MLB Nicknames In Alphabetical Order start with Arizona Diamondbacks to Washington Nationals. The 30 ballclubs have unique epithets.
Some are familiar, and some not so much, but each moniker is given for a reason. All thirty MLB teams have a unique story about how they got their tag. Some result from the ballclub's geographic locations, whereas some result from their achievements.
Bynames are a form of a club's identity. They help establish strong team recognition in addition to encouraging merchandise sales.
Nowadays, tag names are a fashion, and many fans call their favorite clubs by their tag name rather than their actual name. Some famous tag names in MLB include The Murderer's Row, given to the Yankees teams of the late 1920s with six big hitters at the top.
Arizona Diamondbacks' nickname includes The D-Backs and Rattlesnakes or simply Snakes. D-Back is the short form of Diamondbacks
The MLB franchise, established in 1998, is based in Phoenix, Arizona. The three names above are mostly known as the D-backs among fans and ballclubs around the league.
Snakes and Rattlesnakes reference the diamondback rattlesnake, a venomous pitviper species.
Atlanta Braves nicknames consist of 'The Bravos' and 'The Barves.' Both of these are variations of their team name, Braves.
The name Braves was kept as a tribute to the Native American warriors. Therefore, they are also famously known as 'America's Team.'
The name is also a reference to the Braves games being telecasted nationwide.
Some other tags associated with the Team are:
Baltimore Orioles nickname is a reference to Maryland's state bird Oriole. The ballclub is also known as 'The O's,' the shorter version of the team name.
They are also known as The Birds and The Orange Birds. Both of the names are references to again the state bird, with Orange referencing the male Orioles in particular.
Some other pet names include:
Boston Red Sox nicknames include The Cardiac Kids. This moniker was given to the 1967 Red Sox team, who led the ballclub to the World Series after nineteen years.
Red Sox is one of the most popular and historic MLB franchises. They are also known as the Red Stockings, the club's former name.
Some other names of the Red Sox are:
Chicago Cubs nicknames are very famous around the league. They are referenced as The Boys of Zimmer, Boys in Blue, Cubbies, and more.
Cubbies is a version of the Cubs, whereas Boys of Zimmer refers to the 1989 NL East Division winning side managed by Don Zimmer. Boys in Blue is the reference to their Team's color.
They are also known as Baby Bears, Little Bears, and Blue Bears, referencing their symbol and color on the jersey.
Some other names for the Cubs are:
Chicago White Sox nicknames include The Sox, The ChiSox, and The Pale Hose. All these are variations of the ballclub's name.
Initially known as The Sox, they are mostly referenced as The Black Sox. It refers to the infamous 1919 White Sox team that was involved in fixing the World Series.
They are also known as Black and White and South Side Hitmen, alluding to their club's colors and the high-slugging 1977 team, respectively.
Some other names associated are:
Cincinnati Reds nickname, The Big Red Machine, refers to the 1970s Team. During that time, the ball club won four pennants and two World Series titles.
Previously known as Red Stockings, the club later settled for Reds. They were also known as The Redlegs during the 1950s.
It was used as a temporary name to separate them from Communists, also called Reds, during the Red Scare.
Some other monikers are:
Cleveland Guardians nickname is The Guards. It is a shorter version of Guardians, referencing the Hope Memorial Bridge outside Progressive Field.
Known as the Indians, the ballclub changed its name to Guardians in 2021. They were previously referred to as Wahoos, a reference to the club's former logo, an Indigenous person called Chief Wahoo.
Fans started calling them Windians during the Team's 22-game winning streak in 2017. Another name that refers to the Guardians is Spardians, a combination of Sparta and Guardians, defining a team who fights like Sparta in Gladiator.
Colorado Rockies nickname, The Blake Street Bombers, is a tribute to the street where Coors Field is. They are also called The Blake Street Bullies.
Another name the fans give to the ballclub is The Rox, a homophone of rocks. During the Todd Helton era, when he was a veteran, and the Team filled its roster with all rookies and young players, the group was cited as Todd and the Toddlers.
They are also called Purple Mountains, symbolizing the club's color and the rocky mountains of Denver from where the Rockies are.
Detroit Tigers nicknames are mostly a reference to the animal tiger. These bynames include Cats, Tiggs, Tigons, Baby Tigers, and more.
However, they are most famously referred to as Bengals, a reference to Bengal Tigers, one of the biggest species.
The ballclub initially played in the minor league and has other monikers as Motor City Kitties and Declawed Tigers, which reference the 43-119 season and twelve consecutive losing seasons, respectively.
Another famous name associated with the club from Detroit, Michigan, is the Bless You Boys. It is cited based on the Team winning the World Series championship in 1984.
Houston Astros nickname Crush City refers to their 2015 campaign. They led the league in regular season home runs that year.
The Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman often called the club The Astronomical. Other names associated with the 2022 World Champions are The Stars and the 8th Wonder of the World.
The first is a homage to the team logo, whereas the latter is to the ballclubs' former stadium, The Astrodome, the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports arena. Many fans also term them Blastros for the Team's home run-hitting ability.
Kansas City Royals nickname, The Comeback Kids, is per their 2015 World Series title-winning campaign. They won eight post-season games via comeback.
They are also renowned as the "Blue Crew" or the "Boys in Blue." Both of the names are about the club's color.
The Crowns is another name frequently associated with the ballclub because of the crown symbol in the team logo and at the top of the huge video board at their ballpark, Kauffman Stadium. Some younger fans call them Yals, an abbreviation of the name Royals.
Los Angeles Angels nicknames are primarily based on the place they are from, Anaheim. Their club name was Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim until 2015.
Except for The Halos, which cites the halo of an angel and is featured on the large "A" outside the stadium, all other team tag names are associated with their home place. They include the likes of The Anaheim Angels, Los Angelinos, and California Angels.
Some other tags for the Team from Anaheim are:
Los Angeles Dodgers nicknames are very interesting. The ballclub that has undergone twelve name changes has a long list of aliases.
Some of the most famous names, like Dem Bums, Boys of Summer, and Lords of Flatbush, are from the Brooklyn years. These names are slowly fading away.
Some of the names the club is currently termed are Hollywood Swingers and Big Blue. The former corresponds to the teams' dominant batting lineups and Hollywood, whereas the latter is about the Team's color.
Miami Marlins nicknames are primarily about fish, as Marlins are a fish species. Some of those names are The Fish, Fins, and Fightin' Fish.
Initially known as the Florida Marlins, their most unique moniker is Miracle Marlins. The name is a homage to the club's two World Series titles in as many playoff appearances.
The Marlins accomplished this feat without winning a single-division title. The ballclub was also called Boys in Teal because of the Team's primary color when they were the Florida Marlins.
Milwaukee Brewers nickname, The Brew Crew, is a smaller version of the formal team name. Some fans call them The Crew as well.
Other names, such as Beermen, Beermakers, Alcoholics, Drinkers, Beer Sippers, and Boozers, are a reference for the fact that brewers make beer. Drinkers, in particular, is a name given to the Brewers fans.
Some other bynames of the Brewers are:
Minnesota Twins nickname, The Bomba Squad, was self-named by former Twins left fielder Eddie Rosario in 2019. It refers to the 2019 MLB season.
That season the Twins broke the MLB record for most homers before the All-Star break. Another familiar name is The Twinkies, a version of the formal name that also refers to a famous snack cake.
Pirhanhas was a term used by former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen referring to their aggressive small-ball style of play during the 2004 season. The Nats is another name that was used frequently in the past during the club's Washington National days.
New York Mets nickname Metropolitans is a homage to the 19th-century New York baseball club, New York Metropolitans. It is also the source of the name Mets.
Casey Stengel coined the Team Amazin' Mets when the ballclub won the World Series in 1969. Many other names have been given to the Team referring to that season, including The Miracle Mets, The Magical Mystery Mets, and The Mets Machine.
Metsies is term fans and Mets broadcasters use to show affection towards the club. They were also named The Bad Guys during the 1986 season, marked by the Team's high-level performance, hard-living lifestyles, and conflicts on and off the field.
New York Yankees nicknames are some of the unique in the league. But none is better than the late 1920s tag, Murderer's Row.
The name referred to the stellar hitting prowess of the ballclub, which included the likes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Bronx Bombers and Baby Bombers are other names given to the club, primarily due to the Team's home run-hitting capabilities.
'Damn Yankees' was used by many detractor fans around MLB because the Yankees won twenty-seven World Series, the highest in MLB history. There is also a musical comedy play and book of the same name.
Oakland Athletics nickname, The A's, is an abbreviation of the formal club name. Charles O. Finley emphasized the title during his ownership period.
The Team was called Mackman during their Philadelphia playing days, regarding then manager Connie Mack. Paying homage to the 1970 championship team, the ballclub was called Swingin' A's and Amazin' A's.
The White Elephant is a tag that refers to the club's mascot. Hall of Fame manager John McGraw was one of many who called the Athletics with that name.
Philadelphia Phillies nicknames include Phils and The Fightin' Phils. The former is the shorter version of the Team's name.
Their fans gave the latter for their hard-nosed style of play. The Red Pinstripes is another name related to the club because of their red pinstriped uniforms.
Other names fans call them are Whiz Kids and Wheeze Kids referring to their 1950 and 1983 NL-winning sides. The former refers to their young squad of 1950, whereas the latter is for lack of youth.
The Cardiac Kids is a name that was given as respect for their 1980 World Series win. However, the term first appeared during the 1950s.
Pittsburgh Pirates nickname, The Buccaneers, is a synonym for Pirates. The name is mostly used in shorter versions like The Bucs and The Buccos.
Black and Gold is a name used for the club's color. Some fans also call them the Steel City Pirates, referring to the city of Pittsburgh.
One of the most used monikers is The Family, used during the 1970 World Series winning season of the ballclub. It is derived from the song. We Are Family, which later became the Team's theme song.
San Diego Padres nicknames The Pads is an abbreviation of the name Padres. They are also known as The Friars, a homage to Spanish Franciscan friars.
Friars were the ones who founded San Diego. Another version of the name is The Swinging Friars, referring to the logo of the friar swinging a baseball bat and the club's mascot.
During the 2020 MLB season, the Padres' scored a grand slam in four consecutive games, prompting the fans to call them Slam Diego Padres. They are also known as The Boys in Brown due to the Team's color.
San Francisco Giants nicknames Boys from the Bay and Bay Bombers because of their location. The ballclub is from California, the Bay Area.
Orange and Black, Orange Nation, and Orange Giants refer to the Team's color code. One of the most popular monikers for the club is The G-Men.
The name is a reference to a tag given to a government agent. They share this name with the NFL team they used to share a stadium, the New York Giants.
Seattle Mariners nickname Mariners was selected to honor the Marine culture of Seattle. The fans often call them from a shorter version, The M's.
Their Spanish fans often use the name Los Marineros for the club, a Spanish translation. Emerald City Mariners is another tag for the ballclub, referring to the city of Seattle.
Other bynames like Blue and Teal, Blue and Gold, and Blue and Yellow reference the MLB Team's past and present colors. Some fans also use synonyms of the club name Mariners, like Sailors, Seafarers, and Seamen.
St. Louis Cardinals nicknames The Cards is a shorter version of the club name. They were previously named The Brown Stockings.
Most of their tags reference birds, as the Cardinal is a red bird species. Thus, the names The Redbirds, Birds, Birds on a Bat, and El Birdos emerged.
They were also known as The Rally Birds when they won the 2011 World Series. The name was given because they were the underdogs and were more than ten games behind the Wild Card standings before they rallied to go on to win it all.
Tampa Bay Rays nickname, The Rays, is a short form of their previous Team name Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The D-Rays is another version of the term.
Some even call them by the name Devils. Most names given to the ballclub have the club name Rays, like Manta Rays, Eagle Rays, Sun Rays, Shining Rays, and more.
All these names refer to the team name and logo, the Devil Rays.
Texas Rangers nickname, Power Rangers, was famous from the 1990s to the early 2010s. The name was because of their slugging style during that period.
Lone Stars is a moniker for the ball club because of Texas, the Lone Star State. As the club has a very weak history in MLB regarding success, many call them the Strangers as well.
Toronto Blue Jays nickname, The Blue Birds, is due to their mascot being Blue Jay, a bird species. The Jays and The Birds are variations of the name.
When the club is doing good, fans call them the Flying Jays and Woo Jays, whereas when the ballclub is not doing so well, many people call them Blow Jays and Who Theys.
The Blue Hyays is a moniker based on the team name's Spanish version.
Washington Nationals nickname Natspos combines the club's current and former names. The ballclub was formerly called Montreal Expos.
One of the most recent names given to the Team is Fighters and Fightin' Nats. The name became famous after the Nationals won the 2019 World Series after a start of 19-31 and came from behind in all their post-season games to win.
For a brief time in 2014, fans called the ballclub the Walk-Off City. It was due to a streak of games where the Nationals won via walk-offs.
