Sacramento Makes “Pitch” for MLB Expansion Team
The Greater Sacramento region has formally launched The Sacramento Pitch, a campaign to secure a Major League Baseball expansion franchise backed by a fully entitled stadium site, substantial public-private investment, and access to the nation’s largest underserved major league sports market. The initiative positions Sacramento as a leading West Coast expansion candidate with site control, development readiness, and financial momentum already in place.
At the center of the campaign is a fully entitled 50-acre downtown West Sacramento site designed to accommodate a modern ballpark and surrounding mixed-use development. The site is controlled by the initiative’s leadership team. The project has identified nearly $2 billion in public-private funding, including approximately $800 million in land value and private investment, along with an anticipated $1 billion investment from the City of West Sacramento through tax increment financing, existing hotel tax revenues, and other funding sources. The City’s contribution would be generated exclusively through activity within the ballpark district, without affecting the general fund or requiring a taxpayer vote.
Over a 40-year period, Sacramento’s proposed ballpark district is projected to generate $1.77 billion in new tax revenue. Of that total, approximately $1 billion would be reinvested into the district, while roughly $770 million would support schools, the county, and other special districts.
The Greater Sacramento region is home to nearly 2.7 million residents and has grown by roughly 10 percent over the past decade, outpacing both California and national growth rates. More than 4.1 million people live within a 50-mile radius of Sacramento. The region is also the second fastest-growing employment market in the Western United States, adding more than 200,000 jobs since pandemic-era lows. Sacramento ranks as the nation’s 20th-largest television market, with approximately 1.5 million TV households, and remains the largest U.S. market with only one permanent Big Five professional sports franchise.
Sacramento is already home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, which have achieved a 99 percent ticket sell-through rate since 2021. The Sacramento River Cats of the Pacific Coast League have played in the region since 2000 and have led Minor League Baseball in attendance ten times during that span. The region is also temporarily hosting Major League Baseball’s Athletics franchise until the team’s permanent Las Vegas stadium is completed in 2028.
Regional leaders have demonstrated the operational readiness, strategic differentiation, and proven execution capability necessary to deliver a project of this scale and significance. With our HQ located in Sacramento, and our deep roots in the region, we are excited to see how this effort takes shape.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash (Leo_Visions).