The 2025 MLB season officially begins Thursday, with two teams playing in temporary “home” stadiums—posing unique challenges for bettors and oddsmakers.

The Athletics left Oakland after the 2024 season and are set to move into a new ballpark on the former Tropicana Hotel site on the Las Vegas Strip. Until then, they’ll play at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, sharing the stadium with the Class AAA Sacramento River Cats of the Pacific Coast League.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays open their season Friday at “home” against the Blue Jays. Due to Hurricane Milton ripping the roof off Tropicana Field in October 2024, the Rays will host games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa—the Yankees’ spring training home. MLB gave the Rays an extra day to prepare the facility.

These venue changes come with major implications. The Rays will now play all home games outdoors in Florida’s hot and humid climate, with a high risk of rain delays. The A’s move inland to warmer Sacramento, with far less foul territory than they had at the Oakland Coliseum.

Oddsmakers Take Wait-and-See Approach

“We have our thoughts on what might happen, but we’ll adjust as we see how things play out,” said Johnny Avello, Director of Race and Sports at DraftKings.

Oddsmakers at Fanatics sees the weather as the "main factor" in setting odds at these new venues, especially with the Rays. The Florida games will be subject to perhaps the steepest humidity in baseball, which affects the flight of the ball. 

Both ballparks meet MLB standards but fall well below average in seating. Steinbrenner Field holds 11,026 (excluding lawn space), making it the smallest stadium in the majors. Sutter Health Park can hold 14,014, including 10,632 seats and additional lawn space. The A’s open their home slate March 30 vs. the Cubs—last season, they averaged 11,386 fans per game. Sutter Heath Field updated its technology this past offseason to meet MLB norms. 

Steinbrenner Field: Familiar Dimensions, New Conditions

Steinbrenner Field At A Glance:

• Location: Tampa, FL
• Capacity: 11,026
• Surface: Grass
• Other Teams: Tampa Tarpons (Class A), NY Yankees (spring training)
• Dimensions: LF: 318 ft | LC: 399 ft | CF: 408 ft | RC: 385 ft | RF: 314 ft

Steinbrenner Field mimics the dimensions of Yankee Stadium, making it familiar to many players. The park has undergone upgrades over the years, though none that significantly impact gameplay.

With grass fields, intense humidity, and Florida’s rainy season beginning in June, the weather could impact pitchers and game flow. Tampa’s average highs from April to September range from 85° to 91°, with up to 15 rainy days per month in peak summer. While the six-month Atlantic Hurricane season begins on June 1, its peak does not arrive in Florida until September 10. 

Weather: Florida Indoors vs. Outdoors

This year, the Rays transition from playing indoors at Tropicana Field to full-time outdoor games at Steinbrenner Field. Here’s how the weather compares:

The contrast is stark: the Rays are moving from a climate-controlled dome to one of the most heat- and rain-prone environments in MLB. The Florida (now Miami) Marlins played outdoors in what is now called Hard Rock Stadium from 1993-2011. They have been at loanDepot Park, which features a retractable roof, since 2012. 

Florida Weather A Drain On Pitching 

Avello emphasized the negative effect Florida’s heat and humidity could have on starting pitchers.

There are days in Florida where he “couldn’t see a pitcher throwing more than a couple of innings.” Adding, “Pitchers work hard during a game and you’re going to see that oppressive weather is going to take its toll on some days.” 

When it comes to the rain, delays—not just rainouts—are the real concern.

“Delays, that’s a whole other situation. Once a starter warms up and throws an inning or two, then the rain comes and the game lags for a half an hour, he’s not coming back,” he said. 

The wind also plays a factor, blowing west to east—from home plate toward center and right field. The Rays’ lineup features mostly right-handed hitters and pitchers, which could pose challenges given Steinbrenner’s deep left and center fields.

Sutter Health Park: Fewer Foul Outs, More Heat

Sutter Health Park At A Glance 

• Location: Sacramento, CA
• Capacity: 14,014
• Surface: Grass
• Other Teams: Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A)
• Dimensions: LF: 330 ft | CF: 403 ft | RF: 325 ft

Sutter Health Park offers far less foul territory than the Oakland Coliseum, which had the most in MLB. The A’s led the league in foul-out putouts in 8 of the past 9 seasons. The tighter confines in Sacramento mean fewer easy outs for pitchers—and potentially more runs.

The distance between third base to the closest dugout is 73 feet at the Coliseum, as measured via Google Earth. That number jumps to 77 feet between first base its closest dugout. There’s as much at 65 feet between the right and left field line and the stands. 

The longest distance between the first and third base line and the dugout is 54 feet at Sutter Health Park. That number shrinks to just 12 feet of foul territory down the right and left field line. 

“This will lead to more second chances for hitters. It all points to more runs scored. ” Avello said. “But how much does that matter with the A’s offense? If it were the Yankees, we’d be adjusting totals up a full run per game.”

The drop in foul territory has caught the attention of the trading desk at FanDuel. “We expect the A’s home park this season to be a positive scoring environment. It has smaller dimensions with less foul ball territory. We expect to see more offense and an uptick in home runs. It could be a top 10 scoring environment in 2025,” a FanDuel trader told bookies.com. 

Other than foul territory, Sutter Health Park’s dimensions closely match the Coliseum, with only slight differences in center and right field.

Weather: Sacramento vs. Oakland

While only 67 miles apart, Sacramento is significantly warmer than Oakland. Here’s the monthly average between Sutter Health Park vs. Oakland Coliseum during baseball season:

Sacramento’s heat could speed up infield play and increase offensive production. “The ball’s going to move quicker, maybe travel farther,” Avello said. “We’ll see.”

Average wind speeds are also lower in Sacramento than in Oakland. The Coliseum sees peak winds of 9.5 MPH in June, while Sacramento maxes out at 7.2 MPH in July. Plans to replace the natural grass at Sutter Health Park with turf were abandoned, so the surface remains grass.