One of the Red Sox’ minor league affiliates is getting a complete makeover — and they will no longer be the “Red Sox” at all.
Since 2009, the Single-A affiliate for the Boston Red Sox has been known as the Salem Red Sox, based in Virginia. Their future is set to change after the news on Saturday, when the team unveiled it’s new name: the Salem RidgeYaks.
The new-look logo features a dark blue yak head holding a boat oar in its mouth, and a baseball piercing on its right horn. A secondary logo has the yak manning a kayak, including a red life jacket. What connection does a yak have with baseball? Or kayaking? GM Allen Lawrence explains, “In southwestern Virginia there are a lot of outdoor activities, and we wanted to incorporate that, Lawrence told MLB.com. “And then yaks. A yak is a home run [slang term] in baseball, and it’s short for kayak, which are very popular around here. There are no other yaks in baseball, and we really like that, the uniqueness of it.”
Prior to being the Red Sox affiliate, the newly named RidgeYaks were affiliated with the Houston Astros, the Colorado Rockies, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and several other MLB teams throughout its 70-year history.
Along with a new logo, the RidgeYaks will also have a new mascot, Mac the Yak, entertaining the fans at Salem Memorial Ballpark. What’s in a name?
“The most photographed point on the Appalachian Trail is McAfee Knob,” said Lawrence, “So we named the mascot Mac, Mac the Yak.”
Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers are among the notable Boston Red Sox players that at one point played minor-league ball for Salem. Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda and Dave Parker are two other big names that once played there.
The club will officially debut as the Salem RidgeYaks on April 26, 2026.