Elephant Rumblings: Changes at Sutter Health Park?

SB Nation

The Athletics inaugural season at Sutter Health Park is behind us and it’s time to look at the field and then look forward. Yesterday, Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos), broke the story in his ‘Athletics

Beat” newsletter that the A’s will be making some changes at the ballpark for year two of what is likely a three-year engagement there. After reading his headline, I must admit I was both intrigued and excited to hear about the changes ahead. I was excited for several reasons:

The players deserve better than they got playing there last year;
An improved experience may bring in more fans;
Like you readers, I’m a fan;
Unlike many of you, I live about eleven miles away from the stadium in Carmichael and when I’m not covering games, I like to go watch the A’s play.

The biggest change does not change the fan experience, but it meets a specific need with an extremely limited compromise. Anyone who has watched an A’s home game during 2025 season knows that the team clubhouses (both home and visitors) are not attached to the dugouts. This would never be tolerated in any other major league ballpark, and it will remain the reality for the A’s and visiting teams, with one change. Construction has begun on a room connected to each dugout designed for pitchers step out of the sightline when they are not on the mound. It can be used to watch game videos or stay loose between innings. According to A’s GM David Forst, “We’re going to build a spot in both dugouts that is sort of like a ‘privacy’ area, for lack of a better word,” Forst said. “It’s where a starting pitcher can kind of get away from the game without having to go to the clubhouse. We’ll get [them] some privacy in between innings.”

This doesn’t give the players the ability to duck into the clubhouse to change out of a West Sac dripping sweat drenched jersey in between innings or get treatment on a minor injury but it still allows us the deep belly laughs when an opposing manager or player gets tossed and has to walk down the middle of the field to get to the clubhouse.

The team also announced a full replacement of the turf on the entire field in the early part of the new year. While I never played on the field, as a spectator, I was impressed with how good of a job the grounds crew did to keep it playable. With the A’s and the River Cats playing a combined 156 games on the field during the 2025 season it took a beating. I, for one, applauded the decision to not put down a turf field despite the fact that it would hold up better than grass. So, I’m glad they are laying new sod.

That’s it folks. Those are the two changes for the 2026 season. Nothing in this announcement enhances the fan experience. That’s disappointing. Oh, Gallegos hinted at some minor upgrades to the batting cages. Now that’s what we need to lure big-name free agents to West Sacramento next season!

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