I was totally chilling on my couch, crushing a bag of chips, and watching some baseball highlights one random Tuesday. My buddy, Steve—you know, the guy who thinks pineapple belongs on pizza—texted me, asking for a favor. He was planning this epic West Coast baseball road trip, hitting up every single Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium in California. He was like, "Dude, how many of those sweet, sweet ballparks are even in California? Gotta plan my route, you feel me?"
I thought, "Oh, that's easy-peasy lemon-squeezy. Three, maybe four, right?" Boy, was I wrong. Dead wrong. It turns out, California is straight-up baseball central, and figuring out the exact number is a little trickier than you'd think, especially with teams moving around like they're playing musical chairs! It's not just a number; it's a whole vibe, a history lesson, and a travel guide all wrapped up in one. So, if you're trying to figure out how many temples of the diamond are kicking around in the Golden State, pull up a chair. We're about to go deep, real deep, like a ninth-inning grand slam.
Step 1: Counting the Big Leaguers (The Official MLB Parks)
The first, most crucial step in this whole shebang is nailing down the Major League Baseball parks. These are the main attractions, the ones you see on national TV, the places where million-dollar athletes are slugging dingers. California is, like, the undisputed champion of MLB teams, hosting more than any other state in the USA. It's a big deal!
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| How Many Mlb Stadiums In California |
1.1 The Golden Number of MLB Stadiums
So, what's the magic number for the Major League? Drumroll, please... it’s typically five. Five! That's a whole hand's worth of stadiums just soaking up the California sun. This makes California the only state with five teams, which is a major flex, for real.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium
San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park
San Diego Padres at Petco Park
Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Oakland Athletics (currently playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento through 2027)
See? I told you it was complicated. The Athletics situation is what keeps me up at night, man. Let's break down these big-ticket spots.
1.2 Dodger Stadium: The OG Classic
This joint is old school cool. Dodger Stadium, tucked away in Chavez Ravine in Los Angeles, is one of the oldest parks in the entire league, opening way back in 1962. It's got that classic, clean, mid-century modern look, and the views of the San Gabriel Mountains are simply epic. Seriously, a sunset game there is a religious experience. It's a behemoth, too, seating like, 56,000 people. You gotta try a Dodger Dog; it's practically a state law.
QuickTip: Skim the intro, then dive deeper.
1.3 Angel Stadium of Anaheim: Where the Halo Shines
Down in Orange County, the Los Angeles Angels play in Angel Stadium. It's another vintage gem, opened in '66, making it one of the older, continuous-use parks. It's famous for that giant, awesome "Big A" sign and the geysers and rock pile in the outfield. It’s a super family-friendly spot and often feels a little more laid-back than the craziness of L.A. proper.
1.4 Petco Park: Downtown San Diego Vibe
Head down south, and you hit San Diego's Petco Park. This place is modern perfection. It opened in 2004, and they built it right in the middle of a killer downtown district. You get views of the city skyline, the bay, and the seats are super close to the action. It's famous for having some of the best food in any ballpark, and the vibe is pure SoCal chill.
1.5 Oracle Park: The Bay Area Beauty
Up in Northern California, the San Francisco Giants play at Oracle Park. This place is a postcard, period. Located right on McCovey Cove, you’ll see kayaks and boats floating out there hoping to snag a Splash Hit home run ball. The architecture is gorgeous, the garlic fries are legendary (and stinky!), and the fog can roll in, making for a truly unique and chilly baseball experience.
1.6 The Athletics Situation: A Travel-Size Ballpark
Tip: Highlight sentences that answer your questions.
Okay, this is where it gets messy. The Oakland Athletics used to play at the huge Oakland Coliseum. However, the team is moving to Las Vegas! But wait! Before they get there (slated for 2028), they’re playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for a few seasons (2025-2027). So, technically, during this transition, the fifth operational MLB stadium is way up in West Sacramento. It's a much smaller park, but it still hosts Major League Baseball! For the purposes of a "how many stadiums are in California right now" question, this is the current answer!
Step 2: Don’t Forget the Minor League Game-Changers
A rookie mistake, a total foul ball, is forgetting about the Minor Leagues. Major League Baseball teams rely on Minor League teams to train their future superstars. And guess what? California has a ton of those, and they all play in their own stadiums!
2.1 The California League: A Whole Different Ballgame
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The bulk of the minor league teams in the Golden State play in the Single-A California League (Low-A West, if you want to get super nerdy). As of the most recent alignments, there are usually around eight stadiums in this league, give or take a change or two. These parks are smaller, the tickets are cheaper, and the atmosphere is super fun and intimate.
2.2 The AAA Spot: Top Tier Minors
Then you got the Triple-A team, which is the last stop before the Majors! The Sacramento River Cats play in Sutter Health Park. Wait a minute! If you were paying attention to Step 1.6, this gets even more complex! The A's are using the River Cats' stadium (Sutter Health Park) temporarily! Before the A's moved in, this park was purely Triple-A.
Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento is a dual-use park right now (MLB A's and the MiLB River Cats).
This means you can see two totally different levels of professional baseball in the same park in the same city—that's a pretty sweet deal for a road trip, honestly. It’s two for the price of one... almost.
Tip: Avoid distractions — stay in the post.
Step 3: Calculating the Grand Total (It's a Lot of Baseball)
To answer Steve’s question and your question, we gotta do the math. Remember, we're talking about stadiums that host professional baseball.
Current MLB Stadiums in California: 5 (Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, Petco Park, Oracle Park, and Sutter Health Park for the A's).
Minor League Stadiums (Excluding the Dual-Use Park): Let's count the 8 Low-A parks plus the Sutter Health Park if you consider it the River Cats' primary home, which it is, but for the A's, it's just a temporary thing. This is where it gets kinda blurry, but let's stick to the physical buildings.
The most clear-cut answer for official, big-time MLB stadiums is five.
The total number of stadiums hosting affiliated professional baseball (MLB and MiLB) is roughly 13 to 14 (5 MLB locations + 8-9 MiLB locations, depending on how you count Sutter Health Park and if you include independent leagues).
So when someone asks, "How many MLB stadiums in California?", the answer is five, but you gotta be ready to explain the whole crazy story about the A's, because that's the real juice!
Pro Tip: If you're building a road trip like my buddy Steve, you gotta hit up those minor league spots, too. The atmosphere is totally chill, and you can get up close to the action. It's a whole different vibe, like trading in your limo for a killer classic convertible. Don’t be a chump; go see a Quakes game!
FAQ Questions and Answers
How to: Name all the MLB teams in California?
The five Major League Baseball teams that call California home are the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Angels, and the Oakland Athletics. Remember, the A's are playing in West Sacramento for a few seasons before their big move, so their "home stadium" is changing!
How to: Find the oldest operating MLB stadium in California?
Tip: Note one practical point from this post.
The oldest continuously operating Major League Baseball stadium in California is Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. It first opened its gates way back in 1962, giving it a ton of history and that classic, timeless baseball feel. It's a real slice of Americana, for sure.
How to: Visit the California MLB stadiums without a car?
While California is known for driving, you can hit up a few parks car-free! Oracle Park in San Francisco is accessible by Muni (public transit) and even by ferry. Petco Park in San Diego is right downtown and reachable by the trolley system. Dodger Stadium has an express bus from Union Station, which is awesome. The other parks are trickier, so plan for some ride-shares or taxis.
How to: Know which team is moving out of California?
The Oakland Athletics (the A's) are the team currently planning a move. After the 2024 season, they left the Oakland Coliseum and are temporarily playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento through the 2027 season, before their planned permanent move to Las Vegas. It's a major bummer for the Bay Area, but a wild chapter in baseball history!
How to: Tell the difference between the Angels and the Dodgers?
They're both in the L.A. area, but the Dodgers play in Los Angeles proper (Chavez Ravine) and wear the iconic blue and white. They’re National League. The Angels play down in Anaheim (Orange County) and wear a red and white theme with the cool halo logo. They are an American League team. They are fierce rivals, but they are in totally different leagues and have their own distinct SoCal style.
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