When the Modesto Nuts, the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, won their second straight California League championship on Sept. 18, players were handed championship shirts from Minor League Baseball. Several wore them, while others opted for some different swag.
Players like Curtis Washington Jr., German Fajardo and Jean Munoz were quick to grab red hats with a cursive “M” on the front and white shirts with a design reading “Bak2Bak.” The hat is an ode to the Modesto Reds, the original name of the local baseball organization. The term Bak2Bak, meanwhile, refers to the clothing brand created by Modesto native Esteban “Ayotli” Munoz. Not only is it the name of the brand, but it became a rallying cry for the Nuts.
After sweeping the postseason the year prior to win the California League title, the Nuts displayed similar dominance in 2024, winning four of five playoff games, culminating in a 2-1 win over the Lake Elsinore Storm of the San Diego Padres organization in a decisive third game of the Championship Series. As the team received their championship banner, they chanted “back-to-back.”
“It’s pretty amazing that it’s all played out like this,” said Munoz, 24, who created his clothing brand in 2018. “My brand is obviously Bak2Bak, and to be here on this journey with these players on their quest to go back-to-back as California League champions, it’s all worked out kind of perfect… To see the players and community members excited to wear my brand is a dream come true.”
Munoz describes himself as a sports fan, and even worked for the Modesto Nuts for a short time. He created the brand with hopes to inspire individuals to follow their dreams and strive for greatness.
“The brand very much relates to sports, inspired by greats like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and others. These are people who became great in their sports because of a lot of hard work and dedication that most people on the outside looking in don’t really know about or realize. And even when you are great at something, many times, people don’t fully respect what you’ve accomplished,” he explained. “With those legends, they weren’t really taken seriously as all-time greats until they won a second championship. The thoughts are, ‘A lot of people could do things once, but can you do it multiple times, or go back-to-back?’ It’s not until then when people really start to take notice and understand just how great these guys are.”
The same could now be said for the now-repeat California League champion Nuts. The 2024 title is the 11th in organization history and their third as an affiliate of the Mariners.
Munoz is more than just a clothing or graphic designer, though. He has a great interest in media and can be spotted at several local sporting events taking pictures and videos through his film company, 6th SENSE. Being in the camera well during Nuts home games at John Thurman Field is actually how he began making connections with players on the roster.
“When you have a vision or have goals, you have to ask yourself, ‘How bad do you really want it?’ And so I was just putting myself out there, making connections with the team,” he said. “I explained my brand and my motives to the players, and they respected it, they understood it. Jacob Sharp (who has since been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays organization) was one of the first players I got to know who was on board with the brand and rocking the shirts. It just started growing from there.” The Bak2Bak brand can be found on Instagram at @BAK.2.BAK and on YouTube at @BAK.2.BAK18.
