The Sacramento River Cats are halfway through their final homestand of the year and are offering a weekend packed with promotions to help fill the stands as the team closes out the 2025 season.
It has been a historic year for local baseball as the original Sacramento team welcomed its new Sutter Health Park roommates, the Athletics, for three seasons before the Major League team moves on to its permanent home in Las Vegas.
Some River Cats fans told CBS13 it has been an exciting season having both teams to cheer for.
“I just love baseball,” said River Cats and A’s fan Scott Becker.
For the voice of the River Cats, Zack Bayrouty, as he reflects on the season, he believes hosting Major League ball has only raised the bar for everyone who steps foot into Sutter Health Park.
“I’m like, wow, just a few hours ago, Major League Baseball was played on this field, and obviously, they’ve made great improvements here at the ballpark, we’ve gotten to take advantage of that. The vibe has been great and it’s been a lot of fun,” said Bayrouty.
There is no doubt fans have had a lot of baseball to choose from this season, with roughly 150 home games combined being played between the Cats and the A’s.
“It’s been really fun. We were able to come to an A’s game too, but we love our River Cats games,” said Anna Lara, a River Cats fan.
Several fans told CBS13 they have not attended any A’s games at Sutter Health Park and do not plan to.
“We are all in,” said River Cats season ticket holder Kimber Gibb with a laugh.
“I was a longtime, lifelong A’s fan and now that they are here, I am becoming a River Cats fan more so,” said Julie Malave, who would rather see the team in Oakland.
Fan Daniel Chavez, wearing an A’s hat, told CBS13 he prefers the River Cats gameday atmosphere.
“I think so, for the pace. It’s a little less hectic,” Chavez said.
When it comes to attendance, numbers for the River Cats are down this season.
In 2024, the season average for ticketed fans per game was just over 5,500 fans.
For 2025, so far, the average is roughly 4,200 fans.
That is a per-game drop of around 1,300 fans in the River Cats crowd.
The lowest attended River Cats game this season so far was Aug. 6 versus the Sugar Land Space Cowboys at just 2,037 fans.
The highest attended River Cats game so far this season clocked in at 11,611 fans versus the Reno Aces on May 3. On that note, the River Cats have not sold out the stadium all season.
In 2024, there were two sellout crowds, the final Friday and Saturday game of the season.
Compare those numbers to the A’s average attendance.
Right now, the A’s crowd is sitting at about 9,500 ticketed fans per game.
The highest attended game so far this season was versus the San Francisco Giants on July 4 with a crowd of 12,322.
The lowest attended game has been 7,731 fans in attendance for the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 11.
The A’s have seen seven sellout crowds so far in 2025, which is tallied at an above-12,000 fan attendance.
That includes all three games in the Giants series, all three games in the New York Yankees series, and the season home opener versus the Chicago Cubs.
Some River Cats fans told CBS13 Thursday they’ve noticed fewer fans in the stadium.
“I think there’s been a decrease,” said Kimber Gibb.
“Tonight, you know, looking around tonight, I think there is,” said Becker.
As for the Cats, all eyes are on next year.
“Coming into this off-season, we know what baseball featuring two teams looks like here. There will be some pivots on the marketing side for the River Cats in particular. We still want to make it a very unique River Cats experience when people come to a River Cats game,” said Bayrouty.
Bayrouty also offers a heartfelt thank you on behalf of the organization to the loyal fans in the stands as the season comes to a close on Sunday.
“There is a lot of supply at this ballpark this summer, and we so appreciate our fans that have stuck with the River Cats through it all. We are gonna be even better next year,” said Bayrouty.
The Gibbs family already has their calendar marked for when baseball is back in 2026.
“We’ll be here next year, we’ll be here next year. Right down the straight,” said Kenny and Kimber Gibb.
On upcoming promotions, Friday night, the River Cats will be handing out free Giants puffer vests to the first few thousand fans in the stadium.
Saturday is Nickelodeon night, where the players will be wearing and auctioning off SpongeBob-themed jerseys. Fireworks will follow the game for the final time this season.
Sunday is fan appreciation day. Fans can expect food deals, discounted merchandise, and the longstanding tradition of the River Cats players greeting fans at the gates as they enter.