While MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has not yet officially signaled an opening for a new franchise, Sacramento has ensured it is ready to pounce if and when the opportunity arises.
Sacramento officially unveiled its bid to bring baseball back to the region in a press conference on Thursday.
The Sacramento Pitch, the region’s campaign for a Major League Baseball expansion franchise, is backed by a committee that boasts legendary manager Dusty Baker, World Series winner Derrek Lee and former Pittsburgh Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy.
The already well-developed bid is focused around a nearly $2 billion public-private investment and a new ballpark district in West Sacramento.
The proposed stadium site would sit in West Sacramento’s River District, just south of Sutter Health Park, as part of a fully controlled and entitled 50-acre mixed-use development.
‘I have always believed Sacramento is a major league city. Throughout my career, I’ve traveled across the country, and there’s something different about the people here. This community truly loves baseball,’ said World Series champion player and manager Baker.
Sacramento officially unveiled its bid to bring baseball back to the region on Thursday
The already well-developed bid is focused around a new ball park in West Sacramento. Renderings for the proposed stadium is pictured
‘For more than a century, this region has built a proud baseball legacy and developed generations of Major League Baseball players. I could not be more excited for the prospect of bringing a permanent MLB team here.’
The investment plan includes $800 million in land and private investment and $1 billion in expected investment from the City of West Sacramento through a combination of tax increment financing, existing hotel taxes and additional sources.
West Sacramento mayor Martha Guerrero said on Thursday that the consortium predicts that over 40 years the proposed ballpark is projected to generate $1.77 billion in new tax revenue, of which, $1 billion would be reinvested into the ballpark district and $770 million directed towards supporting schools, the county and other special districts.
‘We are ready to compete for a permanent MLB team,’ Guerrero said. ‘What excites me most about this vision is what it could mean for the future of our city. For years, we had envisioned the Bridge District as a vibrant, waterfront destination where people can live, work and gather. And that it has become.’
Guerrero stressed that investment funds would not impact taxpayers and not require a taxpayer vote.
‘When MLB moves forward on expansion, Sacramento will be impossible to ignore,’ said Mark Friedman, founder and chairman of Fulcrum Property and Board Chair of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council.
‘We have the market, the site, the capital, and the community. Sacramento is ready to compete – and Sacramento is ready to win.’
Should Sacramento land an expansion team, it would mark a major sporting milestone for the region.
The Sacramento Pitch is backed by a committee that boasts Dusty Baker (R) and Derrek Lee (L)
The proposed site for the new ballpark for Sacramento’s team is pictured
Despite the region being the 20th largest TV market in the country, with about 1.5 million TV households, it is currently the largest US market with only one permanent Big 5 professional team
As it stands the NBA’s Sacramento Kings is the only major sports team to call the area its home. The Kings have 99 percent sell through of tickets since 2021, which, the bid hopes, proves the hunger for professional sport among the area’s population.
The Sacramento River Cats, a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League, have also been based in the area since 2000.
Sacramento is also currently home to the Athletics following the team’s abandonment of Oakland in September 2024.
However, Sacramento is only serving as a mere pitstop for the A’s as they prepare for their move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season.
Yet, the Athletics’ stay in Sacramento appears to have given the region a growing appetite for baseball.
However, the Sacramento Pitch may face fierce competition. Places such as Nashville, Oakland, Charlotte and others have also been suggested as possible expansion cities.
And Bob Nightengale of USA Today claimed earlier this week that Nashville and Salt Lake City were ‘heavy favorites.’
