Major League Baseball may be on the horizon in Utah.
In May, USA Today insider Bob Nightengale reported Salt Lake City to be a “heavy favorite” to receive a team upon the league’s next expansion, with play starting sometime in the early 2030s.
There’s clearly an appetite for big league baseball among Utahns. It sounds like a blast — just think about the Opening Day festivities, pennant races, walk-off home runs, trade deadline drama, rain and snow delays, sunny afternoon weekday games, dollar hot dog nights, wins against the New York Yankees, seventh inning stretches, playoff celebrations and ceremonial first pitches from Donny Osmond, Post Malone and whichever current Utah influencers are still relevant by then.
The Larry H. Miller company-fronted Big League Utah coalition has been lobbying since 2023 for an MLB team in the Beehive State, even unveiling plans for a 100-acre stadium district project on Salt Lake City’s west side.
A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll from earlier this year found that nearly 7 in 10 Utah residents were in favor of receiving a local ballclub, and the consistently strong support for other teams in the state — especially the NHL’s Mammoth — would suggest the market to be ripe for MLB action.
There’s been plenty of chatter online regarding Utah’s MLB future. Such discussion has ranged from ideas for ballpark features to league divisional realignment suggestions and even worries about how pitchers will fare in the elevation.
But one topic has dominated the conversation: What will this potential team be called?
Utah’s current sports branding is top tier. The Jazz name is iconic, “Mammoth” has quickly proven to be a popular choice and Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC have slick identities as well. Thus, the bar will be high for an MLB team name. They can’t afford to get it wrong.
Scrolling through social media, some of the most popular name proposals include the Utah Outlaws, Utah Gulls, Utah Cutthroats, Utah Black Diamonds AND Utah Pioneers. Some have suggested the longtime minor league Bees brand get called up to the majors.
But there’s a different minor league team that should be chosen for an MLB name: the legendary Salt Lake City Trappers.
The Trappers may have only existed from 1985-92, but they experienced the highest highs of any other Utah ballclub, capturing Pioneer League championships in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1991.
Most importantly, the Trappers hold Utah’s premier claim to baseball fame, winning 29 consecutive games in 1987 to set the record for longest win streak in professional baseball history.
The famed streak resulted in sold-out crowds at Derks Field and nationwide media coverage from the likes of Sports Illustrated, ESPN, CNN and other prominent outlets.
The Trappers even made it to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as a ball signed by the entire team and a few other items currently reside in Cooperstown to commemorate their place in baseball history.
None of the ‘87 Trappers ever reached the Major League level, yet they’re all in the Hall of Fame. How can you not be romantic about baseball?
The Trappers were further immortalized in a recent documentary, “The Streak,” which won the Nashville Film Festival’s Audience Award in 2024 and received a theatrical release in Utah last summer.
It’s a fascinating, excellent film, one that can be enjoyed whether you love baseball or can’t stand it. I highly recommend checking it out on DVD or streaming — by the end, you’ll be on the “Utah Trappers” MLB bandwagon.
The “Trappers” name has deep historical and baseball roots in Utah. The color, jersey and logo possibilities are endless — as long as they keep the classic red and blue Trappers look (including the “SL” cap) as a throwback or alternate uniform. And let’s be real, “Trappers” is just flat-out fun to say.
Some people might be reading this and think that “Trappers” is an unserious, goofy or nonsensical option.
But have you ever heard of the Dodgers? What about the Blazers, Oilers, Clippers, Pacers, Chargers or Raiders? The Steelers? Surely the Lakers have crossed your mind before, right?
Even if they seem somewhat strange if you think about them for too long, there’s a certain charm to all of those names, and “Trappers” would certainly fit the bill.
And if baseball’s next strategic revolution took place in Salt Lake, wouldn’t “Trapperball” be such a cool subsequent movie title? It definitely beats “Black Diamondball” or “Cutthroatball,” which sounds like a prom hosted at Bass Pro Shop.
Hopefully MLB does end up smiling upon Utah in the form of an expansion team — and hopefully we all catch Trappers fever.
