Ignore the haters: The A’s in Sacramento is huge a win for California’s capital | Opinion

There’s been plenty of chatter around Sacramento about the Athletics’ temporary stay here on the way to their future home in Las Vegas. But one thing that transcends all the varied and vocal perspectives is the undeniable opportunity for Sacramento and West Sacramento.

Major League Baseball provides extraordinary economic impact to our region.

Visiting teams from throughout North America means visiting fans. The Athletics have the potential to bring almost a million additional visitors to the region on a seasonal basis. As of last year, the estimated visitor spending in the Greater Sacramento market was approximately $5 billion, with their spending tied to where they stayed and their home market. With the A’s arrival, this spending could increase by an estimated $153 million.

Most economic criticisms of sports teams involve the subsidized cost of building a new venue, but because Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento has already been created and is being upgraded entirely with private capital, our region only stands to benefit from increased visitation that MLB games will bring. We can’t ignore what this means for meeting our goals of improving our central city, adding community amenities and keeping our region vibrant.

This also provides an extraordinary chance to showcase our region on the national stage of Major League Baseball. At our annual State of Downtown breakfast last month, I spoke on the importance of partnership – and that includes national opportunities, temporary or not. Sacramento proved our resilience and dedication to the region when we built Golden 1 Center, a venue that now brings in over 12.9 million overnight stays in the Sacramento market annually, and itself produces 72% hotel occupancy for out-of-town visits.

The NBA’s Sacramento Kings know what a great sports region this is, and their help hosting the A’s for three years has been phenomenal and instrumental. The effort epitomizes the public-private partnerships, leadership and spirit of cooperation that is making the heart of Sacramento a thriving regional asset.

I have seen the criticism of the A’s decision to leave Oakland and their temporary stay in Sacramento. But the sentiment I see in Sacramento is one of extreme enthusiasm. The Sacramento Kings and A’s have made significant permanent investments in improvements and renovations to the ballpark, enhancing both player amenities like a new two-story clubhouse with modern player facilities and an entirely renewed natural grass playing surface. Add to that, a historic investment the A’s are making to their roster with bolstered player contracts, and it all adds up to good baseball for an elevated fan experience.

Finally, this isn’t just about an interim step of one team—it’s about using this chance to show that Sacramento is a viable host city for a team of its own. For the first time ever, the commissioner of baseball visited our cities, toured Sutter Health Park and commented on the charm and intimacy of the ballpark and the region.

These things are happening because the A’s have come here. Their stop in Sacramento has always been just that: a stop on the way to Las Vegas. The beauty of this arrangement is the exceptional benefits the Sacramento region will gain.

With Opening Day soon upon us, it is truly remarkable that we, as a region, get to play a role. So, let’s embrace the opportunity to shine. Let’s showcase the best of the region in the national spotlight. Let’s keep up our level of excitement for this team which, at every turn, has thanked us profusely and expressed gratitude for the warm, Sacramento welcome.

Let’s show them what Sacramento has to offer.

This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 6:00 AM.