Sacramento makes its case as MLB's next expansion city, calling itself a market too big to ignore

The city of Sacramento has officially begun its quest to have a Major League Baseball team.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has insisted on adding two expansion teams before he retires from his post in January 2029, and Sacramento, the largest market in the United States without an MLB team, has thrown its hat in the ring.

The hometown of MLB legends Dusty Baker and Derrek Lee raised $1.8 billion in just four months for a potential stadium, while its local teams like the NBA’s Kings, USL’s Republic FC and MiLB’s River Cats consistently rank near the top of revenue and attendance in their respective leagues.

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"I think it's a great market for baseball. There's a rich history, and I'm learning a lot about it myself," Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

"People don't talk about us, but we're a top-20 media market, we're twice the size of Las Vegas and twice the size of Salt Lake City. I don't think people think of us that way because California has this outwardly spectacular brand and reputation historically."

Sacramento has gotten a taste of professional baseball as the Athletics are calling the capital of California home until they move to Las Vegas in 2028. Broome admitted that the Athletics situation — with the Sacramento fandom being about 60% San Francisco Giants and 40% Athletics — helped the city realize it had an option.

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"When they came to Sacramento, I think the town was pleasantly surprised. The immediate reaction was, 'Can we keep them?' Everyone was excited and asking whether the Athletics could stay. We had to tell people no — they're only going to be here for three years while they transition to Las Vegas," Broome said. "But their arrival made the town start thinking that maybe we could have our own team. I think the Athletics are now benefiting from that.

"The momentum around the team is growing, attendance is increasing, and community enthusiasm is building because people are starting to think that if we do a lot for the Athletics, we're also demonstrating to Major League Baseball that Sacramento is ready."

Areas like Nashville, Austin/San Antonio, Montreal, Charlotte, Orlando, Portland, Raleigh and Salt Lake City have been in the expansion conversation, but Broome believes Sacramento has already proven itself with its "dedicated fan base."

"We’re a town that has a lot to bring to baseball… Why wouldn't MLB come into a community that, at its heart, is a baseball town, that has demonstrated success with its minor-league sports and its NBA team? Why not come in and capture that incredible media market?" Broome said. "We think Major League Baseball should see that as an opportunity it cannot pass up. I think we've got the track record to do it, and now we're on a mission to put ourselves in serious contention for this expansion…

"If we can pair this market with a bona fide, elite ownership group, it becomes very difficult to deny Sacramento's case."

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