LAS VEGAS -- Saturday wasn’t the first time the Athletics have hosted “Big League Weekend” in their future home city during Spring Training, but with first pitch on the Las Vegas Strip now a certainty and likely just two years away, it felt like the team’s most formal introduction to the community it hopes to win over when it arrives for good in 2028
A sell-out crowd of 10,747 fans packed into the Las Vegas Ballpark, which technically only has a listed capacity of 10,000, to see the currently Sacramento-based A’s drop the first game of the weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels, 3-1. In fairness, as per usual with a Las Vegas crowd, that number also included a healthy amount of opposing jerseys.
With a dynamic young core that includes 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, $70 million shortstop Jacob Wilson, and former Aviator fan favorite Lawrence Butler, the A’s are primed to be a legitimate force in the American League right around the time they open shop on the Strip. When they were in town for Big League Weekend a year ago, there was still plenty of skepticism about the viability of both the franchise’s move to Las Vegas and the core of players they were going to bring with them.
Now, after a promising 79-win campaign and the groundbreaking of their new ballpark in 2025, it feels like the core and city will find each other at the perfect time.
“I think last year really set the tone for us as an organization,” Kotsay said. “In unveiling the fact that we were here, that the stadium was started, obviously, it does feel like you're getting closer with the progress made. I think coming here and seeing it makes you feel like it’s definitely closer.”
While Kurtz and company are all but certain to be centerpieces of the inaugural roster in Las Vegas, a player like 22-year-old starting pitcher Gage Jump is just trying to show that he belongs on the MLB roster. If Saturday was Jump’s first impression in his future home, he certainly did alright by allowing one hit and a run in 3.2 innings pitched. Even if it was just business as usual in his eyes.
“It was really cool (playing in front of this crowd),” Jump said. “First time here, first time in Vegas, so kind of taking everything all in, but it was good crowd today. It was awesome… (but) I try to take every game as the same, crowd or no crowd.”
Making Themselves At Home
Baseball aside, the A’s organization picked the perfect weekend to come to town if they are trying to sell their players on the prospect of playing in Las Vegas for the long term. Not long after the players filed out of the ballpark and onto the team busses, the UFC 326 card headlined by Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira kicked off at T-Mobile Arena.
Based on manager Mark Kotsay’s comments pregame, it seems like some of the guys may find themselves at the fight. Not Kotsay, though. He bought a house in nearby Henderson in 2025 and is enjoying his brief time back at home base before the season.
“What I'm excited about is that I'm at home. I can go home and just relax,” Kotsay said. “UFC, the entertainment, that side of Vegas is definitely exciting. It's a part of the community. You can catch a major league game in the afternoon, then go catch one of the best UFC fights up to this point in 2026, which I know some guys are excited about. That's the bonus of living here. You have access to pretty amazing entertainment and pretty amazing food.”