Pirates' Triple-A Affiliate Changes Logo, Uniform

The Pittsburgh Pirates' Triple-A affiliate made some fashion changes ahead of the 2026 season.
Infielder for the Indianapolis Indians, Josh Bissonette, poses for a photo on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at Victory Field in Indianapolis.
Infielder for the Indianapolis Indians, Josh Bissonette, poses for a photo on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at Victory Field in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will keep their uniform and logo the same heading into next season, but one of their minor league affiliates has already made changes.

The Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pirates unveiled a new uniform and logo that they'll wear heading into 2026, their 124th season of existence.

The Indians are changing their uniform, for the first time in 32 years, as they move away from just a red, white and black color way to "Wrought Iron Blue", which is the color for the "Indians" name on the home jersey, which is white, and "INDPLS" on the road jersey, which is "Cloud" or grey.

The alternate jersey has the same "Indians" stylization as the home jersey, but is colored white and the jersey itself is crimson red.

Indianapolis started the rebrand back in February 2023, as they undertook a year-long study that looked at whether they should abandon the "Indians" nickname, as other teams have done, such as the Cleveland Guardians, who were previously the Cleveland Indians.

They decided not to do that, partnering with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana, which includes a land acknowledgment that is read before every home game, a Miami scholarship program and opportunities for fans to learn about Native American history, according to Dana Hunsinger Benbow of the Indianapolis Star.

Indianapolis now has an "INDY" monogram, plus a traditional blackletter "I", that is in the middle of the logo, that also has a red diamond from their 1920s logo, which is encircled by a border that is inspired by the ribbon work of the Miami Nation of Indians, who worked with the team on the design.

Team hats and caps both have the "INDY" monogram and the traditional blackletter "I" on them.

The Indianapolis Indians have served as the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate since 2005 and the 2026 season will serve as the 22nd season they've been together. They were also together for four seasons from 1948-51, as the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate.

Pittsburgh Pirates Indianapolis Indians Bubba Chandler
Indianapolis Indians starting pitcher Bubba Chandler (53) throws to Louisville Bats outfielder Blake Dunn (32) during the third inning of a game Sunday, May 18, 2025, at Victory Field in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some great Pirates players have come through Indianapolis, including 2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen, 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes and more recently, star rookie Bubba Chandler.

Indianapolis will also likely have Konnor Griffin, the top prospect in baseball, plus second baseman Termarr Johnson, the Pirates' sixth best prospect according to MLB Pipeline, playing with them in 2026.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.