The Winston-Salem Dash, High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox in the South Atlantic League, are escalating the war of minor league spiciness with the unveiling of a new alternate identity, the Carolina Reapers. The name is a tribute to the world’s second-spiciest pepper, the Carolina Reaper, second only on the Scoville scale to the reclusive Pepper X.
The alternate identity ups the ante on the mildly spicy Tri-City Chili Peppers, a Virginia-based collegiate summer level team in Coastal Plain League, and the Gastonia Ghost Peppers, an independent team in the Atlantic League named for the world’s eighth-spiciest pepper.
North Carolina is well known for its association with spicy peppers. Pepper breeder Smokin’ Ed Currie of PuckerButt Pepper Company, the creator of the Carolina Reaper, is based in the state. The pepper is roughly 200 times spicier than jalapenos.
“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Smokin’ Ed and PuckerButt Pepper Company to bring the Carolina Reapers to life in 2026,” said Dash President and General Manager Brian DeAngelis. “This brand is spicy, fearless, and distinctly local—the perfect way to connect with our fans while celebrating the creativity and fun that make Minor League Baseball such a unique experience.”
The Dash’s custom Reapers jerseys are meant to represent a Scoville scale that blends from green at the bottom to red at the top. The script “Carolina Reapers” is spelled out in bone-styled lettering against a tombstone. The cap logo features a Grim Reaper with scythe made from the iconic pepper.
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