLAND SEADOGS
Sean
“Simple, yet extremely effective. It’s almost as if the Seadog, Slugger, knows I hate letter logos, so he smashed right through the letter P and chomped on the nearest bat to announce he’s not here to mess around.”
Manny
“This is super cartoonish and I love everything about it. The angry eyes, the way it’s holding the bat in its mouth just waiting for it’s turn to go mash balls. Would have imagined this team was the SF Giants affiliate but the Red Sox also make sense.”
CV9
“The Sea Dog inside the P is a great way to take the stress off of the letter. Good name, Logo could use some new additions or touch ups.”
Scoop
“That seal dog looks like he hates it here. Me too buddy. Do better.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“This logo stands out stylistically in the minor league logo landscape simply because it was created by a guy (ha!) who has not done much work in the field—cartoonist Guy Gilchrest (of Nancy & Sluggo fame), who also created the New Britain Rock Cats logo, is responsible for the Seadogs look, which is a seal with Chicago Bulls eyes and a bat in his mouth like the San Jose Shark logo (intentional choices by the designer). The original version was in teal because they started as a Marlins affiliate, and they switched to Red Sox red and blue when they switched parent clubs a decade into their existence. It’s a quarter-century old now, but it still stands up—one of my favorite minor league logos.”
#7 READING FIGHTIN PHILS
Sean
“Honestly, love this logo. It goes perfectly with the team name, the fist punching the air is PHenomenal (see what I did there?), and the red, white, and blue theme connects to Philly’s history as a city of independence.”
Manny
“It’s a cool fist but it’s still the letter F.”
cv9
“Another great touch to the plain letter logo with the fist coming out of the F. gives me an alphabetized Chuck Norris feel.”
Scoop
“F looking to catch me with a right hook. Forget this one.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“This brand is based on an ostrich because they have a hot dog vendor who dresses like an ostrich at games, but the name is a tie to a nickname that fans use for their nearby parent club in Philadelphia. I normally object to teams being named for their parent club, but the Fightin Phils have the longest uninterrupted relationship with a parent club in all of the minors, so I’m okay with it here, especially since it’s not an exact match. More red and blue, which we see a lot, this time because it relates to the parent club.”
#6 ERIE SEAWOLVES
Sean
“I never saw Lake Erie as a place for piracy, but they pay tribute to their former affiliate well, and the wolf looks like a guy you probably shouldn’t trust. He doesn’t look mean enough to say he’s truly threatening, but that smirk says he’s up to no good.”
Manny
“The Pittsburgh Pirates arch nemesis: the one eyed sea wolf. In a division overpowered with letter logos and patriotic logos, this is one that stands out amongst the others.”
Cv9
“It looks as if Jack Sparrow was over thrown by a pack of wolves. Sick.”
Scoop
“This one falls kinda flat for me. A pirate wolf has never looked so soft.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“They’re named the SeaWolves, though if they were being more geographically honest, they’d be the LakeWolves. The term Sea Wolf is slang for a pirate, which was appropriate when the team was founded because they were a Pittsburgh farm team. They’ve gone away from Pirates yellow and toward red in recent years after an affiliate change. It’s a pretty bad-ass logo (created by Dan Simon, whose work you know I like), and they’ve made the brand work even though the origin stories for the nickname and look no longer really apply.”
#5 ALTOONA CURVE
Sean
“I always thought the Altoona Curve was just based on the curveball. I had no idea that it was rooted in both the pitch and a historic railroad track curve in the Allegheny Mountains. I love it. The colors could be better, but it’s for sure unique. I would say the conductor is intimidating, but as angry as he seems, he also seems extremely satisfied.”
Manny
“The colors are eh but it’s intimidating for sure. Also has some Quagmire or Joe Swanson vibes in there.”
CV9
“With a name like curve theirs many baseball related ways they could go and they choose a logo with a guy who looks like a train conductor. Not a personal favorite.”
Scoop
“Love the swole train conductor in the logo… kinda like Sir Topham Hat started lifting.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“This team is named for the famous hairpin turn in the mountains near Altoona—a historic feat of engineering that is still a marvel today. There are a lot of railroad-themed teams, but this one has a special connection to the local area, and their engineer logo has that trademark Brandiose grimace (see the Rubberducks, Curve, Yard Goats, and Flying Squirrels).”
#4 RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS
Sean
“Unfortunately, MiLB.com decided to showcase the squirrel head logo as opposed to the one where the squirrel is actually flying. Mistake on your part, MiLB, because that thing is awesome. This one isn’t terrible, but it looks more like a little mouse. Colors are solid, but I’d like to see a little more white here.”
Manny
“I LOVE SQUIRRELS. So for me this logo is a home run. I wish there was more of the body of the squirrel incorporated in but for what it represents and its colors, it’s dope and I fully back it.”
cv9
“Probably one of my favorite names in all of sports. Logo could be better with some modernization. I think with it just being the head, its bland. Especially with the color scheme, I know they have other logos with the squirrel taking flight but even those lack in color and definition. If you guys are looking for a new logo design hit me up!”
Scoop
“Flying squirrels are badass and this logo pays its dues and then some. Great job Richmond.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“I like this logo a lot, though I have to say that I lived in Richmond for a decade and I don’t remember flying squirrels being a big part of the local habitat or a significant part of the culture. That said, the black and red superhero-style Nutzy character is one of the early examples of this sort of fun, wacky minor league logo culture that we have now, and I am a fan!”
#3 HARTFORD YARD GOATS
Sean
“This goat may be the GOAT of these power rankings when it’s all said and done. Love the colors which pay tribute to the NHL’s former Hartford Whalers. The gray, dark blue and tan with a touch of Whaler green? Nothing better. Oh, and the yard goats aren’t even representative of ACTUAL goats, but instead, a reference to a locomotive switcher within Hartfords long history as a railroading town.”
Manny
“Don’t bring this guy around Wrigley field. No but seriously goats are notorious for gnawing on things so the fact that this goat is gnawing on a baseball bat is comical yet also scary.”
CV9
“I dont know about the rest of the guys here at The Three Spot and “the Legendary Paul Caputo” but I’m all here for a goat logo. Great colors with this logo and adding the chewed bat is a an awesome bonus.”
Scoop
“This logo is the G.O.A.T. No pun intended.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“This logo is the poster child for one that seemed goofy and random at first, then brilliant once you understand the back story. Yard goats is a term used in the railroad industry (which put the city of Hartford on the map) for locomotive switchers at rail yards. The colors come directly from the city’s long lost but still beloved hockey team, the Whalers. The Yard Goats took the title when I did a logo bracket on Twitter last year in a field of 160 teams.”
#2 BINGHAMTON RUMBLE PONIES
Sean
“This pony is fierce. To me it’s a cross between a regular kids carousel pony and a horse from Medievel Times. I love it. Tons of geography points for Binghamton being the Carousel capital of the world and the team embracing that. It’s a lean, mean… carousel machine!”
Manny
“This division is LOADED with patriotism so why not start it off with the Mercedes Benz of war machines. The horse. The original Jeep and Tank. The logo itself is fierce and angry, the eyes are menacing, the MASSIVE leg muscles.”
CV9
“Intense logo with a top tier name. I really like the uniqueness of the name “Rumble Ponies”. Gives off carnival carousel vibes. Well put together.”
Scoop
“First off, WHAT A FUCKING NAME. Shoutout Rainbow Dash and all the MLP homies. They would kill it with a crossover uni.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“Perhaps my favorite connection to the geographic area, the Rumble Ponies get their name from Binghamton being the “Carousel Capital of the World.” The logo is a lot more menacing than you might assume with a brand based on carousel horses—I love the blue and red, and there’s no question this is unique.”
#1 AKRON RUBBERDUCKS
Sean
“I didn’t want to do it. But I did it. This logo is honestly perfect. The colors pop like balloons on a hot ass day, the connection to Akron once being the rubber capital of the world and the ducks that swim around Canal Park, the perfect amount of intimidation in the face of the duck as it doesn’t try to go overboard and it isn’t cute and cuddly, plus it’s for sure as unique a logo we’ve seen in all of our weeks doing this. It’s perfect for me.”
Manny
“Out of the 12 teams in this division THIS IS THE LOGO. The assignment is understood fully. The colors, the catch phrases, everything. Their alter ego is the freaking perros calientes for crying out loud.”
cv9
“The modernization on this logo is great with the new aged detailing on the rubber duck along with some great coloration. Probaly my personal favorite from this Power Ranking.”
Scoop
“Rubber duckie, you’re the one… you make baseball lots of fun.”
PAUL CAPUTO
“Named for the preponderance of the tire industry in the region, I love this one. It could have been goofy with a name like Rubberducks, but the grimacing tire track duck face logo is a lot more intimidating than the name itself. Great colors, great connection to the local community, and definitely unique.”
Complete Rankings
- Akron Rubberducks
- Binghamton Rumble Ponies
- Hartford Yard Goats
- Richmond Flying Squirrels
- Altoona Curve
- Erie Seawolves
- Reading Fightin Phils
- Portland Seadogs
- Somerset Patriots
- Harrisburg Senators
- Bowie Baysox
- New Hampshire Fisher Cats
The Three Spot 