Picture, if you will, a domesticated bovine species native to the Himalayas that has discovered the game of baseball, developed the ability to travel via paddle-powered watercraft and can now be found in and around the mountains of Virginia. You have pictured the newest team identity on the Minor League Baseball scene. You have pictured the Salem RidgeYaks.
The Salem, Va., team was previously known as the Red Sox, dating to the 2009 start of their ongoing Boston affiliation. The Single-A Carolina League club was owned by Red Sox subsidiary the Fenway Sports Group until 2023, when it was sold to Diamond Baseball Holdings (which also owns two other teams in the Red Sox system, Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester).
The new RidgeYaks identity was unveiled on Saturday evening at Salem Memorial Ballpark.
Why RidgeYaks? Allen Lawrence, the team’s general manager, said “that we fell in love with all the meanings behind it.”
The Blue Ridge Mountains loom beyond the ballpark, providing one of the most beautiful backdrops in Minor League Baseball. The RidgeYaks name, and the blue color of the titular yak, reference this prodigious range.
“In southwestern Virginia there are a lot of outdoor activities, and we wanted to incorporate that,” said Lawrence. “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.”
That said, there aren’t any yaks actually living in the Salem area.
“There wasn’t an avalanche in Salem either, but people loved when we were the Salem Avalanche,” said Lawrence, referring to the team’s identity from 1995-2008, adopted when they were a Rockies affiliate. “And I don’t think there are any bulls in Chicago or lions in Detroit, you know?”
The RidgeYaks’ look was created by the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), which, as its name implies, usually works within the realm of college athletics. The primary logo includes a variety of details that might not be immediately apparent. The yak’s head resembles a mountain landscape, with his furrowed brows creating the tree line. Blue etchings within the RidgeYaks wordmark resemble Appalachian Trail blazes painted on trees along the route. That iconic Maine-to-Georgia trek also inspired the name of the team’s new mascot, who was also unveiled Saturday.
“The most photographed point on the Appalachian Trail is McAfee Knob,” said Lawrence, referring to a rocky vista offering panoramic views. “So we named the mascot Mac, Mac the Yak.”
There are two secondary logos as well, a state outline with a star marking the team’s location and an interlocking blue YR against a white background.
“The star in the state logo brings in Roanoke, our neighboring city. That’s Star City, there’s a big star overlooking it on top of [Mill Mountain],” said Lawrence. “The YR, you see that kind of look used by a lot of the outfitters near the Appalachian Trail.”
A circular alternate uniform sleeve patch logo, depicting a star above the mountains, completes the look. Both the home and away uniforms feature the parent club’s primary logo. This, as well as the kayaking yak’s red life preserver, emphasizes that the connection to Boston persists.
“That’s the message that we’re trying to get out there,” said Lawrence. “We’re telling people until we’re blue in the face that we’re going to remain a Red Sox affiliate.”
The Salem RidgeYaks will make their debut on April 2, 2026, taking on the Delmarva Shorebirds at Salem Memorial Ballpark.
