Sacramento Throws Its Hat in the Ring for MLB Glory

Sacramento just announced its bid to land a Major League Baseball expansion team, and while the city’s ambition is admirable, the reality check is sobering: it’s competing against some seriously stacked competition.

The lineup of contenders reads like a who’s-who of American cities hungry for baseball glory. Nashville, the country’s 25th largest television market, brings a booming population and tourism appeal—plus it’s already proven itself as a sports city with the NFL’s Titans and NHL’s Predators in town. Salt Lake City, despite being ranked 28th in TV market size, is widely considered the frontrunner. Why? Because they’ve got the money lined up, a motivated ownership group, and land already prepped for a stadium. According to Maury Brown, an MLB expert and writer for Forbes, you’re looking at roughly 5 billion dollars when you factor in ballpark construction and relocation fees, and Salt Lake City is probably the closest to having that financial puzzle solved.

Then there’s Portland, the 23rd television market, which has been chasing an MLB team for years. One of the largest cities in the country without major league baseball, Portland’s real superpower is corporate backing—Nike, Columbia, and Adidas are all headquartered there, which makes it wildly attractive to potential MLB partners. Montreal and Vancouver are also in the conversation, and Charlotte, North Carolina, rounds out the field.

So what’s Sacramento’s play? It actually has an unexpected advantage: the Athletics are already there. As Brown noted, that means the city becomes a live testing ground for how fans will respond to major league baseball. Sacramento ranks as the 20th television market—a respectable position that shouldn’t be dismissed. But here’s the catch: Sacramento still needs to show its cards. Brown was candid about the city’s biggest challenge right now—the principals behind the money haven’t been fully revealed. That’s crucial, because without a clearly identified ownership group and funding sources, Sacramento remains a long shot.

This isn’t over, though. City leaders are in the race, and as Brown said, nothing is written in stone. The coming weeks will be telling, especially if Sacramento can identify and unite the financial backers needed to make this dream credible. For now, the city’s getting its foot in the door—but winning is going to require far more than enthusiasm.