The outlandish tenor of Minor League Baseball isn’t just fun-loving antics. It’s driven by the economics of the sport.

MiLB teams’ finances differ from MLB teams not only in size but in composition. In particular, minor league teams receive a significantly lower percentage of their revenue from national and regional media deals and major sponsors. They do have some streaming and local broadcast revenue, but it is a relatively small contribution to the overall financial pie. Sponsors tend to be local businesses rather than recognizable and deep-pocketed national brands. On the cost side, affiliated minor league teams’ player and coach payrolls are paid by the MLB parent, and the teams only carry the operating costs. The 87 independent minor league teams don’t get this cost coverage. But in general, the bottom lines of minor league teams are more dependent on ticket sales, merchandise sales, and F&B than the typical MLB team.

Within this financial context, the ever-revolving roster of players and the relatively scant attention paid to standings and playoffs mean that minor league teams need to emphasize local spirit and high entertainment value more than on-the-field performance to generate sales. That makes sense of the wackiness that seems to define minor league baseball. 

Instead of carrying the legacy names of their MLB affiliates, most minor league teams adopt more fun-loving names such as:

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins)

Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros)

Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels)

Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota Twins)

There are two reasons for this. One is to establish a stronger connection with the hyper-local fan base that dominates attendance. A unique name helps connect to local history and identity rather than the borrowed association of another town. It also drives more apparel sales. Whether you’re a nearby fan or a one-time visitor, you’re more likely to want a Rocket City Trash Panda jersey than a Huntsville Angels variation.

This also leads to frequent “temporary rebrands” that give another reason to collect unique merchandise from the local teams. For example, the Solar eclipse in 2024 gave rise to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and the Rochester Red Wings taking the field as the Space Pigs and Moon Rocs for a three-game series in their take on this successful technique for driving incremental purchases..

With a larger percentage of revenues coming from in-stadium sales, teams highlight unusual or namesake food offerings that make for must-try items. That’s why the Chicago Dogs offer a 3-foot-long hot dog as part of their menu, and the "Taco Truck Throwdown" has been a seasonal highlight of the Fresno Grizzlies since 2011. The "Litter Box Sundae" (Omaha Storm Chasers), the "Spicy Chicken Donut Sandwich" (Hartford Yard Goats), and the "Sweet Pig Burger" (Lehigh Valley IronPigs) typify local over-the-top signature items.

Many minor leagues began to offer curbside food pick-up to survive the COVID shutdown. Many continued the service post-COVID as an alternate way to drive food revenue outside the ballpark. Teams like the Charleston RiverDogs even started a team food truck that travels around town and can be booked for events. Making the food one of the star attractions helps drive F&B revenue. 

Minor League teams are known for the constant promotional activities going on between innings during the game. That’s because, without the celebrity of famous players or the prospect of a World Series run, teams must rely on a great game experience to attract fans. A parade of theme nights, giveaways, and quirky stunts helps create a memorable outing that’s not as dependent on the outcome on the field. As a testament to that dynamic, the very same Lehigh Valley IronPigs mentioned above led the MiLB in home attendance in 2024 with 588,788 fans despite a 68-78 record.

“Big-time” sports tend to eschew some of these tactics as unbecoming of elite professional athletics. But OKC built an impressive following for the Thunder based on embracing a small-town mentality. The focus on driving fan identification and embracing the fun inherent in sports should not be lost on franchises at any level.