The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

and the

Single-A Class A, also known as Single-A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classif ...

affiliate of the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

. They are located in

Zebulon, North Carolina Zebulon is the easternmost town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 6,903 at the 2020 census. Zebulon is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. Five County Stadium, home to the Carolina Mudcats minor lea ...

, a suburb of

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

, and play their home games at

Five County Stadium Five County Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh. It is the home of the Carolina Mudcats of the Carolina League. The ballpark, which was opened in 1991 and extensively renovated in 1999, has a capa ...

. "Mudcats" is Southern slang for

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

. The team began play in 1991 after the

Columbus Mudcats The Columbus Mudcats were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Double-A Southern League from 1969 to 1990. They were located in Columbus, Georgia, and played their home games at Golden Park. Founded as the Columbus White Sox in 1969, ...

relocated from

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...

. They were members of the Double-A Southern League through 2011. The Mudcats were replaced by a

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

team of the Carolina League in 2012. This team carried on as an extension of the previous club. Carolina was dropped to the Low-A classification and placed in the Low-A East in 2021, though this was renamed the Carolina League and reclassified as Single-A in 2022. The Mudcats won the Southern League championship in 1995 as the Double-A affiliate of the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

and in 2003 as the Double-A affiliate of the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

History

Before Carolina

The Mudcats came to

, by way of

. From 1969 to 1990, Columbus was home to the Double-A Southern League's

. Following the 1990 season, team owner Steve Bryant relocated the club to the

suburb of Zebulon, where it continued in the Southern League as the Carolina Mudcats. The team played at

, which was named for its location near the convergence of five counties: Wake, Nash, Johnston,

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

, and Wilson. The stadium was as close to Raleigh as it could get without infringing on the territorial rights of the then Class A (now Triple-A)

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in ...

Pittsburgh Pirates (1991–1998)

As the Double-A affiliate of the

, the Carolina Mudcats played their first game on April 11, 1991, on the road against the

Greenville Braves The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004. The Braves played in Greenville Municipal Stadium for ...

Greenville Municipal Stadium Greenville Municipal Stadium is a stadium in Greenville, South Carolina, U.S., that was built in 1984 and holds 7,048 people. It is located on Mauldin Road off exit 46C on I-85. It was primarily used for baseball, and was the home field of the ...

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

, losing, 1–0. They earned their first win the next evening, defeating Greenville, 7–3. While work on Five County Stadium continued, the Mudcats opened their home schedule at

Fleming Stadium Fleming Stadium is a sports stadium in Wilson, North Carolina. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home of the Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plain League. It opened in 1939 and has a capacity of 3,000 people. The grounds are also home to t ...

in Wilson on April 19. They won their home opener over Greenville, 5–1, before 4,357 people. Initially delayed because of rain, the game was called in the eighth inning with Mudcats

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

Tim Wakefield Timothy Stephen Wakefield (born August 2, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Wakefield began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-yea ...

earning the win after allowing only one run on four hits over seven innings. Their first game at Five County Stadium was played on July 3. A standing-room-only crowd of 7,333 witnessed a 6–1 defeat by the Braves. Carolina Mudcats at Five County Stadium

The Southern League used a split-season schedule wherein the division winners from each half qualified for the postseason championship playoffs. Carolina did not win either half of their inaugural season. Overall, the Mudcats finished their first season with a 66–76

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of matc ...

. The team posted a franchise-low 52–92 record in 1992. After their first winning campaign in 1993, the 1994 Mudcats won the First Half Eastern Division title and then beat Greenville, 3–2, to claim the Eastern Division title and a place in the league championship series. They were defeated in the finals by the Western Division champion

Huntsville Stars The Huntsville Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1985 to 2014. They competed in the Southern League as the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics from 1985 to 1998 and Mil ...

, 3–1.

First baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

Mark Johnson, who led the circuit with 23

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s. was selected as the Southern League Most Valuable Player (MVP). Managed by Trent Jewett, Carolina won both halves of the 1995 season, sending them back to the playoffs with a franchise-best 89–55 campaign. They won the Eastern Division title versus the

Orlando Cubs Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures relea ...

, 3–2, before winning their first Southern League championship over the

Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...

, 3–2.

Catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

Jason Kendall Jason Daniel Kendall (born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 through 2010 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Ka ...

was selected for the league MVP Award. The Mudcats qualified for the 1996 playoffs via a wild card berth but were eliminated in the Eastern Division series by the

Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

, 3–2. The next two Carolina teams finished with sub-.500 records. The Mudcats' affiliation with the Pirates ended after the 1998 season. Over eight years with Pittsburgh, Carolina held a regular season record of 539–587.

Colorado Rockies (1999–2002)

Carolina became the Double-A affiliate of the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

in 1999. The team incurred losing records in each of the first three seasons of the partnership. In 2002, the Mudcats won the First Half Eastern Division title, but they lost the Eastern Division crown to Jacksonville, 3–2. The affiliation ended after four years with Carolina going 251–302 in the regular season over that stretch.

Florida Marlins (2003–2008)

The Mudcats joined the

organization in 2003 as their Double-A affiliate. In the first season of the partnership, manager

Tracy Woodson Tracy Michael Woodson (born October 5, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and college coach. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1987 to 1989 and 1992 to 1993, primarily as a third base ...

led Carolina to win both halves of the season and the Eastern Division title versus the

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off ...

, 3–1. The Mudcats then won their second Southern League championship over Huntsville, 3–2. The team returned to the playoffs with a wild card berth in 2005, but they were swept out of the division series, 3–0, by the

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx The Jackson Generals were a professional baseball team located in Jackson, Tennessee. From 1998 to 2020, they were a part of Minor League Baseball's Southern League (SL) as the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1998–2006), Seattle Mar ...

. Carolina won the Second Half Northern Division title in 2008 and defeated West Tenn in a three-game sweep to advance to the Southern League finals. In a full five-game series, the Mudcats lost the league championship to the

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. ...

, 3–2.

Gaby Sánchez Gabriel Sánchez (born September 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the ...

, a Carolina first and

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

who led the league with 42 doubles, was selected as the Southern League MVP. The six-year affiliation with Florida came to an end after the 2008 campaign. Carolina's record over that time was 431–400.

Cincinnati Reds (2009–2011)

The Mudcats became the Double-A affiliate of the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

in 2009. With losing records, the team missed out on playoff spots in each of their three seasons with the Reds. Two players, however, were selected for league year-end awards. Pitcher

Travis Wood Travis Alan Wood (born February 6, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, and San Diego Padres. Amateur career Born and raise ...

received the Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award in 2009.

Center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

Dave Sappelt, who had a league-leading .361

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

, won the MVP Award in 2010. Over three years with Cincinnati, the Mudcats went 176–239. In December 2010, team owner Steve Bryant sold his Southern League franchise to businessman

Quint Studer Quinton D. Studer (born 1951) is a Pensacola, Florida businessman and philanthropist, known as the co-owner of the minor league baseball team the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and founder of the healthcare consulting company, Studer Group. Early life a ...

and his wife, Rishy, who planned to relocate the team to

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

, as the

Pensacola Blue Wahoos The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are based in Pensacola, Florida, and play their home games at Admiral Fetterman Field. In 2012, the team rel ...

in 2012. In a corresponding move, the Studers facilitated Bryant's purchase of the

Kinston Indians The Kinston Indians were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League (CL) located in Kinston, North Carolina, from 1978 to 2011. They played their home games at Grainger Stadium, which opened in 1949. The team began play in 1978 as the Ki ...

of the

. As the Southern League franchise departed for Pensacola after the 2011 season, the Carolina League franchise moved to Zebulon and continued as the Mudcats at Class A-Advanced.

Cleveland Indians (2012–2014)

Upon joining the Carolina League in 2012, the Mudcats became the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

in a continuation of their previous relationship with Kinston. Their new league used the same split-season format as the Southern League. Carolina posted losing records in each season of the three-year run with Cleveland without qualifying for the playoffs. They went 182–234 over this period. In 2013, pitcher Cody Anderson, who led the league with a 2.34

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

, won the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year Award and the league's Community Service Award.

Atlanta Braves (2015–2016)

The Mudcats' next affiliate was the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

. The partnership began in 2015 with the team experiencing its first winning season (71–68) since 2008. They finished 35 games under .500 in 2016, the last year of the affiliation, giving them a cumulative two-year record of 123–155.

Milwaukee Brewers (2017–present)

The Mudcats became the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the

in 2017. The team narrowly missed the playoffs in their first year with the Brewers with a 73–65 record. In October 2017, team owner Steve Bryant sold his majority interest in the Mudcats to the Brewers. In 2019, catcher Mario Feliciano won the

Carolina League Most Valuable Player Award The Carolina League Most Valuable Player Award is an annual award given to the most valuable player in Minor League Baseball's Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast ...

; he led the league with 19 home runs, 78 RBI, and a .476

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

at the time of the award. Starter Noah Zavolas won the Pitcher of the Year Award; he held a league-best 1.14

WHIP A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

at the time. The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

before being cancelled on June 30. Following the 2020 season, Major League Baseball assumed control of Minor League Baseball in a move to increase player salaries, modernize facility standards, and reduce travel. As a result, the Brewers' Class A affiliate, the

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, a town on the outskirts of Appleton, Wisconsin, Appleton in the Fox ...

, was moved up to

High-A High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

. Consequently, the Mudcats were shifted to the

Low-A Class A, also known as Single-A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A, Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classified at the Single-A level, one for each ...

classification as members of the

Low-A East The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unt ...

but kept their affiliation with Milwaukee. Carolina began competition in the new league on May 4 with a 6–5 victory over the

Fayetteville Woodpeckers The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and play their home games at Segra Stadium. From 2017 to ...

at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats placed second in the Central Division at 68–52 after their first season in the Low-A East. In 2022, the Low-A East became known as the Carolina League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization, and was reclassified as a Single-A circuit. The Mudcats finished the first-half in second place, one game behind the division winner. They placed second in the second-half but further back. Overall, Carolina had a 69–62 record.

Outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

Jackson Chourio was voted the Carolina League MVP and won the league's Top MLB Prospect Award. Over five complete seasons of competition as a Brewers farm club, the Mudcats hold a win–loss record of 340–326.

Season-by-season records

Roster

Awards

Nine players and one executive have won league awards in recognition for their performance with the Mudcats. Cody Anderson 2019 (1)

References

External links

*
Statistics from ''Baseball-Reference'' (1991–2011)

Statistics from ''Baseball-Reference'' (2012–present)

Statistics from ''Stats Crew''
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