What makes West Sacramento one of best baseball cities in US? See latest ranking
There’s nothing like watching a baseball game live amid thousands of fans — munching hot dogs as you cheer for your favorite team.
As the cost of attending baseball games continues to climb, some cities are still providing a fun, affordable experience for sports fans.
West Sacramento is one of the top cities in the nation for people who live and breathe baseball, according to WalletHub.
The personal finance website recently ranked the best baseball cities in America in 2025, based on team performance, ticket prices and other factors.
“Baseball is one of America’s most treasured sports, and fans are fiercely loyal to their favorite teams, but fandom can get costly,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo wrote in a Wednesday, Oct. 22, article.
“While the top baseball cities tend to be those with the best performing MLB teams, they also often have several teams to cheer on at the minor league and collegiate levels,” Lupo said, making them a “home run” for sports aficionados.
Where are the best California cities for baseball fans? Here’s what to know:
What makes West Sacramento one of best baseball cities?
West Sacramento ranked ninth among WalletHub’s best baseball cities in the United States in 2025 with an overall score of 38.52 out of 100.
The Yolo County city also top the site’ list of the best small cities for baseball fans, landing at No. 1.
West Sacramento is home to two professional baseball teams: the Sacramento River Cats, a Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, and the Athletics, the Major League Baseball team previously based in Oakland.
Both teams play at Sutter Health Park, which holds more than 14,000 fans.
Ticket prices for A’s games vary by date and opponent but can range from $25 to about $277, per SeatGeek and previous Sacramento Bee reporting.
Tickets for Sacramento River Cats games start around $10 and cost up to $88, according to The Bee’s archives and SeatGeek.
Did other California cities make the list?
Los Angeles came in second place overall on WalletHub’s list of America’s best baseball cities.
San Diego was No. 14.
Where are the top 10 baseball cities in the US?
According to WalletHub, these were the top 10 U.S. cities for baseball fans in 2025:
Here’s which spots made the list:
- 1. New York City
- 2. Los Angeles
- 3. Atlanta
- 4. St. Louis
- 5. Boston
- 6. Chicago
- 7. San Francisco
- 8. Philadelphia
- 9. West Sacramento
- 10. Cincinnati
How did WalletHub rank top sports towns?
To rank the best baseball cities in the nation, WalletHub said it compared 333 of the largest U.S. cities with at least one professional or college baseball team, grouped by division.
The personal finance website looked at 31 key indicators of baseball fan-friendliness, including:
- Number of teams
- Number of championship wins
- Average ticket price per game
- Fan engagement
- Stadium capacity
- Attendance
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the “most favorable conditions for baseball fans,” WalletHub said. WalletHub also ranked the top destinations for baseball lovers by size — defining large cities as those with more than 300,000 people, midsize cities as those with 100,000 to 300,000 residents and small cities as those with fewer than 100,000 people.
Data came from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, ESPN, Forbes and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
