The Athletics, formerly based in Oakland and soon to be in Las Vegas, currently hold one of the worst home records in Major League Baseball. This season, they are one of two MLB teams playing in minor league stadiums—the other being the Tampa Bay Rays, who relocated due to damage at Tropicana Field from Hurricane Milton. The Athletics have been playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento while awaiting their new stadium in Las Vegas. Surprisingly, both teams are performing better on the road than at home, with Tampa Bay holding a 16-18 home record but 10-8 away, and the Athletics standing at 9-19 at home compared to 14-12 on the road.
After a brief period above .500, the Athletics fell into an 11-game losing streak, including six home losses, before finally winning against Philadelphia. Their current road win rate is .538 versus just .321 at home, creating a disparity not seen since a strike-shortened 1994 season. The full-season record for road dominance remains from 1908, with Pittsburgh posting a .727 road win rate. With two months left in the season, the Athletics still have time to turn their fortunes around, though challenges like changing weather at Sutter Health Park add complexity. Historically, teams with strong home or road splits often face major changes, such as the Philadelphia Athletics moving cities in later decades.
Fan Take: This unusual home-road split highlights the unpredictable challenges teams face when displaced or playing in temporary venues. For baseball fans, it illustrates how environment and circumstance can heavily influence team performance, potentially reshaping traditional home-field advantages in the sport.
