Sutter Health Park: The Minor League Ballpark Hosting MLB

August 22, 2026

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by tz

Sutter Health Park sits in West Sacramento, California, right across the river from downtown Sacramento. It opened on May 15, 2000 as Raley Field, built for about $46.5 million without public tax money, and has served as the home ballpark of the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, ever since.

The park took on its current name in 2020 after a new sponsorship agreement with Sutter Health replaced longtime naming partner Raley’s. Its profile jumped dramatically in 2025 when the Athletics, relocating from Oakland ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas, made Sutter Health Park their temporary major league home, sharing the facility with the River Cats through at least 2027.

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Stats at a Glance

  • Team(s): Sacramento River Cats (MiLB); Athletics (MLB, 2025-present)
  • Location: West Sacramento, California
  • Opened: May 15, 2000 (as Raley Field)
  • Renamed: Sutter Health Park (2020)
  • Capacity: About 14,014 (10,624 fixed seats plus lawn/standing room)
  • Construction cost: About $46.5 million
  • Notable fact: Became the smallest ballpark in Major League Baseball when the Athletics arrived in 2025

From Raley Field to MLB Host

For nearly two decades, the ballpark quietly built a reputation as one of the better Triple-A venues in the country, hosting the River Cats and drawing steady crowds to its riverside setting. The 2019 sponsorship shift from Raley’s to Sutter Health, effective for the 2020 season, gave the venue its present name without altering its minor league identity.

Everything changed when the Athletics needed a stopgap home after leaving the Oakland Coliseum. The club and league invested in upgrades, including improved player facilities, video boards, and seating, to bring the minor league park up to a workable major league standard, even as its intimate size made it the smallest venue in MLB.

A Shared Ballpark

Sutter Health Park now operates under an unusual arrangement: the River Cats and Athletics both call it home, coordinating schedules so that one team plays there while the other is traveling. That dual tenancy makes it one of the few ballparks in the country hosting both an MLB club and a Triple-A team in the same season, even though the River Cats are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, not the Athletics.

The Athletics’ stay is expected to run through at least 2027, with an option for a fourth season, while the franchise completes its planned relocation to Las Vegas. Until then, fans in the Sacramento region get a rare chance to see major league baseball in a park built for the minors.

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Sutter Health Park FAQs

Is Sutter Health Park an MLB stadium?

It was built as a minor league park in 2000, but it became a Major League Baseball venue in 2025 when the Athletics began playing there temporarily while relocating to Las Vegas.

What was Sutter Health Park called before?

It opened in 2000 as Raley Field, named for grocery chain Raley’s, before being renamed Sutter Health Park starting with the 2020 season under a new sponsorship deal.

How many fans can Sutter Health Park hold?

It has about 10,624 fixed seats and a total capacity of roughly 14,014 with lawn and standing-room areas, making it the smallest ballpark in MLB.

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Photo: Quintin Soloviev / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.