Why Day Games in Sacramento Make Sense For A's, Despite Heat

Despite what some may believe, baseball players aren't robots. They enjoy time with friends and loved ones, too, and the lack of an afternoon game before the off-day on Thursday led to less family time for a number of players on the roster. Kotsay mentioned that his players would typically get two dinners with their loved ones in that circumstance, but because of the night-heavy schedule, they get one.

The Athletics were afforded a schedule that included 60 night games at home, including a number on getaway days during the summer due to the heat the swept Sacramento last year. This was after the A's new home witnessed the most 100+ degree days on record in 2024.

A's manager Mark Kotsay was asked on Wednesday about the potential for more day games next season, and he seemed to be on board.

"Going into this year, we didn't know the circumstances. We base our decision-making processes on the previous season and the previous summer, which was extremely hot. You can talk about both sides. The recovery from a night game to a day game is difficult, but then we talk about playing a night game tonight, my inability to get on a Southwest flight, my private airline, and get home to San Diego for two nights in my bed. It's the 6:30 a.m. wake up tomorrow.

"And for these guys, you know? They go to bed late, wake up midday tomorrow, it just impacts the recovery for them, and the family time. Those are valuable times for guys. They mean a lot to the wives and the kids. The families that don't get a lot of the attention, and the time that we can give them during the season."

He also mentioned that he thinks that the team may broach the topic of having more day games in 2026. "You look at the weather patterns, three o'clock is probably the hottest time of day. We're going to go on this road trip and we have a 12:10 game in Minnesota. We just played a 12:10 game in Washington. So those are doable game times, and I think guys might like to make that change."

Obviously the initial response from some will be that the heat may be different next year than it is this year, just like has has switched up from 2024 to 2025. That could very well be true, but instead of getting to the ballpark at the hottest time of the day, they'd be getting ready to leave at that time, which is also something to take into consideration.

While the games start just after seven p.m., there is plenty of pre-game work being done on the field during the hottest time of day. This could actually set them up for less time exposed to the peak hours of the sun.

The most important point here may be the field itself. When the 2025 MLB schedule was released around the All-Star break in 2024, the working assumption was that there would have to be turf installed in order to withstand the number of games that would be played on the field between the A's and Sacramento River Cats splitting time at Sutter Health.

That has not been the case, as the field at Sutter Health is a natural grass field. That has limited the severe heat concerns that were aplenty at this time last season. Even if the temperature is expected to rise next year from where it currently sits, getting the players out of there earlier may be the better option, while having the added bonus of more free time for the players themselves.

An additional bonus could be that the mound for those day games may be in a little better shape, as it won't be baking in the sun all day, which has led to some pitchers saying that it's a pretty hard surface to work on.

We'll have to wait and see if this comes to fruition, as we're still awaiting the 2026 MLB schedule, which is expected to come out this month. That said, the River Cats unveiled their own schedule for next season, so if you want to know when the A's will be playing at home, this should give you a good idea.