The Detroit Tigers have company in the mascot department this season.
The Double-A Erie SeaWolves, a Tigers affiliate, announced earlier this week that it will adopt an alternate identity for certain games in 2026 and call themselves the Flagship City Kitties.
The affiliate is adopting the moniker as a celebration of its 25th year as a Tigers affiliate. Erie will wear Flagship City Kitties-branded uniforms for home games on June 11-12 and August 7-8 at UPMC Park.
Why Flagship City Kitties?
It’s purrrfect! 🐅@erie_seawolves have announced the Flagship City Kitties, a new alternate identity celebrating the club’s 25 years as the #Tigers Double-A affiliate: https://t.co/mR6Fv2XSV0 pic.twitter.com/JuCNPDvG2d
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) February 13, 2026
The identity is built to honor two different entities. The mascot, the Kitties, is obviously an ode to Detroit’s mascot, the Tigers. What else do you call a baby tiger?
“Flagship City” is a nod to Erie’s roots. It’s the city’s nickname and a connection to Erie’s nickname and historic role as home to the U.S. Brig Niagara, a replica of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship in the Battle of Lake Erie.
The affiliate has served as a pathway for more than 200 MLB players, including Justin Verlander, Curtis Granderson, Tarik Skubal, Riley Greene, Eugenio Suarez, and Nick Castellanos. Skubal is the reigning two-time American League Cy Young winner, Greene is a two-time All-Star and Verlander, a three-time Cy Young winner, just re-signed with the Tigers this week.
It’s not unusual for minor league teams to create alternate identities as promotional items. The Flagship Kitties identity was created by Dan Simon of Louisville, Ky, who per the SeaWovles is a leader in sports branding that has worked with over 100 teams and created identities for two Super Bowls and nine Baseball Winter Meetings.
The SeaWovles also recently named its coaching staff for the 2026 season, led by third-year manager Tony Cappuccilli.
The rest of the staff includes pitching coach Nick Green, hitting coach Kyle MacKinnon, bench coach Nick Franklin, athletic trainer Bryce Hietpas, assistant athletic trainer Marissa Nebel, strength and conditioning coach Paul Synenkyj, and dietitian Nazirber Maduro.
Both Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark played last season at Double-A Erie. The pair are in Major League spring training as non-roster invitees and if they don’t make the MLB roster they are most likely starting the season at Triple-A Toledo.
The Major League roster is in Lakeland, Fla., for spring training, which started earlier this week when pitchers and catchers reported. Tigers minor league players will head to Lakeland for minor league spring training next month.
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