Since the Athletics skipped town for West Sacramento following the 2024 Major League Baseball season, baseball fans in the San Francisco Bay Area have turned to the Pioneer League’s Oakland Ballers for summer entertainment.
The Pioneer League is one of MLB’s four partner leagues, joining the Frontier League, the American Association of Professional Baseball and the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
In just their second year, the Ballers won the organization’s first championship in 2025 and play their home games at Raimondi Park in West Oakland. For a second consecutive year, they will play an exhibition game known as the “Battle of the Bay” against the San Francisco Giants’ Single-A affiliate, the San Jose Giants.
San Jose captured its eighth title as an affiliate of the Giants last season as members of the California League.
Last year’s matchup was the first time that an affiliated minor league franchise competed against an MLB Partner League franchise. This year’s action takes place on Tuesday, March 31, at Excite Ballpark, formerly known as San Jose Municipal Stadium, in San Jose, California.
According to an announcement from the Giants, the exhibition will be a nine-inning contest and follow MLB rules. Both teams will announce their rosters in the days leading up to the event.
Ticket information for the “Battle of the Bay 2.1” can be found here
Photo: Oakland Ballers’ Lou Helmig warms up before a Pioneer League baseball game against the Rocky Mountain Vibes in Oakland, Calif., July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)