I’m going to be honest: I have absolutely no idea how I ended up here. This morning, the Savannah Bananas weren’t even really on my radar. And yet, here I am six hours later, completely down the rabbit hole of their history, their players, their vlogs, their choreography, their social media and their performances, with one thought in mind: I want to attend one of their games – and hopefully somehow get tickets, like the four million people currently on the ticket interest list. And I don’t just want to attend a game, I want to cover one and meet the entire organization.
So here we are. It all happened so fast. Maybe a little too fast. But let’s go back to the beginning.
It All Started With Derek Klena
I’m a huge Derek Klena fan. For those who don’t know him, Derek is a leading Broadway star known for roles like Dimitri in Anastasia and Christian in Moulin Rouge!. So naturally, when videos of him started popping up on my social media – dressed entirely in yellow and singing on baseball fields – I watched. But I didn’t really understand what I was watching. In my head, Derek was probably doing some kind of halftime performance. Maybe an opening number before a game. I’d watch the videos, think they were absolutely fantastic, and then keep scrolling.
And then yesterday, I finally asked myself: What exactly are the Savannah Bananas?
Huge mistake. Because six hours later, I was still there. Six hours! I learned about the history of the league, went back through the team’s timeline all the way to 2016, watched Coach RAC’s YouTube videos, went through KJ and Jackson’s Instagram, caught up on all Derek’s performances I had missed, watched an entire game replay, rewatched most of the choreographies and probably consumed enough content to pass an exam on Banana Ball.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, I realized I was hooked. I wasn’t trying to figure out what the Savannah Bananas were anymore. I had become a fan.
Before the Players, Let’s Talk About Jesse Cole
Because it would be very easy to sum up the Savannah Bananas as a bunch of guys who dance a lot and do absurd things on a baseball field. But that would be completely missing the point. Behind all of this is Jesse Cole. A big dreamer, obsessed with Walt Disney and what he created for the public. Jesse Cole started this journey by buying a struggling baseball team, the Gastonia Grizzlies, before launching the Savannah Bananas with his wife, Emily.
And they didn’t build this project from the comfort of an already-profitable business with millions of dollars behind them. They took risks, a lot of risks. They went heavily into debt to keep the team running and get people to believe in their vision. At one point, when things clearly weren’t going as planned, Jesse and Emily sold their house and used their savings to keep going. But they believed in the idea so strongly that they kept pushing forward. And that idea can be summed up in one very simple sentence: Fans First. Entertain Always.
This isn’t just a phrase stuck on a wall to look nice. It’s the foundation of everything they built. In Savannah, tickets are intentionally affordable -around $35 – and all-you-can-eat food is included. Yes… in 2026! The entire experience is designed around giving the audience the best possible show. And apparently, it’s working.
Today, his teams fill massive stadiums, attract tens of thousands of people, appear on television and participate in events that go far beyond baseball.
The Concept Is Actually Pretty Simple: Make People Smile
Everything seems to be based on that idea. Whatever the outcome of the game, you may forget the score. But you won’t forget one of the player’s entrance, the senior cheerleaders’ (the Banana Nanas) or the quirky male cheerleaders’ (the Man-Nanas) dance moves. The interactions, the costumes, the dances, the numbers, the completely ridiculous things happening on the field between plays, the meet-and-greets with the team before AND after the game.
And I find that fascinating because I come from sports and sports communications myself. I worked for four years doing social media for a national football team. So I know this world pretty well: players, fans, games, content, events, charities, behind-the-scenes access, and the constant need to build a relationship between a team and its community. But the Savannah Bananas take that idea and push it to the extreme. A fan isn’t simply someone who attends a sporting event. They’re part of a show designed first and foremost for them.
I Found Exactly What Was Missing From My Life
The Savannah Bananas are basically the perfect combination of several things that make me instantly happy: sports, musical theatre, social media, entertainment, pop culture and humor. Disney Channel. Taylor Swift. Glee. High School Musical. The Greatest Showman. One Direction. And plenty more – millenial – references. Name it, they’ve done it! Of course I was going to fall for this.
There’s something really cool about this blend of sports and entertainment. These athletes who have to be able to perform physically, play a game, train, rehearse dance routines and entertain thousands of people.
And then I started seeing this comment over and over again in the comments section of their videos: “Proof that Troy Bolton could do both.” And honestly? I love how that sentence sums up the whole experience perfectly. For anyone who lived under a rock and missed High School Musical, Troy Bolton wants to be both a basketball player and a performer. Except everyone kept telling him he had to choose. Sports or theater? The court or the stage? Athlete or artist? The Savannah Bananas are literally proof that he could do both.
Then Coach RAC’s YouTube Channel Pulled Me Even Deeper
He’s probably the reason I really got into their world. Watching RAC’s YouTube videos – backflip king and unofficial Benson Boone’s lookalike – I felt like I was following an influencer. His videos have all the elements of a vlog I could watch for hours. He masters storytelling and brings you into his everyday life: game days, practices, behind-the-scenes moments, interactions with the other players, challenges, moments of self-reflection and everything in between.
He’s a full-time content creator documenting his life as a player and appears to edit a good portion of his videos himself. And for that: Respect. Because this guy plays, trains, travels, rehearses choreography, performs, spends time with fans, takes care of his daughter… And on top of all that, he (and his staff) produces enough content to run a YouTube channel.
And he’s far from the only one. Many of the players from the league are active across social platforms and constantly creating content. From what I’ve gathered, part of their compensation may even be tied to their online presence. The more you see the players off the field, the more attached you become to the people behind the athletes. And suddenly, a team I didn’t even know existed that morning starts to feel like a group of guys I’ve known for months.
We Need to Talk About KJ…
Okay, if you know, you know. Contrary to what I would like you to believe, I did not discover KJ through an in-depth analysis of his content strategy. Nope I watched this video and drooled over him. Okay, there I said it. I wondered why he had that weird haircut, scrolled past him, went back, laughed at his clumsy dance moves, watched a video a second time, scrolled again with a very obvious smile on my face. Then I did what any perfectly sane woman would do in that situation: I Googled his age. And then… well, I cried. Not literally. But internally? Absolutely. Why are there so many hot guys born after 2000? WHY?
Anyway.
KJ is ALWAYS smiling, and he’s apparently a huge Zac Efron and Justin Bieber fan – at least judging by his performance choices. There’s something completely magnetic and attractive about him. Not only that, but he’s freaking funny and adorable, incredibly attentive with fans, especially kids. He speaks openly about mental health and talks about his girlfriend with heart-sharped eyes. He’s involved in the community, polite, dedicated, constantly in a good mood, and most importantly, he genuinely seems happy to be there.
I’ll spare you the details about his faith, which clearly shapes a lot of his personality. America, God bless…
GREEN FLAGS ALERT!
This is probably the moment when my interest officially turned into an obsession. Because behind all these guys clowning around on a baseball field, I’m discovering athletes who seem deeply committed to the whole concept. They keep saying that they chose to be part of this league and to put competition second. They chose to learn choreographed routines while proudly embracing their feminine side. They chose not to take themselves too seriously and to participate in completely WTF sequences that sometimes make them look silly. And if they were offered a spot in MLB, most of them wouldn’t even want it. They’d rather have fun and fully embrace the weirdness of what they do.
And then there’s their devotion to the fans. I’ve already mentioned it, but I don’t think you fully understand what it means until you’ve watched some of these guys’ game-day vlogs. I know these routines well, and normally, an athlete’s pre-game routine is a complete bubble where focus and preparation come first. Getting mentally and physically ready on the field is a huge part of it. The Savannah Bananas, on the other hand, spend more time interacting with their fans. They do autograph sessions, take pictures and group dances before AND after the game. They never seem to run out of energy for it.
I don’t know whether it’s their personalities, their team culture or the project itself that creates this, but there’s something truly touching about the way they engage with people. I’ve rarely seen such kindness among young athletes – this willingness to serve their community and look out for others.
Oh, and did I mention that every team has a woman on its roster? The teams are technically co-ed. I went from: “This is really funny.” to: “Oh gosh. I actually love everything about this.”
Because Behind the Chaos, There’s an Insane Amount of Work.
This is probably what impresses me the most when I look back on it. You see the final product and think: “Okay, these guys are completely crazy.” But behind every little dance, there are hours of rehearsal. That’s extra time they have to find in an already packed schedule. These guys train, travel, learn and rehearse choreography, memorize positions and song lyrics. They have to be able to perform in front of thousands of people. And they do it over and over until everything looks natural enough to make you believe none of it was rehearsed.
That is an insane amount of work. And that’s exactly what makes their ability to let go even more admirable. Even when they miss a step. Even when they’re slightly off-beat. Even when something doesn’t go as planned. It doesn’t matter. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is to have fun.
A Few Words About Jackson Olson
Because apparently one activity wasn’t enough for him, we need to stop for two seconds and talk about his case. The Golden Boy, who has long been one of the faces of the team, is managing to play a full Savannah Bananas season AND compete on Dancing with the Stars at the same time.
Just think about all the rehearsals, travel and preparation that goes into that. It’s quite impressive.
I Guess I Don’t Hate Yellow After All
Another confession: I hate yellow. I sincerely think it’s one of the ugliest colors in the world. And yet, here I am watching the Savannah Bananas covered in yellow and thinking to myself: “…it’s actually not that bad.” They have somehow converted me to a color I’ve probably despised my entire life. There may or may not even be a team jersey currently in transit from the online store to my house.
By the way, there’s another detail I clearly never thought about before I started watching baseball: uniforms are very, very tight-fitting. Is that comfortable to wear during an entire game and while moving around that much? I have questions. Any volunteers to answer them?
Eternal Respect for the Camera crew
I also can’t talk about the Bananas without talking about the production crews who follow these players everywhere during those two-hour games. Because these people literally run like crazy with their equipment to give us the most immersive experience possible. They’re the true heroes behind the success of all those viral videos, and their work is absolutely essential to the phenomenon.
The POV and behind-the-scenes videos sometimes get just as many views as the players’ performances. And people absolutely acknowledge their skills in the comments. And that really warms my heart.
Let’s quickly get Back to Derek.
As if I didn’t already have enough reasons to become completely hooked, there’s Show Starts Now, the 2026 opening song for the games. Performed by Derek Klena and written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. I’m seriously not joking. At this point, I can’t even pretend to be objective anymore. And if you’re wondering who Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are – they’re none other than the composers and songwriting duo behind La La Land and The Greatest Showman. There you go…
I’m convinced Derek is somehow behind all of this. Or at least that’s what I want to believe. The show. The music. The sports. The choreography. Derek. Pasek & Paul. It’s all there. It’s incredible! It’s magnificent!
If I haven’t convinced you to join me in this whirlwind of excitement, honestly, I don’t know what else I can do.
Overwhelmed by How Big This Actually Is
Naive as I am, after spending six hours down the rabbit hole, I told myself I’d simply book the first flight to Savannah and grab a pair of tickets for the next game. That was without taking into account the lottery system – which closed in 2025 – and a waiting list with several million people on it. EXCUSE ME?
Okay, I’ll admit that sold-out NFL stadiums should have tipped me off. Just like the TV appearances and performances at iconic events like the New Year’s Eve in Times Square. And let’s not forget the celebrity who came to perform among the players: I’m thinking Kristen Bell singing Frozen, Keith Urban performing during a halftime show or Jamie who made sure to come out onto the field to do his Babydoll dance. And to think it all started with a team struggling to sell out a stadium with only a few thousand seats. It’s an insane success story.
I finally get why I kept seeing so many videos popping up on my social feeds. This wasn’t some small niche thing. I was just very late to the party.
My Only Problem: I Discovered Them at the Very End of the Season.
Of course I couldn’t pay a little more attention to these videos and discover this team back in March. No… My brain had to wake up at the very end of the season. Literally the day after the last playoff game. The season finale of Banana Ball takes place this Saturday and will be streamed live on Disney+ and YouTube.
As you can imagine, I’ll of course be watching it on my TV. Then I can fall back on the thousands of videos already available. I easily have hours and hours of content to catch up on. Enough material to keep me busy until February 2027, when the next season kicks off. PS: Please, Jesse, re-sign Derek for one more year!
But more importantly, I have one very clear goal: I want to go to a game. No, I WILL go to a game. And then I’m heading to Savannah and to Historic Grayson Stadium. Because after spending this much time observing their content strategy, their relationship with fans, their performances, their social media and everything that happens on and off the field, I now need to see this phenomenon in person. I want to feel the energy of a stadium, talk to the fans, go behind the scenes and watch the players run from one end of the stadium to the other.
So, Yeah. I Have a New Obsession: The Savannah Bananas.
I came for Derek Klena. I thought he was doing halftime performances. I discovered a team. Then a league. Then Jesse Cole. Then a philosophy and a vision. Then the players and their personalities. Then way too many green flags. Then baseball uniforms that are way too tight. Then Disney Channel. Taylor Swift. Glee. Athletes who are also performers. Performers who are also creators. And most importantly, people who seem to have figured out something very simple in 2026: sports can be serious without taking themselves too seriously. And maybe that’s exactly what was missing.
So yes, I arrived way too late. But I’m here now! COME AND TAKE THAT RIDE, GONNA CHANGE YOUR LIFE. ARE YOU READY? 🍌
