The Carolina Mudcats are a

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

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 Single-A, formerly known as Class 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 cl ...

affiliate of the

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

. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of

Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

, and play their home games at Five County Stadium. "Mudcats" is a Southern synonym for

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

. The team began play in 1991 after the Columbus Mudcats relocated from

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

. 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 (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

team of the Carolina League in 2012. This team carried on as an extension of the previous club. In conjunction with

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Mudcats were dropped to the Low-A classification and placed in the Low-A East, which became the Single-A Carolina League in 2022. Following the 2025 season, the team plans to relocate to nearby

Wilson, North Carolina Wilson is a city in and the county seat of Wilson County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, 23rd-most populous city in North Carolina. Located about east of the capital city of Raleigh, North Car ...

, as the Wilson Warbirds. 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

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 team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...

History

Before Carolina

The Mudcats came to Zebulon, North Carolina, by way of

. From 1969 to 1990, Columbus was home to the Double-A Southern League's Columbus Mudcats. 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 Five County Stadium, which was named for its location near the convergence of five counties: Wake, Nash, Johnston, Franklin, 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.

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 at Greenville Municipal Stadium in

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, sixth-most pop ...

, 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 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 (August 2, 1966 – October 1, 2023) was an American professional baseball knuckleball pitcher. Wakefield began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year ...

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. 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, 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 Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

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, 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 based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...

, 3–2.

Catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

Jason Kendall 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, 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

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

Tennessee Smokies The Knoxville Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The team was based in Kodak, Tennessee, a Knoxville suburb, fr ...

, 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 Marin ...

. 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 were referred to locally, were a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, from 2005 to 2024. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and competed in ...

, 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 Baseball scorekeep ...

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. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

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 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 ...

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

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

, as the

Pensacola Blue Wahoos The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League (1964–present), Southern League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are based in Pensacola, Florida, and play their home ga ...

in 2012. In a corresponding move, the Studers facilitated Bryant's purchase of the Kinston Indians 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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

. 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; 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, an ...

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 blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

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 and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

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, 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 (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

. Consequently, the Mudcats were shifted to the

Low-A Single-A, formerly known as Class 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 ...

classification as members of the Low-A East 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 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 catch ...

Jackson Chourio was voted the Carolina League MVP and won the league's Top MLB Prospect Award. The 2023 Mudcats ended the first-half five games out of first-place, but won the second-half by four games with a record of 39–25. Overall, they were 72–55 for the season. Carolina lost the Northern Division title versus the Down East Wood Ducks, 2–1. Victor Estevez was chosen for the Carolina League Manager of the Year Award. The Mudcats won the first-half of the 2024 season with a 41–24 mark, clinching a spot in the playoffs, but they were defeated in the division series by the

Fredericksburg Nationals The Fredericksburg Nationals are a Minor League Baseball team that is the Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and play their home games at Virginia Credit Union Stadium, with a capacity of ...

, 2–0. Overall, they posted a league-best 78–51 record. Nick Stanley won the league's Manager of the Year Award. Through seven complete seasons of competition as a Brewers farm club, the Mudcats hold a win–loss record of 490–432.

Future

The Mudcats are expected to relocate to

, following the 2025 season. They will play at a new $75.5-million stadium near downtown, about east of Five County Stadium. The team will be rebranded as the Wilson Warbirds. The moniker refers to retired

military aircraft A military aircraft is any Fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing or rotorcraft, rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary military of any type. Some military aircraft engage directly in aerial warfare, while others take on su ...

that have been restored as well as to Wilson being the location of a

naval aviation Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of Military aviation, military air power by Navy, navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves ''navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seab ...

training center during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Season-by-season records

Roster

Awards

Nine players, two managers, and one executive have won league awards in recognition for their performance with the Mudcats.

References

External links

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

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

Statistics from ''Stats Crew''
{{North Carolina Sports 1991 establishments in North Carolina Atlanta Braves minor league affiliates Baseball teams established in 1991 Cincinnati Reds minor league affiliates Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliates Colorado Rockies minor league affiliates Carolina League teams Southern League (1964–present) teams Miami Marlins minor league affiliates Milwaukee Brewers minor league affiliates Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates Professional baseball teams in North Carolina Sports in Raleigh-Durham Zebulon, North Carolina