Irvine officials approve plan to bring professional baseball team to city

Irvine city leaders have announced a partnership that will bring a professional baseball team to the city as soon as 2027. 

In a news release shared on Wednesday, they announced that the new team will compete in the Pioneer Baseball League and play its games at Great Park Baseball Stadium. 

"A new era of professional baseball is heading to Orange County, bringing a brand of world-class, family-friendly sports entertainment to one of the most vibrant regions in California," said a statement from Mayor Larry Agran.

The partnership with Innovation Baseball Partners, which owns and operates a portfolio of professional baseball teams, is the most recent to take place in Southern California. Last year, the group helped orchestrate the inaugural season of the Long Beach Coast, which is partially owned by famed Long Beach rapper Warren G. 

"We've always believed the sports industry has gotten one thing wrong. It acts like fans have chosen between a premium experience and affordable prices," said a statement from IBP co-founder Paul Freedman. "We think they deserve both."

Freedman said that IBP teams will now work on designing a premium ballpark experience from the ground up, which includes combining high-caliber athleticism with high-end food, entertainment and hospitality. 

Team leaders say that they will draw inspiration from the legendary cultures of Asia's premier baseball leagues, Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan and the Korea Baseball Organization, to help celebrate "Orange County's unique cultural tapestry."

They said that attendees can expect a highly interactive and joyful environment that includes crowd participation and entertainment, as well as a culinary menu highlighting Asian street foods and local craft beverages. 

Don Wakamatsu, a former MLB player, the league's first Asian-American manager and World Series Champion coach with the Kansas City Royals in 2015, who serves as IBP's Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations, will oversee that their vision is "backed by elite baseball execution."

"Throughout my life in baseball, I've seen how the game has the power to bridge cultures, ignite passion, and bring diverse communities together for shared joy," Wakamatsu said in a statement. "We are thrilled to bring this innovative concept to California. Our goal is to capture the incredible energy of global fan culture and pair it with a high-caliber product on the field."

Final decisions are still to be made on the team's name and branding. Player signings have not yet started, but in the case of the Long Beach Coast, players were invited to try out for the team several months before their first game. 

More information on the team can be found on their website as it becomes available. 

The Pioneer Baseball League is one of four MLB Partner Leagues across the United States. It operates across the West Coast with 13 current teams.