Sacramento unveils – Sacramento has formally unveiled a nearly $2 billion push for an MLB expansion franchise, built around a 50-acre, privately controlled ballpark district in West Sacramento’s River District. The effort is backed by Dusty Baker, Derrek Lee and former Pirates own
By Thursday, Sacramento wasn’t waiting for Major League Baseball to knock. It brought the paperwork, the pitch and the people to a press conference—ready to turn an MLB expansion opportunity into something permanent for the region.
The Sacramento Pitch, the campaign for a Major League Baseball expansion franchise, was officially unveiled in Sacramento on Thursday. The committee backing the effort includes legendary manager Dusty Baker. World Series winner Derrek Lee and former Pittsburgh Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy. While MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has not yet officially signaled an opening for a new franchise. Sacramento has positioned itself to “pounce” if and when the chance arrives.
At the center of the proposal is a nearly $2 billion public-private investment and a new ballpark district in West Sacramento. The planned stadium site would be located 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.
Baker—speaking as a World Series champion player and manager—didn’t mince words about why he believes Sacramento belongs on baseball’s biggest stage. “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,” he said.
The investment plan, as laid out by the campaign, includes $800 million in land and private investment and $1 billion in expected investment from the City of West Sacramento. That city funding would come through a combination of tax increment financing, existing hotel taxes and additional sources.
West Sacramento mayor Martha Guerrero said the consortium projects that. over 40 years. the proposed ballpark would generate $1.77 billion in new tax revenue. Of that amount. $1 billion would be reinvested into the ballpark district. while $770 million would be directed toward supporting schools. the county and other special districts.
Guerrero also emphasized that the plan is not supposed to ask taxpayers for new money or a new vote. “We are ready to compete for a permanent MLB team,” she 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.”.
Asked why the timing matters to Sacramento’s bid. the Greater Sacramento Economic Council’s board chair Mark Friedman—founder and chairman of Fulcrum Property—made the case that readiness is the advantage. “When MLB moves forward on expansion, Sacramento will be impossible to ignore,” Friedman said. “We have the market, the site, the capital, and the community. Sacramento is ready to compete – and Sacramento is ready to win.”.
If Sacramento lands an expansion team. it would deliver a major sporting milestone for the region. where baseball’s presence has been both long-running and complicated. Even with Sacramento ranked as the 20th largest TV market in the country. with about 1.5 million TV households. the region currently has only one permanent Big 5 professional team. That team is the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.
The bid points to demand for pro sports as a key proof. The Kings have 99 percent sell through of tickets since 2021, which the campaign says demonstrates the hunger for major-league action in the area.
Minor League Baseball has also been anchored in Sacramento for years. The Sacramento River Cats, a Pacific Coast League team, have been based in the area since 2000.
And then there’s what happened with the Athletics. Sacramento is currently home to the Athletics after the team’s abandonment of Oakland in September 2024. though the bid describes Sacramento as a “mere pitstop” while the A’s prepare to move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season. Still, the campaign argues the Athletics’ stay has helped build a growing appetite for baseball in Sacramento.
The race for expansion, however, may not wait for Sacramento’s preferred timetable. Nashville, Oakland, Charlotte and others have also been suggested as possible expansion cities. Earlier this week, Bob Nightengale of USA Today claimed that Nashville and Salt Lake City were “heavy favorites.”
For Sacramento, that backdrop turns the press conference into more than a celebration of baseball heritage. It’s a declaration of capability—capital. land. a controlled 50-acre development plan in West Sacramento’s River District. and a roster of high-profile backers—built to ensure that when MLB finally does move. Sacramento won’t be one of the cities still asking for time.
Sacramento MLB expansion Sacramento Pitch Dusty Baker Derrek Lee Kevin McClatchy West Sacramento River District Sutter Health Park ballpark district tax increment financing Sacramento Kings ticket sell through Sacramento River Cats Oakland Athletics Las Vegas 2028 Nashville expansion odds Salt Lake City