MOOSIC — Paying homage to the area’s historic past, picturesque settings and recreational amenities, team officials announced the Highlanders as the new name of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre baseball franchise Saturday afternoon.
Featuring a bear mascot with a baseball bat, backpack and hiking boots, the team’s new primary colors are light blue, navy blue and white, with a touch of green. The home jersey also includes the traditional New York Yankees pinstripes.
The SWB Highlanders name carries a dual meaning rooted in both place and baseball history. It reflects the NEPA terrain, where PNC Field sits surrounded by wooded hills, trails and the natural beauty that shapes life in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, while also honoring the earliest identity in Yankees history. The New York Highlanders played at Hilltop Park in Manhattan’s Washington Heights from 1903 to 1912 before the franchise adopted the Yankees moniker. Just as the Highlanders became the Yankees more than a century ago, today’s SWB Highlanders are becoming tomorrow’s Bronx Bombers.
In August, officials outlined plans to rebrand the team’s identity, bringing a new nickname, color scheme and approach to Montage Mountain, stating the new name will “celebrate the region’s beauty, heritage, and outdoor legacy.”
Saturday’s unveiling coincided with a Fall Festival held from 1 to 6 p.m. at PNC Field featuring food trucks, live music, a petting zoo, hayrides, guest mascots, the last RailRiders team poster giveaway and a drone show.
Fans walk toward PNC Field for the reveal of the RailRiders new team name. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Fans also had an opportunity to purchase $5 and $10 tickets for next season’s home opener against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, set for April 6, to get a first glimpse of the new team.
Before the big announcement, fans packed the front gate area as the Jase Mathews Band played country tunes outside the stadium and children frolicked in the outfield grass, picking up pumpkins.
The franchise started as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in 1989 and served as the Triple-A affiliate for the Phillies until the end of the 2006 season. From the 2007 season to the present, the franchise has been the top affiliate of the New York Yankees.
The team name originally changed to the Yankees in December 2006 before switching to the RailRiders in November 2012. Following a seasonlong renovation of PNC Field, team officials held a “Name the Team” contest where area fans participated in an online vote that included a handful of proposed names. The RailRiders won, outdistancing other suggestions like the Porcupines, Black Diamond Bears and Trolley Frogs.
In 2016, the RailRiders won the International League title and Triple-A National Championship.
Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, a five-time World Series champion with the Yankees, and Alex Rodriguez, who slugged 696 home runs during his major league career, previously donned RailRiders pinstripes, and current Yankees All-Stars Aaron Judge and Cam Schlittler also spent time in Moosic.
Fans gather in Adirondack chairs outside PNC Field awaiting the reveal of the RailRiders new team name. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
RailRiders mascot Champ stops for a photo at The Big Reveal at PNC Field on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. For the first time in 12 years, the RailRiders are adopting a new name. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
The Jase Mathews Band performs at The Big Reveal event to announce the new name of the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
The new mascot of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders. (Courtesy Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders)
The new home jersey of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders. (Courtesy Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders)
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Fans gather in Adirondack chairs outside PNC Field awaiting the reveal of the RailRiders new team name. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)