MOOSIC — Tasked with establishing a new name for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Triple-A baseball franchise, President and General Manager Shawn Reilly knew it had to embody the pride of the region and rich tradition of the New York Yankees.
During a Fall Festival at PNC Field on Saturday afternoon featuring food trucks, live music, a petting zoo, hayrides, guest mascots, the last RailRiders team poster giveaway and a drone show, team officials announced the Highlanders as the new identity of the team. 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, while inside, children frolicked in the outfield grass, picking up pumpkins.
Reilly noted a bunch of names were tossed around before officials landed on the one that made the most sense.
“It’s something that really represented the pride of the area and also the pride of being part of the Yankees’ storied history,” he said. “Minor league baseball, right now, is kind of trending to have crazy names but being part of the Yankees there is a prestige, and we need something that really shows the pride.
“I know when I moved here, a lot of people said they didn’t really like the name, it didn’t really connect with the community. I think this name really captures the essence of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Yankees.”
A new look and identity
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 would “celebrate the region’s beauty, heritage, and outdoor legacy.”
Featuring a yet-to-be named bear mascot with a baseball bat walking stick, 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. Champ, the franchise’s longtime mascot, will also remain part of the stadium atmosphere.
The SWB Highlanders name carries a dual meaning rooted in both place and baseball history, team officials said. 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 players are becoming tomorrow’s Bronx Bombers.
Reilly believes the strong response from the community Saturday speaks volumes about the importance of baseball in NEPA.
“It really shows the excitement and passion people in Northeastern Pennsylvania have for their hometown team,” he said. “To hear the cheer when we announced it makes it even more rewarding. A name is just a name, it’s what we make of it. The Highlanders represent a new and exciting brand of baseball and family fun at the ballpark. We have some new improvements coming next year — a playground for the kids and some mini golf.”
A pair of tattoos, representing the Red Barons and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre baseball, emblazoned on his arm epitomize Joseph Brady’s passion for the local franchise.
Brady, 36, noted his father, an electrician, worked on the original Lackawanna County Stadium and recent renovations of the video board at PNC Field.
“The Red Barons was my whole youth here,” the Spring Brook Twp. man said. “I’m not a huge fan of the new name, but there is great baseball here and great people.”
Members of the University of Scranton baseball team model the new Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders jerseys at PNC Field in Moosic on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
Joseph Brady, 36, of Spring Brook Twp., shows off Red Barons and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tattoos on his arm during a Fall Festival at PNC Field Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, to announce the new name of the franchise’s baseball team. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
Henry Elmy, 42, of Sugar Notch, shows off new Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders apparel he purchased at PNC Field on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
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Members of the University of Scranton baseball team model the new Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders jerseys at PNC Field in Moosic on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
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A look at the past
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 was 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 walk toward PNC Field for the reveal of the RailRiders new team name. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
A look at the present
Jared Cassella, a member of the University of Scranton baseball team, joined several teammates in modeling the Highlanders’ new jerseys outside the stadium.
“This is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “I’ve always been a fan. We’ve probably come to at least 10 games.”
The senior from Flemington, New Jersey, also expressed his approval of the Highlanders name.
“I heard it was from the (Yankees) name in the early 1900s,” he said. “I like how they went back to it. I really like the logo, too, it’s really nice.”
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 since 2012, the RailRiders adopted 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)
A new alternative jersey for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders. (Courtesy Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders)
People attend the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Young fans pose with the Railriders mascot ‘Champ’ during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A boy runs to find a pumpkin on the field during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
People shop in the team store during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A hat is for sale in the team store after the new team name annoucement was made during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
University of Scranton cheerleaders pep up the crowd minutes before the new team name is revealed during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
RailRiders President and General Manager Shawn Reilly and broadcaster for the New York Yankees Michael Kay talk on the main stage before revealing the new team name during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Fans browse the team store during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Highlanders jerseys are for sale during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Highlanders hats are for sale during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The Jase Mathews Band performs during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Former player for the New York Yankees Tino Martinez is introduced during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Fans try on hats in the team store during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Julianna Dennis, 5, of Pittston, holds a rabbit during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Highlanders items are for sale during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
People take the hayride around the field during the ‘Adventure Begins: Fall Festival and The Big Reveal’ event at PNC Field in Moosic Saturday, November 7, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Henry Elmy, 42, of Sugar Notch, shows off new Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders apparel he purchased at PNC Field on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
Joseph Brady, 36, of Spring Brook Twp., shows off Red Barons and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tattoos on his arm during a Fall Festival at PNC Field Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, to announce the new name of the franchise’s baseball team. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
Members of the University of Scranton baseball team model the new Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Highlanders jerseys at PNC Field in Moosic on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
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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)