Battle of the Bay 2.1: San Jose Giants to Host Oakland Ballers
After making history last season, the Ballers and Giants will meet again in a Champion vs. Champion rematch.
San Jose, CA – On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, the San Jose Giants and the Oakland Ballers will face off for the second consecutive year, building on the success of last season’s historic matchup. Dubbed “Battle of the Bay 2.1,” the two organizations, each fresh off their respective 2025 Championship seasons, will meet for an exhibition game at San Jose’s Excite Ballpark as part of the Giants’ Minor League Spring Training schedule. First pitch is set for 6:30 PM.
Tickets for the game are now on sale at sjgiants.com with the game set to air on CBS Bay Area.
“Congratulations to the Oakland Ballers on their first championship last year,” said San Jose Giants President Ben Taylor. “Our organization is familiar with that winning feeling as, after beginning the year with a Battle of the Bay 2.0 victory, the team secured its historic 13th League Championship. In San Jose, winning isn't a singular achievement, it is a Giant culture. We look forward to again providing fans, and the Ballers, the chance to experience it as we begin the 2026 baseball season."
Taking place at the ballpark formerly known as Municipal Stadium, which first opened in 1942, this matchup marks just the second time an affiliated Minor League franchise, the San Jose Giants, will take on an MLB Partner League team, the Oakland Ballers. The inaugural Battle of the Bay 2.0 last year was the first such meeting in baseball history.
Both teams enter the game riding championship momentum. The Giants completed a perfect playoff run to capture their eighth title as a San Francisco affiliate in 2025. The Ballers rallied for a thrilling series comeback to claim the Pioneer Baseball League Championship in only their second season of existence.
“The San Jose Giants won their league last year. So did we. Our record was better, not that we’re counting,” said Oakland Ballers Co-Founder Bryan Carmel. “Here’s the point: we are laser focused on winning this game and claiming our rightful place as the Champion amongst Champions of the Bay Area. We literally hired our new president, Yeshayah Goldfarb, because he spent two decades within the Giants organization. He’s revealed all of their secrets. We now know the ins and outs of Gigante, their alleged mascot. If the San Jose Giants are scared, they should be.”
Roster information for both teams will be announced in the days leading up to the event. Fans can also expect contests, giveaways, live music, and in-game promotions from both organizations to enhance the game-day experience.
The exhibition will be a nine (9) inning game and be played using standard MLB rules and guidelines.
Following the exhibition against the Ballers, the San Jose Giants 2026 Opening Night is set for Tuesday, April 7 at Excite Ballpark against the Visalia Rawhide. Ballers Opening Night is May 19th.
For more information or to purchase tickets for Battle of the Bay 2.1 call 408.297.1435, visit the Excite Ballpark Box Office, or log on to sjgiants.com.
ABOUT THE SAN JOSE GIANTS
The San Jose Giants are a Class A professional baseball team and have been an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants since 1988. San Jose has won eight California League Championships as a Giants affiliate (2025, 2021, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2001 and 1998) and thirteen overall. The San Jose Giants have graduated 248 Major League players, 180 of whom have played or currently play for the San Francisco Giants. Excite Ballpark, the home of the San Jose Giants, first opened in 1942 and has seen over 8 million fans enter through its gates. The organization has been honored with the Larry MacPhail Award, presented to the club with the best creative marketing and promotions, and the President’s Trophy, granted to the most complete franchise in all of Minor League Baseball. For information on the 2026 season, please contact the San Jose Giants Box Office at 408.297.1435 or visit us online at sjgiants.com
ABOUT THE OAKLAND BALLERS
The Oakland Ballers, affectionately known as the B’s, are Oakland’s one and only professional baseball team — and one of the most exciting stories in all of sports. Born from a fan-led movement to ensure professional baseball never leaves The Town, the Ballers represent what’s possible when a community builds something together. In just their first two seasons, the Ballers have made history. The team shattered the Pioneer Baseball League’s modern-era wins record, finishing 73–23 on the way to becoming the 2025 PBL Champions, an achievement that earned them a Key to the City from Mayor Barbara Lee. Along the way, the Ballers built a brand-new ballpark in historic West Oakland, welcomed more than 220,000 fans to Raimondi Park, and sent four players on to Major League Baseball organizations. They also made league history with the first female starting pitcher and were named Trailblazers of the Year by Assemblymember Mia Bonta at the annual AD18 Awards.
As the PBL’s first West Coast franchise, the Ballers compete in a historic league founded in 1939 that’s known for innovation and is an official MLB partner league. But what truly sets the Ballers apart is their commitment to Oakland. Nearly 4,000 fans have joined the ownership group, raising more than $3.2 million and helping make the Ballers the first team in American sports to elect a fan representative to its board of directors. Local icons have joined the ownership group as well, including Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and hip hop superstar Too $hort. And perhaps most impressively, more than 50 fans have permanently inked their loyalty with B’s logo tattoos.
From sold-out crowds and playoff runs to nearly 24,000 hats worn proudly across the East Bay, the Ballers are about more than wins. They’re about joy, belonging, and showing up for the community that built them. Before the Ballers arrived, Raimondi Park had fallen into disrepair and couldn’t even host Little League games. Following a $1.2 million private investment, the ballpark now hosts professional baseball, high school tournaments, Little League championships, free community movie nights and a portion of every Ballers ticket sold goes directly to the City of Oakland.
The Oakland Ballers are here to stay.
Built by Oakland. Forever Oakland.
