The Tri-City ValleyCats’ league will change its name next year.
The independent Frontier League announced Wednesday it will rebrand as the National Association of Professional Baseball, starting with the 2027 season.
The Frontier League said the rebranding process began in the fall of 2024 when the board of directors formed a strategic planning committee “to evaluate their current position and future opportunities in the professional baseball structure.”
Though its 18 teams are not affiliated with Major League Baseball franchises, the Frontier League is a “Professional Partner League” of MLB.
“With the tremendous growth over the past five years, highlighted by our expansion into Canada along with the Northeast and Southeast in the United States, our Board felt that it was the appropriate time for a detailed study of both our current role and future opportunities,” league commissioner Steve Tahsler said in the news release. “Working with an outside facilitator, the Strategic Planning Committee determined that we had outgrown the Frontier League brand, and that National Association of Professional Baseball better identified our current structure and future goals.”
The rebranding process is being led by BLDG, a consultancy firm out of Covington, Ky. The league will change its logo to a “NA” monogram, adorned with a signature pennant flag. It will be unveiled during this year’s All-Star Home Run Derby on July 14 in Florence, Ky.
It’s the first name change for the Frontier League, founded in 1993, the longest-running independent baseball organization in North America. The league’s 34-year history, statistics, and records, along with those of the individual teams, will remain.
“I think it reflects the growth and expansion of the league,” ValleyCats vice president and general manager Matt Callahan said. “When the Frontier League started, it was a much smaller footprint. Now with teams in Canada and a team in Mississippi, a team in North Carolina, an East Coast footprint, I think the new name is more representative of the scope of the league and I think it positions us well for continued growth.”
The ValleyCats are entering their sixth season in the Frontier League. They joined the independent league after losing their big-league affiliation with the Houston Astros.
Tri-City opens the regular season May 8 at the New Jersey Jackals. The home opener is May 15 against the Quebec Capitales at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy.
Manager Greg Tagert and players are arriving for spring training this week and will have their first official practice on Thursday night.