| Modesto Nuts | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class |
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| League | California League (1946–1964, 1966–2025) | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team |
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| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles(11) |
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| Division titles(5) |
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| First-half titles(1) |
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| Second-half titles(1) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Name |
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| Mascots | Al The Almond Wally The Walnut Shelley The Pistachio | ||||
| Ballpark | John Thurman Field | ||||
| Website | milb.com/modesto | ||||
TheModesto Nuts were aMinor League Baseball team of theCalifornia League, most recently theSingle-A affiliate of theSeattle Mariners. They were located inModesto, California, and were named for the several types ofnuts grown in theCentral Valley. They played their home games atJohn Thurman Field, which opened in 1955.
The team was known as theModesto Athletics (orA's) from 1975 to 2004. The club was also known as theModesto Reds (1966–1974 and 1946–1961) andModesto Colts (1962–1964).
The Nuts were expected to leave Modesto following the 2024 season after the city and the Mariners were unable to agree on paying for ballpark improvements that Major League Baseball required. However, a deal was reached to keep the team in Modesto through at least the 2025 season. After the 2024 season, the Mariners sold the team toDiamond Baseball Holdings, who immediately announced that the 2025 season would be the last in Modesto. For the 2026 season, as part of a shuffle of Diamond-owned team relocations, the Nuts franchise will relocate toSan Bernardino as a new incarnation of theInland Empire 66ers.
HWS Baseball purchased the ModestoMinor League Baseball franchise in 2005.[1] The franchise became an affiliate of theColorado Rockies that year.[2] The Nuts nicknames was selected by fans in an online vote, over the names Crop Dusters, Derailers, Steel, and Strikes. Nuts relates to the agricultural industry in the region. Fans and aModesto Bee sports columnist were initially negative about all five potential names.[3]
On June 2, 2006, managerChad Kreuter resigned to become the head coach of theUniversity of Southern California Trojans. Kreuter replaced his father-in-law,Mike Gillespie. Hitting coachGlenallen Hill was named the new Nuts manager.[4]
After the 2006 season,John Thurman Field was renovated with a new scoreboard and upgraded infield. The following opening day, April 7, 2007, was the largest crowd ever at a Modesto minor league game.[5]
On June 21, 2011, the Nuts hosted the 2011 California League/Carolina League All-Star Game.[6] The California League won, withJedd Gyorko andRey Navarro named MVPs.[7]
In 2011, the Nuts set their attendance record for five straight seasons and were honored as back-to-back California League Organization of the Year for 2010 and 2011.[8]
Following the 2016 season, theSeattle Mariners purchased a majority share of the Nuts, and the teams entered into a player development contract making Modesto a Mariners affiliate. HWS Baseball continued to manage the team's day-to-day operations.[9]
The Nuts won the California League championship in 2017, sweeping both the division series and the league series and winning nine games in a row dating back to the final three regular-season games.[10] This was the Nuts' ninth league title and the first as part of the Mariners organization.
In conjunction withMajor League Baseball (MLB)'s restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Nuts were organized into theLow-A West.[11] In 2022, Low-A West was renamed the California League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization and was reclassified as aSingle-A circuit.[12] In 2023, Modesto won the California League championship.[13]
After the city of Modesto and the Mariners were unable to come to terms on who would pay for the roughly $32 million in improvements to John Thurman Field mandated by MLB, the Nuts planned to leave Modesto after the 2024 season.[14] However, the city and the Nuts came to an agreement in August 2024 to keep the team in Modesto for another year. The Nuts agreed to pay an annual rent of $600,000 with an additional $75,000 for improving the field. A long-term lease agreement had to be reached by April 1, 2025, or the team could leave following the season.[15] A month after it was announced the Nuts would stay in Modesto for another year, they won their second straight California League title.[16]
The team was sold toDiamond Baseball Holdings on December 12, 2024.[17] Diamond, the largest owner of MiLB teams, planned a "musical chairs" format in the aftermath of the purchase that will take effect in the 2026 season. The Nuts would move toSan Bernardino and assume theInland Empire 66ers nickname, but keep the Mariners' affiliation, reuniting the two for the first time since 2006. The 66ers would relocate toRancho Cucamonga and assume theRancho Cucamonga Quakes nickname and be affiliated with theLos Angeles Angels for the first time since 2010. The Quakes will move toOntario and anew 6,000-seat stadium being built there to become theOntario Tower Buzzers.[18]
The Nuts played their final home game on August 31, 2025, losing to theStockton Ports, 5–4, with 2,295 people in attendance.[19] Their final game was played on September 8 against theSan Jose Giants atExcite Ballpark, winning 9–6 in 10 innings.[20]
Josh Suchon was the team's radio play-by-play broadcaster in 2007.[21] Greg Young was the team's play-by-play broadcaster from 2008 to 2011.[22] He was replaced by Alex Margulies for 2012 and 2013.[23] Keaton Gillogly did play-by-play from 2014 to 2022.[24][25] Mario Ramos, who had been the PA announcer, was the team's final play-by-play broadcaster.[26][27]
The Nuts had three mascots: Al the Almond, Wally the Walnut, and Shelley the Pistachio.[28][2]
Years with the Nuts or other Modesto minor league team are listed in parentheses.
The following players wereMLB All-Stars, league leaders, and/or award winners
