Sacramento launched its campaign for a Major League Baseball expansion team Thursday, backed by a fully entitled 50-acre stadium site and nearly $2 billion in public-private investment.
The effort positions Sacramento as a leading West Coast expansion candidate with site control, development readiness and financial momentum already in place, supporters said.
"When MLB moves forward on expansion, Sacramento will be impossible to ignore," said Mark Friedman, founder and chairman of Fulcrum Property and board chair of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council. "We have the market, the site, the capital and the community. Sacramento is ready to compete — and Sacramento is ready to win."
The MLB is looking to add
The contenders to become the 31st and 32nd teams include Nashville, Tennessee;
Oregon lawmakers, in 2025,
Portland's proposed $1.8 billion stadium is targeted for the Zidell Yards site on its south waterfront.
Supporters of the
It is the largest U.S. market with only one permanent Big 5 professional team, the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings, supporters said during a press briefing. The Pacific Coast League's Sacramento River Cats have been based in the city since 2000 and have led the minor leagues in attendance 10 times in that span, they said.
The region is also temporarily hosting the MLB's Athletics franchise until a permanent stadium in Las Vegas is ready for them in 2028.
The Sacramento campaign is anchored by a fully entitled 50-acre downtown site in West Sacramento that is designed to support a modern ballpark and mixed-use development. The site is controlled by the initiative's leadership.
Supporters of Sacramento's expansion team have sourced nearly $2 billion in public-private funding, including $800 million in land and private investment and $1 billion in expected investment from the city of West Sacramento through a combination of tax increment financing, existing hotel taxes and additional sources.
The city's investment would be generated from baseball park activity and isn't expected to impact the city's general fund or require a taxpayer vote. Over 40 years, the ballpark district is projected to bring in an estimated $1.77 billion in new tax revenue, of which $1 billion will be reinvested into the ballpark district and $770 million directed toward supporting schools, the county and other special districts.
"This is a defining moment for West Sacramento, and we're ready," said Mayor Martha Guerrero.
The West Sacramento mayor said the region offers "a practical and achievable path for long-term MLB success, and we have the financial capacity, community support and clear vision needed to bring Major League Baseball permanently to West Sacramento."
The greater Sacramento region has a population of nearly 2.7 million and 4.1 million people live within 50 miles of the proposed baseball stadium. The city has grown roughly 10% over the past decade, faster than both California and the nation overall, supporters said.
