The next rendition of the World Baseball Classic could see some of its games played in Las Vegas at the Athletics’ $2 billion Strip ballpark.
The A’s are interested in hosting games during the next WBC, scheduled to occur in either 2029 or 2030, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Review-Journal.
During the legislative process that netted the A’s up to $380 million in public funding for their 33,000-seat stadium, a list of major events that could be held at the team’s new facility were presented to the Legislature. The stadium is scheduled to open in 2028.
Among them was the WBC, with the event’s logo included on a slide of a presentation given by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority president and CEO Steve Hill.
“What we outlined here on this page showing you some logos is just a partial list of events that have approached us that have interest in being in Las Vegas that don’t necessarily either have the ability to have it in a venue that we have, such as the Major League Baseball All-Star game or the World Baseball Classic,” Hill said during the May 2023 presentation to the Legislature.
MLB representatives did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday about the potential for Las Vegas to host future WBC games.
This year’s WBC final was played Tuesday night in Miami between the USA and Venezuela. The Miami Marlins’ loanDept park has become favorite location for the final games in the WBC and the ballpark hosting the last two championship games.
The WBC pits 20 international teams comprised of mainly professional players, including MLB stars, who are divided into four pools featuring five teams each. The top two teams from each pool move on to the knockout round, where winning teams advance leading to the final two squads facing off for the title.
This year’s WBC games were held in Houston, Miami, Tokyo and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Las Vegas has quickly become a go-to destination for major sporting events and their respective championships. Las Vegas already has hosted or is scheduled to host two Super Bowls (2029 game could be awarded to Las Vegas next month), two WrestleManias (2025, 2026), the 2027 College Football Playoff championship game and the 2028 Men’s NCAA Final Four.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
