Seattle Mariners Get Big Break with Regards to 2025 Matchups with Division Rival
Beginning in 2025, the Seattle Mariners will have to travel to Sacramento, Calif., for their road matchups with the Athletics. The A's are in the process are moving from Oakland to Las Vegas, with Sacramento serving as a pit stop for at least three seasons.
The idea of playing in Sacramento is not appealing to many people in the game given the fact that the facility (Sutter Park) is a minor league facility. There are questions about the nature of the facility and the heat in Sacramento, which reaches into the 100s with regularity in the summer.
Well, the trips to Sacramento just become a little easier for the Mariners. It was announced on Monday that the park will use regular grass instead of artificial turf, allowing some of the temperature concerns to be mitigated.
Evan Drellich of The Athletic had the information:
The following came from Drellich's article and was a portion of a statement from Major League Baseball:
“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.”
News: The A's will play on grass in Sacramento, not turf as previously planned. https://t.co/KqrvVWpFlc
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 21, 2024
Drellich also reports that the stadium is getting a new batter's eye, something which could help the Mariners offense moving forward.
Mariners Triple-A broadcaster Mike Curto has called many games at the minor league facility and offered this up on social media:
The last sentence here is actually the most impactful. Sacramento has played as a pitcher's park in the PCL due to poor visibility for the hitters. A new batter's eye may dramatically change that.
The last sentence here is actually the most impactful. Sacramento has played as a pitcher's park in the PCL due to poor visibility for the hitters. A new batter's eye may dramatically change that. https://t.co/VMCbvgMoJt
— Mike Curto (@CurtoWorld) October 21, 2024
The Mariners first trip to Sacramento will be May 5-7 of next year.
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