Athletics release inaugural 2025 MLB schedule in Sacramento

Jul 18, 2024, 10:46 AM | Updated: 12:42 pm

An aerial view of Sutter Health Park on January 24, 2021 in West Sacramento, Calif. The stadium is ...

(Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

San Francisco 49ers Beat Writer

It’s official: The Athletics are coming to Sacramento next year, and we have the schedule to prove it.

The A’s released their 2025 schedule for their inaugural season in Sacramento Thursday. The Yellow & Gold will open their 2025 slate on the road on March 27th against the Seattle Mariners. Their first home matchup at Sutter Health Park will be against the Chicago Cubs on March 31st, playing the Cubbies three consecutive days.

Other key matchups include facing the San Francisco Giants during 4th of July weekend at home. Other prominent home opens will be the New York Mets and Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and the Houston Astros. Regardless of who they’re facing, Sacramento will be ecstatic to go out to the ball park to see MLB action for the first time ever next year.

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.

Coming in 2025 to Sutter Health Park ⬇️https://t.co/MDwdcghGOV pic.twitter.com/BLvOWXaP9i

— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) July 18, 2024

“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.