The Savannah Bananas, the wildly popular independent baseball team known for its unique spin on the game, will take "Banana Ball" to 18 Major League Baseball stadiums and three football stadiums in 2025, as revealed on Thursday.
According to ESPN, team owner Jesse Cole expects sellout crowds at every venue. "We played in front of 1 million fans this past year," Cole told ESPN. "We're playing in front of 2 million fans next year. Maybe that sounds boastful, but our waitlist is at 3 million right now."
Joining the Bananas on their 39-game tour, which runs from March through September, are the Party Animals, the Firefighters, and a new addition: the Texas Tailgaters.
The football stadiums hosting Banana Ball games will be Memorial Stadium (Clemson), Nissan Stadium (home of the Tennessee Titans), and Bank of America Stadium (home of the Carolina Panthers).
The Bananas will also play two games each at the stadiums of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, and Miami Marlins.
These stops were announced during the team's "world tour city draft" streamed on YouTube Thursday night, followed by the launch of a ticket lottery on the Bananas' website.
This year, Banana Ball made appearances at six MLB stadiums (Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Cleveland, and Washington) where it drew massive crowds. Tens of thousands of fans arrived hours early to take part in pregame festivities. Prominent former MLB players like Ryan Howard, Roger Clemens, Jamie Moyer, Shane Victorino, Corey Kluber, Jonny Gomes, and Josh Reddick participated in those games.
Banana Ball started just over five years ago with a mission to make baseball faster and more fan-focused. Today, it’s played year-round by the Bananas and their affiliated teams.
The game follows 11 quirky rules: stepping out of the batter's box means a strike, bunting gets you ejected, and mound visits are not allowed. Each inning stands on its own, and games last just two hours. Fans can challenge calls and even catch foul balls to record outs.
Walks also take on a twist. On the fourth ball, batters sprint around the bases while the defense must throw the ball to every fielder before the runner can stop. In the event of a wild pitch or passed ball, batters can "steal first" at any time, regardless of the count. Instead of extra innings, there’s a one-on-one duel with only a pitcher, catcher, and one fielder remaining on the field while the batter tries for an inside-the-park home run.
A new "golden batter" rule also allows each team to bring in any player from any spot in the lineup at a critical moment.
Cole’s innovation in baseball is now featured at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, as part of an exhibit launched in September 2023. Thursday's announcements also included the creation of a Banana Ball Championship League, set to debut in 2026 with six teams, as Cole aims to "take Banana Ball all over the world."
In 2015, Cole and his wife, Emily, bought what was once the Class A affiliate of the New York Mets in Georgia, transforming it into a collegiate summer league team. Despite initially racking up $1 million in debt, the couple sold their home in North Carolina, emptied their savings, and moved to Savannah to build their vision of baseball, bringing new energy to a sport steeped in tradition.
