The 2024 Major League Baseball schedule was released on July 13th last season. Nearly one year to the day, the 2025 schedule will not be released on time as the league juggles the planned relocation of the Oakland Athletics to Sacramento.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle‘s John Shea, many scheduling hurdles have delayed MLB’s 2025 schedule release until the end of July.
Oakland plans to relocate to Sacramento beginning in 2025. There, they will share Sutter Health Park with the Sacramento River Cats—the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants—until their planned ballpark in Las Vegas is finished in 2028.
While the club has announced its proposed move from the Bay Area to California’s capital city, the Major League Baseball Players Association will require answers to a series of questions regarding player safety.
Because the A’s will be co-tenants at Sutter Health Park, they not only will use the same field as the River Cats — the top farm team of the San Francisco Giants — but will need to adhere to Pacific Coast League scheduling to fit in their 81 home games.
It’s an extremely challenging logistical ordeal because MLB and PCL schedules aren’t molded in the same format. Nevertheless, MLB hopes to release all of its 30 teams’ 2025 schedules by the end of July.
Generally, the River Cats play one team per week in a six-game series with Monday set aside as a travel day. One week at home, the next on the road. The A’s need to mirror that and play in Sacramento when the River Cats are on the road and vice versa.
The San Francisco Chronicle‘s John Shea – July 11, 2024
Not only will the Athletics and River Cats have to craft their 2025 schedules around one another perfectly, but they will also have to cross their fingers that Sacramento will experience a less harsh summer.
The Sacramento Valley has experienced a brutal heat wave over the past couple of weeks, with several 110-plus degree days posing as a nightmare for players that would have to take the field on an turf playing surface.
MLB and the A’s are trying to schedule as many night games as possible in Sacramento, but it’s impossible to avoid day games. In fact, all Sunday home games will be day games, likely beginning at 1 p.m.
That’s because like other teams, the A’s must adhere to MLB’s exclusive network broadcast window on Sundays, which calls for all Sunday games to begin prior to 4:15 p.m. ET except the game scheduled for ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball.”
There also will be day games during the week in Sacramento, albeit fewer than in Oakland this season — if they’re necessary on getaway days to accommodate teams’ travel schedules, per the collective bargaining agreement.
Complaints aplenty are expected, including from players, because of the brutal heat. Wednesday, temperatures topped 100 degrees in Sacramento, and playing on artificial turf tends to elevate on-field temperatures. It’ll be the sixth MLB stadium with artificial turf and the only one without a roof.
The decision to play on artificial turf instead of grass was made to make the field easier to maintain with a game played virtually every day. At least 156 games will be played on the field, 81 for the A’s and 75 for the River Cats.
By the way, temperatures in Oakland were in the 70s for most of Wednesday — perfect baseball weather.
The San Francisco Chronicle‘s John Shea – July 11, 2024
More on the Oakland Athletics relocation to Sacramento
The Oakland Athletics will relocate to Sacramento beginning next season, but hurdles remain in ensuring their home ballpark meets MLB standards by Opening Day 2025.
According to Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, Sutter Health Park will receive major-league upgrades–including an entirely new playing surface–before next season begins.
The West Sacramento ballpark is home of the San Francisco Giants’ AAA affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats, and both the Athletics and River Cats will share the diamond for at least the next three seasons as the city of Las Vegas begins construction on a stadium.
The target date for completing the Las Vegas ballpark is 2028, but many around the league are skeptical that will come to fruition. This means that MLB and Sacramento will need to upgrade Sutter Health Park for the long haul in case the A’s remain in Northern California past the 2027 season.
“They are actually constructing a separate building adjacent to the stadium that will be the home clubhouse,” Manfred said in late May at the conclusion of MLB’s spring owner meetings, per The Athletic‘s Evan Drellich.
“They’re renovating the visiting clubhouse. There’s going to be new artificial turf installed. They are upgrading the camera capability, so they get major-league quality broadcasts out of Sacramento,” Manfred continued. “There are some revenue-associated renovations: some club seating and video boards that are being done in the stadium.
“So, there’s a lot going on there to get it up to snuff for the interim period. They’ve had great receptivity. I think they have seat deposits from, like, 13,000 people or something. They’re doing okay.”
Sutter Health Park and the River Cats are owned by Vivek Ranadive, owner of the Sacramento Kings.
“I’m thrilled to welcome the A’s to Sutter Health Park, where players and fans alike can enjoy a world-class baseball experience and create unforgettable memories,” Ranadive said. “Today marks the next chapter of professional sports in Sacramento. The passion of our fans is second to none, and this is an incredible opportunity to showcase one of the most dynamic and vibrant markets in the country.”
Major League Baseball approved the Athletics’ proposal for relocation to Las Vegas in November.
Plans are in place for a $1.5 billion, nine-acre stadium at the site of the Tropicana Hotel with the City of Las Vegas granting $380 million in public funding for construction in 2023. However, the ballpark will not open until at least the end of the 2027 calendar year, meaning the first season it could host the A’s in the regular season would be 2028.
Sutter Health Park opened in 2000 and has 10,624 seats, but could be modified to accommodate up to 14,000.
Upcoming schedule for the Oakland Athletics
- Friday, July 12th-Sunday, July 14th – @ Philadelphia Phillies
- Monday, July 15th-Thursday, July 18th – MLB All-Star Break
- Monday, July 15th – Home Run Derby
- Tuesday, July 16th – MLB All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas
- Friday, July 19th-Sunday, July 21st – vs. Los Angeles Angels
- Monday, July 22nd-Wednesday, July 24th – vs. Houston Astros
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