Are you curious about the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ 2026 season? Check out everything you need to know here, from the team’s history to its lineup.
It might sound cliché, but sports really do bring people together—and we’re not just talking about the players. Yes, they form tight-knit communities because they spend so much time together, but hardcore fans and casual onlookers alike also form bonds based on their common interests. This is true for all sports, from hockey and curling to football and soccer, but we’d argue it’s doubly so for baseball. There’s a reason it’s America’s favorite pastime, after all.
Sitting in the stands of a baseball game conjured vivid images. Buttery popcorn, steaming hot dogs, and soda filled to the brim of plastic cups accompany most attendees as they watch the players swing, hit, and miss their way through the innings. And if you’re in New Hampshire, you’re likely to experience this at a Fisher Cats game.
Our beautiful state doesn’t have a Major League Baseball team, but it is home to the Fisher Cats, an AA team in the minors. The Fisher Cats play out of the Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, which overlooks the Merrimack River and houses 69 games a year, per MILB.com. Want to get in on the action? Here’s what you need to know about the team’s history, lineup, and 2026 season.
When did the Fisher Cats begin, and how did the team get its name?
We know that the Fisher Cats’ home stadium is Manchester, but to truly understand New Hampshire’s Minor League Baseball team, we need to delve into its history. For one, the Fisher Cats almost had a different name. According to New Hampshire Public Radio, the team’s name was nearly rooted in politics. The proposed name was the Primaries, and the logo would’ve included both a donkey and an elephant to symbolize our nation’s Democrat and Republican parties.
Per MILB.com, the team as we know it was birthed in 2003 as a transplant team from New Haven, Conn., and as you could likely guess, folks really didn’t like its proposed name. They quickly let the beings with power know that it was a ridiculous concept, leading the name and logo getting scrapped and lost to time. This is hardly the first sports team to change its name. Other examples include the Cleveland Indians becoming the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays dropping the “Devil” from their team moniker.
Now, you may be wondering what fisher cats even are. For the uninitiated, fisher cats, more commonly known simply as fishers, are lean mammals that resemble otters or weasels. They’re found all across New England, though in dwindling numbers, per research published by the University of New Hampshire. Still, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, these animals move in a serious stride, covering a lot of land in search of food (think other small mammals, porcupines, and the like). As such, you shouldn’t expect to see one in a single place for too long.
So, the team ultimately left behind its star-spangled theme for one that embraces the swift nature of this animal. The team played its first season in 2004 and has been a mainstay of the minor league since.
A quick refresher on the Fisher Cats’ 2025 season
Look, life is hectic, so we get it if you don’t remember exactly how the Fisher Cats’ 2025 season panned out. As laid out by Baseball America, 2025 sadly wasn’t the Fisher Cats’ best season. The team lost 81 of its 137 matches, leaving a disproportionate 56 wins to its name. Still, the website notes that the team is second in the northeast division, which includes the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Hartford Yard Goats, Portland Sea Dogs, Reading Fightin Phils, and Somerset Patriots in addition to the Fisher Cats. Here’s hoping 2026 is kinder to our hometown heroes!
Changes to the Fisher Cats’ lineup in 2026
New Hampshire’s Fisher Cats team has 38 active players on its roster, as well as six coaching staff members. Leading the Cats are manager John Tamargo Jr., bench coach Mike McRae, hitting coach Mitch Huckabay, pitching coach Austin Bibens Dirkx, assistant pitching coach Robelin Bautista, and coach Luis Silva.
Some of the team’s 38 players are new for the 2026 season. These include catcher William Simoneit, left-handed pitcher Brendan Cellucci, and outfielders Ismael Munguia and Jorge Burgos. On the other hand, the team lost right-handed pitcher Justin Kelly.
These switch-ups are to be expected every year, with contracts expiring, people moving, and so forth. For example, many players elected free agency after the 2025 season ended, opening them up to new deals after spending a minimum of six years in the league (via MLB.com). These include center fielder Gabriel Martinez, right-handed pitcher Bobby Milacki, shortstop Eddinson Paulino, and infielder Alex De Jesus, among others.
The good news is that while you may not see your favorite player on the Fisher Cats in 2026, you can still find them on whichever lucky team secured them.
When does the Fisher Cats’ 2026 season start?
Ready to see these Minor League Baseball players in action? The Fisher Cats’ 2026 season officially begins on Friday, April 3, when the team will face off against Alabama’s Binghamton Rumble Ponies at home in Delta Dental Stadium. The Cats will play the Barons again for the next two days, racking up three days of excitement and fun for fans that will include fireworks on opening night. Fireworks will subsequently fire over the arena during every Friday home game for the rest of the season.
Following the Barons, the Cats will play the Portland Sea Dogs, the Chesapeake Baysox, and the Reading Fightin Phils in April. From there, the team’s official schedule runs until Sep. 13 this year. The penultimate week of the season will again see Fisher Cats duke it out with the Barons for several days in a row, but the Cats’ final opponent of 2026 will be Pennsylvania’s Harrisburg Senators. The Cats will play them six days in a row from Sep. 8 to Sep. 13.
How much do Fisher Cats tickets cost in 2026?
Seeing the Fisher Cats is an exhilarating experience, and luckily, you can get tickets to the team’s games directly from its website. What’s more, the tickets are fairly inexpensive, especially compared to other forms of entertainment, like concerts. Tickets for the season’s opening game range between $14 and $30 at the time of writing.
Want to support the Fisher Cats frequently? Season passes to Delta Dental Stadium cost between $644 to $716. Yes, it’s more of an investment than a single ticket or two, but it’s a good deal for die-hard fans. And if you have a few extra bucks lying around after buying your ticket, you can always check out New Hampshire’s sport betting, which raised $100 million for education in its first four years of being legal.
Where to park for Fisher Cats games
Attending a Fisher Cats game sounds like it’s all fun and, well, games until it comes time to park—the most stressful part of any outing. But fret not: The stadium has a parking garage next to it, making it easy to situate yourself inside and then quickly walk over to the game. It’s called the SNHU Millyard Parking Garage (located at 169 South Commercial St, Manchester, NH 03101), and it costs just $10. To make matters even easier, tickets to park can be purchased online ahead of time. No fidgeting with outdated ticket boxes here!
The food scene at the Fisher Cats’ Delta Dental Stadium
If you’re like us, you want a good bite to savor while you watch the game, and thankfully, you’ll have no problem securing some good grub at Delta Dental Stadium. Most of what you’ll find is standard for stadiums and arenas, but that’s part of the classic baseball experience, right? This stadium has three food stands where you can purchase pizza slices, chicken tenders, burgers, popcorn, and more.
Now for the disappointing news: There’s a Sam Adams Brewhouse located at the stadium, but it’s not favorably reviewed online despite being the only proper restaurant on the property. Countless people grab beers and other drinks here and never think twice about it, but the restaurant holds an astonishingly low 1.5-star rating on Yelp and 2-star rating on TripAdvisor. Reviewers largely attribute their reviews to feeling like the staff wasn’t friendly, the food was overpriced, and the food wasn’t tasty enough or in too-small of portions. (By contrast, Delta Dental Stadium itself has a 4-star Yelp rating and a 4.5-star TripAdvisor rating.)
