Alta Picks: Out to the Ball Game

• MLB Affiliate: Colorado Rockies
• Ballpark: Chukchansi Park in Fresno
• Claim to fame: This team boasts the biggest and newest Single-A ballpark in California, or Growlifornia, as the Grizzlies like to call it. Buster Posey opened the 2010 season here as a catcher back in his Grizzlies’ Triple-A days—he would go on to start for the Giants in the World Series that year.
• Special feature: Visitors can seek respite from the summer heat of the Central Valley, where temperatures can hang out in the 90s and low 100s during baseball season, at a splash park and a swimming pool in the outfield.

GET TICKETS

• MLB Affiliate: Seattle Mariners
• Ballpark: John Thurman Field in Modesto
• Mark your calendar: Fans go, well, nuts for the team’s theme nights. Take Lucha Libre Night—on August 24—with its colorful outfits that pay homage to Mexican freestyle wrestling (think capes, face masks, and thigh-high boots). In between innings, try your luck at a round of lotería (Mexican bingo).
• Don’t miss: Burrito bowls are served out of Wally’s Wagon, a food truck named after Wally the Walnut, one of the Nuts’ three mascots. Look out for the other two costumed mascots: Shelley the Pistachio, a youngster who first stepped into the park 10 years ago, and Al the Almond, a known prankster.

GET TICKETS

• MLB Affiliate: San Francisco Giants
• Ballpark: Excite Ballpark in San Jose
• Take note: The historic ballpark, which opened in 1942, lets fans get up close and personal with rising stars. More than 200 players have made their way out of San Jose and into the major leagues.
• Don’t miss: Once a month during the season, the Giants don different jerseys and heat up vats of oil to become the San Jose Churros for the night, celebrating their Latino roots with sugary desserts and rowdy team spirit. Check out Día de los Churros this summer on July 27 and August 31.

GET TICKETS

• MLB Affiliate: Oakland A’s
• Ballpark: Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton
• Player to watch: San Franciscan Henry Bolte slugged 14 home runs in 2023 and is expected to carry the team this season. The 20-year-old was drafted by the A’s in 2022, shortly after he graduated high school. Commentators have noted his speed and his strong arm in the outfield.
• Mark your calendar: Holiday lovers, rejoice. On July 25, the Ports will throw a Christmas in July night complete with twinkling lights and festive music. Visitors can look forward to specialty Christmas jerseys and the second annual Teddy Bear Toss, which generates donations to Toys for Tots.

GET TICKETS

• MLB Affiliate: Los Angeles Angels
• Ballpark: San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino
• You must try: $2 Tuesdays is the full ballpark experience at an affordable price. Not only are tickets just two bucks—a steal—but so are hot dogs, sodas, and popcorn. And best of all, parking is also $2, making this a cheap and easy date night, family outing, or great evening for fans on a budget.
• Shoot your shot: Loosen up your arms before you head to the park on August 8 for the Corn Hole Tournament. Teams of fans will compete to be the first to score 21 points.

GET TICKETS

• MLB Affiliate: San Diego Padres
• Ballpark: The Diamond in Lake Elsinore
• Join the party: The StormFestival debuts on August 17. In between innings, local music groups will take the field and compete against one another for a big prize, Battle of the Bands–style. In-stadium fans will have the final say on which team of musicians wins.
• Balks allowed: Show up on Saturdays to catch the Anything but First Pitch pregame fun, when a local celebrity or fan will kick, putt, or spike the first ball—whatever gets it over home plate.

GET TICKETS

• MLB Affiliate: Los Angeles Dodgers
• Ballpark: LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga
• What fans love: Inspired by Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly, who traded his jersey for a mariachi jacket during the team’s White House visit in 2021, the Quakes have a new alter ego, the Chaquetas. As part of the Copa de la Diversión, an ongoing effort to honor the team’s Latino fan base, the players will don mariachi-esque uniforms and caps for select games. Stylish merch, including a hat with a Joe Kelly–looking silhouette on it, sold out instantly online. But at the park, the team store will be stocked.
• Don’t miss: Bounce on over for ’90s Weekend on August 23 and 24 to see fans rockin’ the Quakes’ retro aqua-striped jerseys. No Doubt, Santana, and Sugar Ray might be pumping through the speakers.

GET TICKETS

• MLB Affiliate: Arizona Diamondbacks
• Ballpark: Valley Strong Ballpark in Visalia
• Player to watch: Druw Jones (son of Hall of Fame nominee Andruw Jones) was drafted straight out of high school after batting an outstanding .570, scoring 72 runs, and stealing 32 bases. These kinds of stats mean one thing: Jones will likely end up on the Diamondbacks soon. Watch him live up to his Minor League Baseball Defensive Player of the Year title in the California League and say you saw Jones play before he went big.
• Join the party: Watch pyrotechnic patriotism crack, sizzle, and pop on Independence Day as the Rawhide face the Quakes. The good cheer continues on July 5, when the team will give away Rawhide jerseys, and on July 6, when it will offer generous discounts for active duty, reserve, and veteran military personnel as part of its America’s Birthday Celebration. No wonder baseball is called our national pastime.

GET TICKETS