When is MLB Opening Day? California MLB stadiums ranked by quality, ticket prices.
Whether you love sports and can't wait for the excitement of home games at your favorite ballpark or are just tagging along for the fun, baseball is finally here for the 2025 regular season.
While the Dodgers and Cubs officially started the Major League Baseball regular season with two games in Japan, the MLB Opening Day is not until March 27, when 28 teams are playing.
Both teams will be participating in Opening Day contests, though. The Dodgers will play against the Detroit Tigers at home, and the Cubs will play against the Diamondbacks in Arizona.
However, the Tampa Bay Rays and Colorado Rockies won't play on opening day. After Hurricane Milton devastated the Tampa area, the Rays were given an extra day to prepare for the 2025 regular season. The team is setting up their temporary home at the spring training home for the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Here's what you need to know about the start of major league baseball in California, including opening day dates for each team, median ticket prices, and stadium rankings.
When is opening day at California MLB ballparks?
If you don't count the MLB games in Japan, Opening Day for MLB baseball is March 27. Here's where California MLB teams will open their seasons:
- Los Angeles Dodgers home opener is 4 p.m. March 27 against the Detroit Tigers at Dodgers Stadium.
- Los Angeles Angelsopen the season on the road at 1 p.m. March 27 at the Chicago White Sox's Guaranteed Rate Field. The team's home opener is 6:30 p.m. April 4 against the Cleveland Guardians at Angel Stadium.
- San Diego Padres open the season at 1 p.m. March 27 against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park.
- San Francisco Giantsopen the season on the road at 1 pm. March 27 against the Cincinnati Reds. The team's home opener is at 1:30 p.m. April 4 against the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park.
- Athletics open the season on the road at 7 pm. March 27 against the Seattle Mariners. The team's home opener is at 7 p.m. at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento.
How do these California MLB stadiums rank?
With hurricane damage to the Tropicana Field for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Athletics temporarily home at the Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, some home games might look different this season at minor-league stadiums.
In 2024, eight USA TODAY Network reporters and editors ranked MLB's stadiums from 1-30. But with the Athletics stadium having yet to host big-league games, here's the updated list of California's baseball's best ballparks ranked:
- Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants (No. 2 nationwide): "Giants fans enjoy not only a stupendous view but arguably the best concessions in the sport."
- Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres( No. 6 nationwide): "The 2024 season marks the 20th anniversary of the most aesthetically pleasing baseball facility ever built."
- Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 7 nationwide): "As you stroll around this ballpark in Chavez Ravine, it is hard to imagine that only Wrigley and Fenway are older big-league facilities."
- Angel Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Angels (No. 23 Nationwide): "A ballpark that needs to be replaced, as (even with major renovations in 1998) it is showing its age."
See USA Today's complete rankings of MLB's stadiums here.
How much are ticket prices at California's MLB ballparks?
So, how much will it cost to see your favorite MLB team play at their home stadium? Surprisingly, the most expensive median MLB ticket prices for the upcoming season are the Athletics, who play this season in West Sacramento at 14,000-seat Suter Health Park. Not surprisingly, with their enormous payroll, the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers come in second in the state and nation just a few dollars cheaper.
Here are the median ticket prices for California's MLB teams:
- Athletics: $181 (No. 1 nationally)
- Los Angeles Dodgers: $177 (No. 2 nationally)
- San Diego Padres: $107 (No. 8 nationally)
- San Francisco Giants: $89 (No. 15 nationally)
- Los Angeles Angels: $54 (No. 29 nationally)
To see a complete list of MLB median ticket prices, click here.
USA Today's Bob Nightenglale, Jon Hoefling, Jesse Yomtov, and Jason Anderson contributed to this report.
Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: When is MLB Opening Day? Ranking California's MLB stadiums
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