The Winston-Salem Dash, the High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox in the South Atlantic League, is escalating the minor league spice war with the introduction of a new alternate identity, the Carolina Reapers. The name is a tribute to the second hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper, only surpassed on the Scoville scale by the lone Pepper X.
The alternate identity ups the ante for the slightly spicy Tri-City Chili Peppers, a Virginia-based summer college team in the Coastal Plain League, and the Gastonia Ghost Peppers, an independent Atlantic League team named after the world’s eighth-hottest pepper.
North Carolina is well known for its association with hot peppers. Smokin’ pepper breeder Ed Currie of PuckerButt Pepper Company, the creator of the Carolina Reaper, is based in the state. The pepper is approximately 200 times hotter than jalapenos.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Smokin’ Ed and PuckerButt Pepper Company to bring the Carolina Reapers to life in 2026,” said Dash President and General Manager Brian DeAngelis. “This brand is spicy, brave and distinctly local – the perfect way to connect with our fans while celebrating the creativity and fun that make Minor League Baseball such a unique experience.”
Dash’s custom Reapers t-shirts are meant to represent a Scoville scale ranging from green at the bottom to red at the top. The script “Carolina Reapers” is written in bone-shaped letters against a tombstone. The cap logo features a Grim Reaper with a scythe made from the iconic capsicum.
