The Athletics are playing at a temporary home in the minor league stadium Sutter Health Park in Sacramento as they wait for their new stadium in Las Vegas to be ready. This is a venue with a capacity of about 14,000 people, featuring dimensions that are extremely hitter-friendly. It has led observers to question why the Athletics are playing in a minor league stadium by choice.
In a recent interview with A.J. Pierzynski on popular podcast Foul Territory, senior baseball beat reporter Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle speculated that the Athletics can return to play in Oakland. This is because Sutter Health Park is simply not suitable to be a big league venue. The reason for Slusser’s suggestion of a potential return is because there’s new leadership with Mayor Barbara Lee in charge.
Could The Athletics Return To Oakland?
MLB might want to investigate going back to Oakland with a new mayor in charge, says @SusanSlusser. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Pr9f70NdCV
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 23, 2025
In the interview, it may seem like Sussler is implying a permanent return to Oakland, but she likely meant a temporary stay there until the Vegas ballpark is ready. This is a much better alternative to playing in a minor league stadium that has such a low capacity for attendance.
Sutter Health Park is already playing like one of the most hitter-friendly stadiums in MLB — just wait until the temperatures start to heat up, creating more favorable weather conditions for home runs. That could turn this park into an absolute bandbox. With that in mind, the A’s should go back to Oakland for a brief return.
Athletics 2025 Season Outlook
Despite the minor league stadium, the outlook for the A’s is starting to be a bit more optimistic, especially with impressive young hitters like Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom, Nick Kurtz, and Jacob Wilson. Suddenly, this looks like an exciting offense.
The front office showed that they wanted to improve the team this offseason, bringing in veteran pitchers like Luis Severino and trading for Jeffrey Springs. It’s clear that the days of rebuilding are over for the A’s, as they’re looking to contend for a playoff spot.
It’s a shame for A’s fans in Oakland that it took until they relocated the team for a more aggressive approach to roster construction. The good news is that the A’s won’t be too far when they play in Vegas.
For now, A’s fans will have to settle for slugfests in Sacramento.
Until Fisher is gone, this franchise will continue to be the joke he made it to be.
There is NO way the A’s go back to Oakland. The situation in West Sacramento is not as bad as you make it out to be. Just because the first 13 games had one sellout is not a reason to panick. Attendance is still
more than it was in Oakland. If they lower the ticket
prices call the team the Sacramento A’s and get rid of the Las Begas signage in the ball park and on their jerseys just maybe Sacramento will take temporary ownership of the Team
It’s already a joke!