Innovation at Bat: The Savannah Bananas

In early 2024, the Savannah Bananas were more popular than ever. The team provided an innovative mix of baseball and entertainment—with everything from dancing base coaches to a batter on stilts—that sold out ballparks nationwide, captivated fans through social media, and disrupted an entire market. The organization’s philosophy of “Fans first, entertain always” created an atmosphere that drew thousands of spectators to each game and millions online. The Bananas’ 2024 home-game and touring schedule was completely sold out, and their leadership team, led by owner Jesse Cole, had to decide on a strategy for moving forward: one that could bring their modified version of baseball, called Banana Ball, to as many fans as possible while retaining the joy and fan focus at the heart of each Bananas game. Where should the Savannah Bananas go from here? At the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, this case is used in the second-year MBA “Venture Capital Leadership” course to discuss innovation and market disruption. It would also be suitable in courses covering marketing, strategy, and leadership.