Mayor McCarty says Sacramento ‘has a great chance’ of winning MLB expansion bid

MLB expansion officially became more real for Sacramento on Thursday, as city leaders and business partners unveiled an ambitious bid to bring Major League Baseball to the region, and Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty believes the city is uniquely positioned to win.

Speaking with Sactown Sports’ The Matt & Kayla Show following the official launch of “The Sacramento Pitch,” McCarty described the day as a landmark moment for the city.

“I’m a lifelong Sactown kid,” McCarty said. “I’m excited that we have the opportunity to not just compete, but you know, be in consideration for MLB expansion. I dreamed about this when I was a kid.”

(The Sacramento Pitch)

Sacramento Begins Push For MLB Expansion Team

Sacramento’s proposal includes a new ballpark and a mixed-use entertainment district in West Sacramento near Sutter Health Park, with a projected overall investment of nearly $4 billion.

The expansion effort includes local leaders, tribal partners, business executives, and former MLB players such as Dusty Baker and Derrek Lee.

McCarty emphasized that Sacramento’s market size and growth make the city a legitimate MLB expansion candidate.

“We’re the largest city in America that only has one professional team,” McCarty said. “If you look at our population, our TV market, our growth, our disposable income, we rank at the top of all these cities across America.”

That belief has become central to Sacramento’s MLB expansion pitch as the city competes with markets such as Portland, Salt Lake City, and Vancouver for what is expected to be one of two future MLB franchises.

McCarty also pointed to Sacramento’s ongoing growth in sports as another advantage.

“I’ve called this over the last handful of years, a Sacramento sports renaissance,” Matt George said during the interview, referencing the rise of Downtown Commons, the success of the Golden 1 Center, Sacramento Republic FC’s new stadium plans, and the city’s broader economic momentum.

Mayor McCarty agreed.

“Sacramento is one of the few cities in California that’s growing,” he said. “Our population is growing, our economy is growing.”

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 06: A general view of the Athletics playing against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park on May 06, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The mayor painted a vision of a downtown sports and entertainment corridor stretching from the rail yards to Golden 1 Center and a future MLB stadium site in West Sacramento.

“We’re talking millions of people focusing on the downtown core,” McCarty said. “That’s going to make Sacramento more exciting, a place that people want to live, and frankly, help grow our economy.”

The city also believes its current relationship with the Athletics strengthens its MLB expansion case. McCarty noted Sacramento has already worked closely with MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred since the A’s temporarily relocated to West Sacramento.

“We let them know that we’re going to be putting our city forward, our region forward for expansion when the time comes,” McCarty said. “We think we will get not only a fair shot, but we have a great chance of winning.”

While Sacramento still needs a lead ownership group before MLB expansion officially moves forward, Thursday’s announcement represented the clearest sign yet that the city intends to aggressively pursue becoming a future Major League Baseball market.

Check out the full conversation at the top of the page or by heading over to the Sactown Sports YouTube channel.

Listen to and watch Sactown Sports’ The Matt & Kayla Show with Matt George & Kayla Anderson, airing weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT on Sactown Sports.

More MLB content from Sactown Sports

• World Series in Sac? It could happen in 2026
• Is Sacramento ready for MLB expansion? Former A’s owner weighs in

Upcoming Athletics 2026 Schedule

• Monday, May 25th – Wednesday, May 27th – vs. Seattle Mariners
• Friday, May 29th – Sunday, May 31st – vs. New York Yankees
• Tuesday, June 2nd – Thursday, June 4th – @ Chicago Cubs
• Friday, June 5th – Sunday, June 7th – @ Houston Astros
• Monday, June 8th – Wednesday, June 10th – vs. Milwaukee Brewers

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