Salem Red Sox rebrand as RidgeYaks in tribute to Blue Ridge Mountains, kayaks

The dwindling number of affiliate Minor League Baseball teams named for their parent club took another hit this week. The Salem Red Sox, Single-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in the Carolina League, announced that they will rebrand as the Salem RidgeYaks for the 2026 season and beyond.

The nickname is not an homage to the preponderance of yaks in western Virginia—yaks are native to high-altitude regions of the Himalayas and Tibetan plateaus, so not so much in Virginia. Instead, the nickname is a multi-layered tribute to the region where the team plays.

To start, Salem Memorial Ballpark, the team’s home since 1995, is situated in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains—hence the “Ridge” part of the compound name.

But why yaks? First, it’s symbolic: “The yak personifies the strength, resilience, and hardworking spirit found both in our players and throughout the agricultural roots of Southwest Virginia,” the team said in a statement.

And second, it’s a nickname for a popular mode of waterway transportation: “The kayak, also known as a ‘yak,’ pays tribute to the popularity of outdoor recreation and the waterways throughout the region.”

The suite of logos, created by Collegiate Licensing Company, has a handful of design elements that add meaning. The yak’s hairline (furline?) is meant to evoke the Blue Ridge Mountains (and maybe the Himalayas?), and a custom font is inspired by blazes found along the nearby Appalachian Trail.

The colour choices are drawn from the natural environment (blue for the Blue Ridge and the waterways), the team’s relationship with their hometown (gold from the City of Salem’s Seal), as well as red for the team’s longstanding relationship with their parent club, the Boston Red Sox.

With this announcement, the number of affiliated Minor League Baseball teams named for their parent clubs will drop to just eight out of 120. The remaining holdouts include five teams at Single-A (Dunedin Blue Jays, Palm Beach Cardinals, St. Lucie Mets, and San Jose Giants), one each at High A and Double-A (South Bend Cubs and Springfield Cardinals, respectively), and two at Triple-A (Iowa Cubs and Worcester Red Sox).

The RidgeYaks will make their debut, led by new mascot Mac the Yak, on April 2, 2026.