After 13 years under the “RailRiders” nickname, the New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate that calls the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area home will take the field next name under a brand-new moniker.
The RailRiders will undergo a rebrand ahead of the 2027 season, according to a press release issued by the team on Tuesday morning.
The full brand unveiling is expected to be rolled out in November, according to the release.
This rebrand will include a new name and a new look, according to the release, that will celebrate the region’s beauty, heritage, and outdoor legacy while strengthening the connection between the club, its community, and one of the most iconic franchises in professional sports.
”This rebrand is about building an identity that our community can rally around for generations to come,” Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team president and general manager Shawn Reilly said. “As we looked toward the future of baseball in NEPA, we saw an opportunity to create something that is deeply rooted in this region while honoring the incredible tradition of baseball that has defined this franchise for decades.
“We’re excited to share what’s next with our fans.”
The “RailRiders” nickname was coined starting in the 2013 season after a fan vote to choose a new name.
When the Yankees first purchased the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate starting in the 2007 season, the team was simply known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
Triple-A baseball first landed in the region in 1989 with the birth of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 2027 season for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will begin on March 26, and the team’s home opener will be held on April 6.
The RailRiders currently are in the hunt for a second-half title in the International League, entering the week with a half-game lead on the Worcester Red Sox.
LEHIGH VALLEY 5, RAILRIDERS 4
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lost a walk-off to the IronPigs at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown on Tuesday night. Lehigh Valley scored three in the bottom of the ninth to take the series opener.
The RailRiders took a 1-0 lead three batters in against IronPigs starter Chuck King. Anthony Volpe and Jasson Domínguez reached on singles, and a bunt single from Max Schuemann staked SWB starter Alexander Cornielle to the early edge.
Former RailRider Payton Henry hit a game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the third, his fifth of the year, four of which were hit with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre over 48 games in the first three months of the season.
Oswaldo Cabrera’s two-run, 401-foot blast in the top of the fourth recaptured the lead. It was the utility man’s 13th of the season, giving him 51 RBI.
Cornielle allowed one run on five hits over five innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The IronPigs narrowed the lead to 3-2 in the sixth with an RBI-double by Carter Kieboom. The RailRiders immediately answered again in the seventh when a Domínguez single plated Yanquiel Fernández for a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Kieboom walked, and Henry was hit by a pitch. Both were replaced by pinch runners. Keaton Anthony’s single drove in Robert Moore to draw the IronPigs within one. A double from Gabriel Rincones Jr. scored Steward Berroa from third to tie the game and pinch runner Felix Reyes from first for the walk-off win.
Eric Reyzelman (1-2) was tagged with the blown save and the loss while Max Lazar (4-1) garnered the win.
Game two of the set is slated for 6:45 p.m. Wednesday. Yankees’ No. 21 prospect Xavier Rivas will make his Triple-A debut for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Lehigh Valley and right-hander Drake Fellows.
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