While the Oakland Athletics’ temporary move to Sacramento starting next season was decided by ownership, a decision to have the team play on a grass field in 2025 was player driven, the Los Angels Times reported.
MLB had recommending changing the grass field at Sacramento’s Triple-A ballpark to an artificial one since it will get use nearly every day by the A’s, as well as the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.
Also of concern are temperatures that consistently soar over 100 degrees in the summer.
But the grass field will remain after a review by the MLB players’ union.
“In light of the players’ clear preference for natural grass, and after weighing with the MLBPA the potential risks and benefits of maintaining natural grass versus replacing the playing surface with synthetic turf, all the parties are aligned in moving forward with a natural grass field for Opening Day 2025,” an MLB spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times.
Also expected for the Sacramento ballpark in 2025 are expanded dugouts, renovated bullpens and an upgrade in the batter’s eye beyond the center field wall, according to the report.
The A’s could be in Sacramento for as many as three seasons in advance of what is expected to be a move to Las Vegas in 2028.
The Sacramento stadium opened in 2000 and has a capacity of 14,014, which includes seating on the grass berm beyond the right-field wall. The A’s were the only major league club to draw under 1 million fans in 2024 and had an average of 11,386 per game.
–Field Level Media