Today’s breakout baseball stars aren’t chasing RBIs – they’re chasing TikTok views.

The Savannah Bananas have gone from scrappy summer league to a national touring sensation with sold-out games (shoutout Fenway Park), live ESPN coverage and its very own cruise. “Bananaland at Sea” sails again in February … and it’s already 85% booked.

@the_bananas_queen Best vacation ever #bananalandatsea #savbananas #thepartyanimals #thefirefighters #texastailgaters #bananaland #savannahbananas #cruise #fyp #mammamia #dancingqueen ♬ Dancing Queen – Mamma Mia Songs

The key to their success? Setting the rule book on fire.

  • Games are capped at two hours.
  • No bunting. Bat flips welcome.
  • If a fan catches a foul ball? That’s an out.
  • Umpires twerk. Players break into dance mid-inning.
  • Expect stilts. Kilts. Dry ice. Trick plays. Backflips.
  • And yes, a senior citizen dance crew called the Banana Nanas. Because nobody puts granny in a corner.


“We’re not trying to be the best at baseball,” said Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole. “We’re trying to be the most fun.”

@thesavbananas Baby got LEGS 🤭 #savannahbananas #baseball #baseballlife #bananaball #mlb #dance #stilts #viral #fypシ #babygotback #baseballboys ♬ Baby Got Back by lorixasiaa x donn3ydon – lorixasiaa🎀.

And fans? Utterly obsessed.

You can’t just buy tickets – you enter a raffle and hope for the best. Even with that built-in barrier, every home game sells out. Every. Single. One. At one point, someone even offered $1 million for tickets. The team turned it down.

“We will always be focused on long‑term fans over short‑term profits,” Cole said. “If we take care of the fans, the revenue takes care of itself.”

That customer first mindset – paired with three-ring circus energy – is working. Banana Ball has morphed into a full-blown league, complete with rival teams like the Party Animals, Firefighters and Texas Tailgaters – each with their own outlandish shticks and merch to match. Two new teams are set to be announced in October.

The Virginia-based Tri-City Chili Peppers took one look at the Bananas and said, “Cool. Now let’s turn off the lights.”

That’s how Cosmic Baseball was born – a blacklight rebrand of the game with more neon than an early 2000s rave. That means a glowing ball, glowing bats, glowing bases, glowing uniforms, glowing … well, just about everything. If it glows, it goes. Think: festival vibes, with a side of nachos.

And of course, fans show up with branded merch, all blacklight friendly: Chili Pepper jerseys, T-shirts, hats, cups, stickers, pens, plushies, foam fingers – you name it, it’s available and it’ll shine bright in the stands.

@mamatried024 #tricitychilipeppers #cosmic #cosmicbaseball #baseball #glowinthedark ♬ MILLION DOLLAR BABY (VHS) – Tommy Richman

Their 2025 Cosmic Takeover Tour hits seven cities, and tickets are already hot. And like the Bananas’ games, tickets are only available by lottery (unless you splurge on a VIP group package). Corporate team-building event, anyone?

The Bananas and Chili Peppers have cracked the code of niche sporting events: Give people something they can’t stop talking about – and something they can wear, post or wave around in foam form – and they’ll do the rest of the marketing for you.