A's will play on grass, not turf, in Sacramento

Jason Burke | Oct 21, 2024

Sutter Health Park in Sacramento / Last Dive Bar

After months of discussions, the A's will reportedly not be playing on artificial turf in Sacramento, as had been the plan up until Monday.

The Athletic was the first to report this news, and they included this quote from a league spokesperson, "In light of the players’ clear preference for natural grass, and after weighing with the MLBPA the potential risks and benefits of maintaining natural grass versus replacing the playing surface with synthetic turf, all the parties are aligned in moving forward with a natural grass field for Opening Day 2025."

The first inkling that the A's could in fact be playing on natural grass instead of turf came at the end-of-year media session with A's GM David Forst and manager Mark Kotsay, when they said that the installation of turf in Sacramento had not begun at that point and that a firm decision hadn't been made on what type of playing surface they would be using in 2025.

By going with a natural grass field at Sutter Health Park, the A's and their Triple-A roommates, the River Cats, are addressing one key concern, but potentially opening up a new one. They have seemingly fixed the heat issue in Sacramento. It'll still be hot during the summer months, but the turf will not be adding another 30-40 degrees to the playing surface, making it regular hot, not an actual oven.

On the other hand, there will be baseball games being played on this field nearly every day for six straight months, and the question over how the surface will hold up will certainly be tested over the course of 150+ games.

With the field surface now being taken care of, the upgrades that will be left to complete are the home clubhouse, which is being built in left-center field, a new batter's eye, and some other renovations around the ballpark both for the players and fans. The amenities are the things that players feel make a place "big league" so squeezing those in where they can will go a long way.

The plan is for the A's is to stay in Sacramento for at least the next three seasons, potentially four, while their proposed ballpark in Las Vegas is being built. The A's will not have a city designation during their time in Sacramento, and will be going by "The Athletics" or "The A's" for the duration of their stay.