Best minor league baseball nicknames: Trash Pandas, Biscuits are top seeds in this bracket

Best minor league baseball nicknames: Trash Pandas, Biscuits are top seeds in this bracket

‘Tis the season to put everything in a bracket and vote on a championship.

After all, the NCAA tournament shouldn’t hold a monopoly on brackets in March. From the best all-time TV show to the best Billy Joel song to, at AL.com last year, the best American Idol contestants, brackets are everywhere this time of year.

And so now there is minor league baseball – known for its unique, distinctive or, in some opinions, stupid nicknames – to let fans vote on which is the best.

The Athletic has taken on that task this month and on Monday unveiled its 64-nickname bracket. And the top overall seed? Take a bow in Madison, Ala. The Trash Pandas begin at the top of the bracket as the presumptive favorite. Or, in the minds of those folks at The Athletic, they already think the Trash Pandas have the best nickname.

But what nickname might be the biggest threat to defeat the Trash Pandas? Hello, Montgomery, Ala. The Biscuits are the No. 1 seed in the Goobers bracket and the second overall seed.

So, yes, two nicknames embraced by their community that also had their share of detractors have not only persevered but prospered. And needless to say, no other state has two top-seeded minor league nicknames. In fact, no other time zone other than the Central has two top-seeded minor league nicknames.

While they aren’t No. 1 seeds like their in-state rivals, the Birmingham Barons check in as a No. 7 seed in the Gasbags region – where the top seed are the Yard Goats from Hartford. The other No. 1 seed, leading the Hoo-Hoos region, are the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Voting is underway Monday in the Biscuit-led Goobers region. The Biscuits face off against the Beloit Sky Carp. Click here or here to cast your vote. It should be noted that in 2015 (before the Trash Pandas came into existence), the Biscuits were crowned as having the best nickname in minor league baseball in bracket voting conducting by The Sporting News.

Voting will begin Tuesday in the Trash Pandas’ Why Not region with the TPs voting off against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. And later this week, the Barons will aim for more clicks than the 10th-seeded Aberdeen IronBirds.

So even though your March Madness bracket is likely shattered at this point, just remember that in March, there is always another bracket somewhere.