The Triple-A Worcester Red Sox—or WooSox, to friends—will wear three alternate identities in 2026, each paying tribute to a different aspect of the team’s heritage, including one brand that throws back to the team’s previous hometown.
The Art of the Woo
The Art of the Woo celebrates not just the Worcester Art Museum, which opened in 1898 and houses nearly 40,000 works of art, but also a dynamic public art scene, which includes murals, statues, and 37 utility boxes painted by local artists.
“Worcester’s art scene is a key part of this proud city’s culture,” said WooSox President Dr. Charles A. Steinberg in a statement. “The Worcester Art Museum is recognized nationally as a treasure, and the city splashes beauty on the sides of buildings in a colorful, endearing manner. Art is part of the fabric of Worcester.”
The Kelley Squares
The WooSox aren’t the first team to poke fun at local traffic patterns, but they may be the first to dance on the grave of a traffic headache that their own ballpark helped alleviate—Kelley Square underwent a $240 million improvement as part of the construction of the team’s ballpark.
“The Commonwealth of Massachusetts redesigned Kelley Square as part of the creation of Polar Park, a move widely applauded by Worcester’s drivers,” Steinberg said. “The previous intersection was so harrowing that people wore t-shirts saying, ‘I survived Kelley Square.’ Our art has tried to capture that emotion.”
Pawtucket Hot Wieners
The WooSox have paid tribute to their previous hometown, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, with alternate marks since 2022. This year they’ll play as the Pawtucket Hot Wieners, an alternate identity that features a unique style of hot dog, which debuted at the PawSox’s McCoy Stadium in 2018.
“We are eager to continue being supportive of our Pawtucket heritage,” Steinberg said. “Our fans in Rhode Island have been faithful to the team after its move to Worcester, and we want to show them that they remain part of our family.
The WooSox, an affiliate of the nearby Boston Red Sox in the International League, will begin their 2026 campaign March 27.
