Potential Syracuse team logos Potential Syracuse team logos (Charlie Miller/Charlie Miller with AI)
The Syracuse Mets today announced they’re looking for a new name, and they’re asking for the public’s help. Naturally, the chatty syracuse.com newsroom buzzed all morning with ideas that ranged from terrible to very terrible.
“No suggestion is a bad suggestion, so get creative!” the Mets said in a press release.
Challenge accepted.
The Syracuse Salt Potatoes, everyone agreed, would be the clear frontrunner for the team’s new name. But at this point, isn’t that almost too obvious? Here’s our chance to show the world how salty and unhinged we are.
In our downtown office today, a dozen reporters shouted name ideas at an unfortunate editor who didn’t bring her noise-canceling headphones. One had the bright idea to feed those names into an AI image generator.
Here are their worst pitches.
The Syracuse Air Conditioners
Potential Syracuse team logo Syracuse Air Conditioners (Charlie Miller with AI) (Charlie Miller/Charlie Miller with AI)
The mascot would be a sweaty air conditioner. Perfect for the summer baseball season.
“My grandpa worked for Carrier,” said reporter Vince Gasparini.
This name would honor that point in Syracuse history when everyone’s grandpa worked for Carrier.
In keeping with Syracuse city tradition (looking at you, Carrier Dome), nowhere at the stadium would actually have air conditioning.
The Syracuse Cranes
Cranes are popping up all around the city and all along I-81, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
“We have so much construction here now,” said reporter Jon Moss.
“If we’re doing that, we should consider The Syracuse Roundabouts,” said reporter Don Cazentre.
The Syracuse SADs
As many of us here know, SAD stands for “seasonal affective disorder.”
“It seems to be our general condition, right?” said reporter Steve Featherstone. “It creeps up on you. After nine innings, we’ll just upset the opponent into submission.”
The mascot would be a prescription bottle in a dark room.
The Syracuse Low Bridges
Potential Syracuse team logo Syracuse Low Bridges (Charlie Miller with AI) (Charlie Miller/Charlie Miller with AI)
Our strongest, mightiest arch, the Onondaga Lake Parkway Bridge, is always worth a shoutout, but how fortunate we are in Syracuse to have not one, but two undefeated low bridges.
Instead of a kiss cam, imagine a stadium livestream of trucks hitting the bridge.
The Syracuse Snow Crabs (or Crabbers)
An animal mascot? Check. A reference to the default attitude of the majority of Central New York? Check.
“The bonus is you can have alternate uniforms, one featuring the tasty crab treat slathered in butter and the other with an angry snow shoveler,” said reporter Chris Carlson.
Carlson was undeterred when another reporter pointed out that Syracuse is landlocked and there are no crabs here.
The Syracuse Slush
Potential Syracuse team logo The Syracuse Slush (Charlie Miller with AI) (Charlie Miller/Charlie Miller with AI)
“We’re a snowy city,” said reporter Anne Hayes. “We’re covered with slush for half the year. And the alliteration is key.”
The mascot would be a pile of dirty slush with a cute face on it.
The Syracuse Shamrocks
“A nod to Syracuse’s huge Irish population,” said news reporter Jon Moss.
And the baseball season could start way earlier, maybe around parade season or Green Beer Sunday.
The Syracuse Sky Potatoes
Potential Syracuse team logo Syracuse Sky Potatoes (Charlie Miller with AI) (Charlie Miller/Charlie Miller with AI)
Here’s a fair compromise between the longtime Syracuse SkyChiefs and the running favorite, the Syracuse Salt Potatoes.
“At the games, they could use the potato launchers,” Vince Gasparini said. “And launch potatoes into the sky, into the crowd.”
“That sounds dangerous,” Anne Hayes said.
The mascot would be a confident salt potato, maybe with wings.
The Syracuse Potholes
Not to be confused with potatoes, though autocorrect plays a factor.
“The Syracuse Potholes will be a dangerous obstacle for any opponent looking to win the pennant,” said sports reporter Chris Carlson.
The group struggled with how to put a face on a pothole.
The Syracuse Stoplights
Potential Syracuse team logo Syracuse Green-On-Top Traffic Lights (Charlie Miller with AI) (Charlie Miller/Charlie Miller with AI)
Here, we honor Tipperary Hill’s famous upside-down traffic light, but did you know the country’s first traffic light was also manufactured here in Syracuse?
Crouse Hinds Company built the traffic light that was installed in Texas in 1921. The Salt City got its first traffic light three years later on the corner of State and James streets.
The Syracuse Stonecrushers
Here’s a nice shoutout for Jamesville Quarry and Split Rock Quarry.
The Syracuse Stonecrushers are both ferocious in name, and potent in local haunted lore.
The mascot would be a large, angry pile of rocks dotted with old pieces of machinery.
The Syracuse Half Moons
Potential Syracuse team logo The Syracuse Half-Moons (Charlie Miller with AI) (Charlie Miller/Charlie Miller with AI)
This name could coincide nicely with the arrival of Holland Farms Bakery & Deli opening its a second location in the village of Manlius, bringing their famous half moons to the area.
“A delicious reference to the famous Central New York cookie,” said Anne Hayes.
“Although half moons are actually from Utica,” countered Donna Ditota.
“They can have it when they get a Triple-A baseball team,” concluded Vince Gasparini.
The Syracuse Salt Boilers
Our salty history is powerful.
The “Syracuse Salt Miners” were an early contender, but reporter Steve Featherstone explained how we actually boiled their way to becoming one of the nation’s top salt producers.
Using the natural salt springs mainly located on the southern end of Onondaga Lake, early Syracuse pioneers processed the salty brine wither through solar evaporation and boiling.
Doesn’t make for a great mascot though.
Maybe it’s just a guy holding a pot.
The Syracuse Dentist Chairs
In 1840, Milton Waldo Hanchett of Syracuse patented the “reclining chair” that served as a prototype for the modern dental chair.
“It’s perhaps our least-known invention, but people hate going to the dentist,” said Katrina Tulloch. “So there’s high potential for opponent intimidation.”
The Syracuse Identity Crisis
Potential Syracuse team logo Syracuse Identity Crisis (Charlie Miller with AI) (Charlie Miller/Charlie Miller with AI)
The Syracuse Mets went through a variety of identities over the years, including the Syracuse Chiefs, Syracuse SkyChiefs and the Syracuse Stars.
The team has also had several temporary nicknames like the Syracuse Shot Clocks, Congueros de Syracuse, and the Syracuse Salt Potatoes.
“They can’t come up with a team name and stick to it,” said reporter Charlie Miller. “They come up with one, change it, come up with something else, and then go back to the old one before changing it yet again. What are we?”
But, to be fair, we all could not decide on one either. Other ideas worth never discussing again included the Syracuse Roundabouts, the Syracuse Aquariums, the Syracuse Tax Breaks, the Syracuse Dead Malls, and the Syracuse Nosepickers.
Mr. Smorol, we feel your pain.
Send us your favorite name ideas and we’ll pass them along to our friends at the Mets: ktulloch@syracuse.com.
Submissions for a new name will be accepted now through Aug. 31 on the Syracuse Mets website. Fans will be able to vote on the top 5 finalists Sept. 14-30.
The winning name will be announced in the fall of 2026.