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| Name | Carolina Mudcats (1991–2025) | ||||
| Colors | Red, black, white, gray | ||||
| Mascot | Muddy the Mudcat, Mini Muddy | ||||
| Ballpark |
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| Website | milb.com/carolina-mudcats | ||||
TheCarolina Mudcats were aMinor League Baseball team that played inZebulon, North Carolina, a suburb ofRaleigh, from 1991 to 2025. They played their home games atFive County Stadium for all 35 seasons after playing part of their inaugural season atFleming Stadium. "Mudcats" is a Southern synonym forcatfish.
The team began play in 1991 after theColumbus Mudcats relocated fromColumbus, Georgia. They were members of theDouble-ASouthern League through 2011. The Mudcats were replaced by aClass A-Advanced team of theCarolina League in 2012. This team carried on as an extension of the previous club. In conjunction withMajor League Baseball's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Mudcats were dropped to the Low-A classification and placed in theLow-A East, which became theSingle-A Carolina League in 2022. They played in Zebulon for 35 seasons until relocating toWilson, North Carolina, as theWilson Warbirds, after the 2025 campaign.
The Mudcats won theSouthern League championship in 1995 as the Double-A affiliate of thePittsburgh Pirates and in 2003 as the Double-A affiliate of theFlorida Marlins.
The Mudcats came toZebulon, North Carolina, by way ofColumbus, Georgia. From 1969 to 1990, Columbus was home to theDouble-ASouthern League'sColumbus Mudcats.[1] Following the 1990 season, team owner Steve Bryant relocated the club to theRaleigh suburb of Zebulon, where it continued in the Southern League as the Carolina Mudcats.[2] The team played atFive County Stadium, which was named for its location near the convergence of five counties:Wake,Nash,Johnston,Franklin, andWilson.[3] 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.
As the Double-A affiliate of thePittsburgh Pirates,[4] the Carolina Mudcats played their first game on April 11, 1991, on the road against theGreenville Braves atGreenville Municipal Stadium inGreenville, South Carolina, losing, 1–0.[5] They earned their first win the next evening, defeating Greenville, 7–3.[6] While work on Five County Stadium continued, the Mudcats opened their home schedule atFleming Stadium inWilson on April 19.[7] They won their home opener over Greenville, 5–1, before 4,357 people.[7] Initially delayed because of rain, the game was called in the eighth inning with Mudcatsstarting pitcherTim Wakefield earning thewin after allowing only onerun on fourhits over seven innings.[7] 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.[8]
The Southern League used a split-season schedule wherein the division winners from each half qualified for the postseason championship playoffs.[9] Carolina did not win either half of their inaugural season.[10] Overall, the Mudcats finished their first season with a 66–76win–loss record.[11] The team posted a franchise-low 52–92 record in 1992.[12] After their first winning campaign in 1993,[12] 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.[13] They were defeated in the finals by the Western Division championHuntsville Stars, 3–1.[13]First basemanMark Johnson, who led the circuit with 23 home runs.[14] was selected as theSouthern League Most Valuable Player (MVP).[15]
Managed byTrent Jewett,[16] Carolina won both halves of the 1995 season, sending them back to the playoffs with a franchise-best 89–55 campaign.[12][17] They won the Eastern Division title versus theOrlando Cubs, 3–2, before winning their firstSouthern League championship over theChattanooga Lookouts, 3–2.[17]CatcherJason Kendall was selected for the league MVP Award.[15] The Mudcats qualified for the 1996 playoffs via a wild card berth but were eliminated in the Eastern Division series by theJacksonville Suns, 3–2.[18] The next two Carolina teams finished with sub-.500 records.[12] The Mudcats' affiliation with the Pirates ended after the 1998 season.[19] Over eight years with Pittsburgh, Carolina held a regular season record of 539–587.[12]
Carolina became the Double-A affiliate of theColorado Rockies in 1999.[19] The team incurred losing records in each of the first three seasons of the partnership.[12] In 2002, the Mudcats won the First Half Eastern Division title, but they lost the Eastern Division crown to Jacksonville, 3–2.[20] The affiliation ended after four years with Carolina going 251–302 in the regular season over that stretch.[12][21]
The Mudcats joined theFlorida Marlins organization in 2003 as their Double-A affiliate.[21] In the first season of the partnership, managerTracy Woodson led Carolina to win both halves of the season and the Eastern Division title versus theTennessee Smokies, 3–1.[22][23] The Mudcats then won their second Southern League championship over Huntsville, 3–2.[23] 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 theWest Tenn Diamond Jaxx.[24]
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.[25] In a full five-game series, the Mudcats lost the league championship to theMississippi Braves, 3–2.[25]Gaby Sánchez, a Carolina first andthird baseman who led the league with 42 doubles,[26] was selected as the Southern League MVP.[15] The six-year affiliation with Florida came to an end after the 2008 campaign.[27] Carolina's record over that time was 431–400.[12]
The Mudcats became the Double-A affiliate of theCincinnati Reds in 2009.[27] With losing records, the team missed out on playoff spots in each of their three seasons with the Reds.[12] Two players, however, were selected for league year-end awards. PitcherTravis Wood received theSouthern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award in 2009.[15]Center fielderDave Sappelt, who had a league-leading .361 batting average, won the MVP Award in 2010.[15][28] Over three years with Cincinnati, the Mudcats went 176–239.[12]
In December 2010, team owner Steve Bryant sold his Southern League franchise to businessmanQuint Studer and his wife, Rishy, who planned to relocate the team toPensacola, Florida, as thePensacola Blue Wahoos in 2012.[29] In a corresponding move, the Studers facilitated Bryant's purchase of theKinston Indians of theClass A-AdvancedCarolina League.[30] 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.[30][31]
Upon joining the Carolina League in 2012, the Mudcats became the Class A-Advanced affiliate of theCleveland Indians in a continuation of their previous relationship with Kinston.[31] Their new league used the same split-season format as the Southern League.[32] Carolina posted losing records in each season of the three-year run with Cleveland without qualifying for the playoffs.[33][34] They went 182–234 over this period.[33] In 2013, pitcherCody Anderson, who led the league with a 2.34 earned run average, won the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year Award and the league's Community Service Award.[35]
The Mudcats' next affiliate was theAtlanta Braves.[34] The partnership began in 2015 with the team experiencing its first winning season (71–68) since 2008.[33] They finished 35 games under .500 in 2016, the last year of the affiliation, giving them a cumulative two-year record of 123–155.[33]
The Mudcats became the Class A-Advanced affiliate of theMilwaukee Brewers in 2017.[36] The team narrowly missed the playoffs in their first year with the Brewers with a 73–65 record.[33] In October 2017, team owner Steve Bryant sold his majority interest in the Mudcats to the Brewers.[37] In 2019, catcherMario Feliciano won theCarolina League Most Valuable Player Award; he led the league with 19 home runs, 78 RBI, and a .476slugging percentage at the time of the award.[38] StarterNoah Zavolas won the Pitcher of the Year Award; he held a league-best 1.14 WHIP at the time.[38]
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic before being cancelled on June 30.[39][40] 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, theWisconsin Timber Rattlers, was moved up toHigh-A. Consequently, the Mudcats were shifted to theLow-A classification as members of theLow-A East but kept their affiliation with Milwaukee.[41] Carolina began competition in the new league on May 4 with a 6–5 victory over theFayetteville Woodpeckers at Five County Stadium.[42] The Mudcats placed second in the Central Division at 68–52 after their first season in the Low-A East.[43]
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.[44] The Mudcats finished the first-half in second place, one game behind the division winner.[45] They placed second in the second-half but further back.[45] Overall, Carolina had a 69–62 record.[33]OutfielderJackson Chourio was voted the Carolina League MVP and won the league's Top MLB Prospect Award.[46]
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.[47] Overall, they were 72–55 for the season.[48] Carolina lost the Northern Division title versus theDown East Wood Ducks, 2–1.[49] Victor Estevez was chosen for the Carolina League Manager of the Year Award.[50] The Mudcats won the first-half of the 2024 season with a 41–24 mark, clinching a spot in the playoffs,[51] but they were defeated in the division series by theFredericksburg Nationals, 2–0.[52] Overall, they posted a league-best 78–51 record.[53] Nick Stanley won the league's Manager of the Year Award.[54]
The 2025 season was the Mudcats' 35th and final season of play. They are expected to relocate toWilson, North Carolina, in 2026. They will play at a new $75.5-million stadium near downtown, about 20 miles (32 km) east of Five County Stadium.[55] The team will be rebranded as theWilson Warbirds.[56] Carolina's final home game was a 1–0 loss to theDelmarva Shorebirds played on August 31 with 5,877 people in attendance.[57][58] Their final game was a 6–3 win over theFredericksburg Nationals atVirginia Credit Union Stadium on September 7.[57]ShortstopJesús Made won the league's Top MLB Prospect Award.[59] Through nine seasons of competition as a Brewers farm club, the Mudcats had a win–loss record of 558–492.[33] Over all 35 years of competition, Carolina had a 2,260–2,409 record.[33]
| League | The team's final position in the league standings |
|---|---|
| Division | The team's final position in the divisional standings |
| GB | Games behind the team that finished in first place in the division that season |
| Apps. | Postseason appearances: number of seasons the team qualified for the postseason |
| † | League champions |
| * | Division champions |
| ^ | Postseason berth |
| Season | League | Regular-season | Postseason | MLB affiliate | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record | Win % | League | Division | GB | Record | Win % | Result | ||||
| 1991 | SL | 66–76 | .465 | 7th (tie) | 5th | 21 | — | — | — | Pittsburgh Pirates | [11] |
| 1992 | SL | 52–92 | .361 | 10th | 5th | 48+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Pittsburgh Pirates | [60] |
| 1993 | SL | 74–67 | .525 | 3rd | 2nd | 1⁄2 | — | — | — | Pittsburgh Pirates | [61] |
| 1994 ^ * | SL | 74–66 | .529 | 4th (tie) | 2nd | 1 | 4–5 | .444 | Won First-Half Eastern Division title Won Eastern Division title vs.Greenville Braves, 3–2 LostSL championship vs.Huntsville Stars, 3–1[13] | Pittsburgh Pirates | [62] |
| 1995 ^ * † | SL | 89–55 | .618 | 1st | 1st | — | 6–4 | .600 | Won First and Second-Half Eastern Division titles Won Eastern Division title vs.Orlando Cubs, 3–2 WonSL championship vs.Chattanooga Lookouts, 3–2[17] | Pittsburgh Pirates | [63] |
| 1996 ^ | SL | 70–69 | .504 | 6th | 2nd | 5+1⁄2 | 2–3 | .400 | Lost Eastern Division title vs.Jacksonville Suns, 3–2[18] | Pittsburgh Pirates | [64] |
| 1997 | SL | 55–82 | .401 | 10th | 5th | 19+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Pittsburgh Pirates | [65] |
| 1998 | SL | 59–80 | .424 | 9th | 5th | 26+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Pittsburgh Pirates | [66] |
| 1999 | SL | 60–80 | .429 | 9th | 4th | 14+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Colorado Rockies | [67] |
| 2000 | SL | 64–75 | .460 | 9th (tie) | 5th | 6+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Colorado Rockies | [68] |
| 2001 | SL | 62–76 | .449 | 7th | 3rd | 20+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Colorado Rockies | [69] |
| 2002 ^ | SL | 65–71 | .478 | 8th | 4th | 10+1⁄2 | 2–3 | .400 | Won First-Half Eastern Division title Lost Eastern Division title vs.Jacksonville Suns, 3–2[20] | Colorado Rockies | [70] |
| 2003 ^ * † | SL | 80–58 | .580 | 1st | 1st | — | 6–3 | .667 | Won First and Second-Half Eastern Division titles Won Eastern Division title vs.Tennessee Smokies, 3–1 WonSL championship vs.Huntsville Stars, 3–2[23] | Florida Marlins | [71] |
| 2004 | SL | 73–66 | .525 | 2nd (tie) | 2nd | 13+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Florida Marlins | [72] |
| 2005 ^ | SL | 77–57 | .575 | 3rd | 2nd | 3+1⁄2 | 0–3 | .000 | Lost Northern Division title vs.West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, 3–0[24] | Florida Marlins | [73] |
| 2006 | SL | 61–79 | .436 | 8th | 5th | 20 | — | — | — | Florida Marlins | [74] |
| 2007 | SL | 60–80 | .429 | 10th | 5th | 16+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Florida Marlins | [75] |
| 2008 ^ * | SL | 80–60 | .571 | 1st | 1st | — | 5–3 | .625 | Won Second-Half Northern Division title Won Northern Division title vs.West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, 3–0 LostSL championship vs.Mississippi Braves, 3–2 | Florida Marlins | [25] |
| 2009 | SL | 65–74 | .468 | 6th (tie) | 2nd (tie) | 5+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Cincinnati Reds | [76] |
| 2010 | SL | 58–79 | .423 | 9th | 5th | 27 | — | — | — | Cincinnati Reds | [77] |
| 2011 | SL | 53–86 | .381 | 10th | 5th | 29+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Cincinnati Reds | [78] |
| 2012 | CL | 63–77 | .450 | 7th | 4th | 25 | — | — | — | Cleveland Indians | [79] |
| 2013 | CL | 57–83 | .407 | 8th | 4th | 20+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Cleveland Indians | [80] |
| 2014 | CL | 62–74 | .456 | 7th | 3rd | 19 | — | — | — | Cleveland Indians | [81] |
| 2015 | CL | 71–68 | .511 | 4th | 3rd | 10+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Atlanta Braves | [82] |
| 2016 | CL | 52–87 | .374 | 8th | 4th | 35 | — | — | — | Atlanta Braves | [83] |
| 2017 | CL | 73–65 | .529 | 3rd | 2nd | 1⁄2 | — | — | — | Milwaukee Brewers | [84] |
| 2018 | CL | 65–73 | .471 | 7th | 3rd | 19 | — | — | — | Milwaukee Brewers | [85] |
| 2019 | CL | 65–74 | .468 | 7th | 4th | 22 | — | — | — | Milwaukee Brewers | [86] |
| 2020 | Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)[40] | Milwaukee Brewers | [87] | ||||||||
| 2021 | A-E | 68–52 | .567 | 4th (tie) | 2nd | 4 | — | — | — | Milwaukee Brewers | [43] |
| 2022 | CL | 69–62 | .527 | 4th (tie) | 2nd | 6+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Milwaukee Brewers | [88] |
| 2023 ^ | CL | 72–55 | .567 | 1st | 2nd | — | 1–2 | .333 | Won Second-Half Northern Division title Lost Northern Division title vs.Down East Wood Ducks, 2–1[49] | Milwaukee Brewers | [48] |
| 2024 ^ | CL | 78–51 | .605 | 1st | 1st | — | 0–2 | .000 | Won First-Half Northern Division title[51] Lost Northern Division title vs.Fredericksburg Nationals, 2–0[52] | Milwaukee Brewers | [53] |
| 2025 | CL | 68–60 | .531 | 2nd (tie) | 2nd | 1+1⁄2 | — | — | — | Milwaukee Brewers | [89] |
| Totals | — | 2,260–2,409 | .484 | — | — | — | 26–28 | .481 | — | — | — |
| Affiliation | Regular season | Postseason | Composite | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record | Win % | Apps. | Record | Win % | Record | Win % | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates (1991–1998) | 539–587 | .479 | 3 | 12–12 | .500 | 551–599 | .479 |
| Colorado Rockies (1999–2002) | 251–302 | .454 | 1 | 2–3 | .400 | 253–305 | .453 |
| Florida Marlins (2003–2008) | 431–400 | .519 | 3 | 11–9 | .550 | 442–409 | .519 |
| Cincinnati Reds (2009–2011) | 176–239 | .424 | 0 | — | — | 176–239 | .424 |
| Cleveland Indians (2012–2014) | 182–234 | .438 | 0 | — | — | 182–234 | .438 |
| Atlanta Braves (2015–2016) | 123–155 | .442 | 0 | — | — | 123–155 | .442 |
| Milwaukee Brewers (2017–2025) | 558–492 | .531 | 2 | 1–4 | .200 | 559–496 | .530 |
| All-time | 2,260–2,409 | .484 | 9 | 26–28 | .481 | 2,286–2,437 | .484 |
Ten players, two managers, and one executive won league awards in recognition for their performance with the Mudcats.
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| Award | Recipient | Season | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Mark Johnson | 1994 | [15] |
| Most Valuable Player | Jason Kendall | 1995 | [15] |
| Most Valuable Player | Gaby Sánchez | 2008 | [15] |
| Most Valuable Player | Dave Sappelt | 2010 | [15] |
| Most Outstanding Pitcher | Travis Wood | 2009 | [15] |
| Executive of the Year | Joe Kremer | 1993 | [15] |
| Executive of the Year | Joe Kremer | 1995 | [15] |
| Executive of the Year | Joe Kremer | 2005 | [15] |
| Executive of the Year | Joe Kremer | 2008 | [15] |
| Award | Recipient | Season | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Mario Feliciano | 2019 | [90] |
| Most Valuable Player | Jackson Chourio | 2022 | [46] |
| Pitcher of the Year | Cody Anderson | 2013 | [90] |
| Pitcher of the Year | Noah Zavolas | 2019 | [90] |
| Top MLB Prospect | Jackson Chourio | 2022 | [46] |
| Top MLB Prospect | Jesús Made | 2025 | [59] |
| Community Service Award | Cody Anderson | 2013 | [90] |
| Manager of the Year Award | Victor Estevez | 2023 | [50] |
| Manager of the Year Award | Nick Stanley | 2024 | [54] |
| Executive of the Year | Joe Kremer | 2018 | [90] |
