Letter from the Founders: Our Oakland Ballers Resolutions
Published on January 1, 2026 under Pioneer League (PL)
Oakland Ballers News Release
Dear Ballers Fam,
Happy New Year. As we turn the page to 2026, we've been reflecting on a simple question: How did this actually happen?
A few years ago, this was just an idea built on a belief that Oakland deserved a team that belonged to the people. In 2025, that belief turned into a championship season that exceeded anything we could've imagined.
And it happened because Oakland showed up.
2025 was a year for the history books.
On the field:
- We became Pioneer League Champions, winning four straight elimination games when everything was on the line.
- We broke the Pioneer League modern-era wins record.
- We had the best record in the league in both the 1st and the 2nd half of the season.
- We sold out games, created the toughest home-field advantage in the league, and turned Raimondi Park into must-see baseball.
- We watched so many Ballers players become legends as they earned their next opportunities - proof that Oakland is once again a place where careers are built.
And behind those moments were players who embraced what this team stands for - guys who didn't just play for a logo, but played for a city. From ballpark-wide chants of "Oh... Tyler Lozano", to Michael O'Hara's series-altering catch in the playoffs crashing into the left field wall, to Connor Sullivan tossing the final out in the championship after already setting the PBL saves record. You know their names. You know the moments. They'll forever be part of Oakland baseball history.
Off the field, the impact was just as real:
- 129,000+ fans came through the gates - a 32% increase over last season!
- we now have 3800+ fan owners, making the Ballers the national leader in community-owned sports.
- We partnered with 70+ local sponsors, the majority small Oakland businesses.
- We welcomed dozens of community organizations into the ballpark - from youth groups to cultural institutions.
- Raimondi Park continued to serve the neighborhood, hosting little league games, community events, and free movie nights.
- The City of Oakland even honored the Ballers community impact by awarding us a key to the city - an acknowledgment we'll never take lightly. Even if it doesn't actually unlock any doors.
Then there were the moments that don't show up in box scores:
- Kids running the bases for the first time.
- Fans hugging strangers after big wins.
- Scrappy dancing his way into Oakland lore.
- A championship parade that felt less like a victory lap and more like a family reunion.
That's when it really hit us.
This team truly belongs to Oakland.
Every loud inning.
Every packed night.
Every chant that shook Raimondi.
You created that.
So as proud as we are of the trophy, we are even prouder of how it was won - together, with the community at the center of everything.
Our 2026 Resolutions:
As founders, here's what we're committing to next:
- Go even deeper with the community - more access, more collaboration, more opportunities for fans to shape the Ballers experience.
- Keep Raimondi Park a true neighborhood asset, on game days and beyond.
- Continue raising the bar on fan experience, while staying true to what makes this place feel like home.
- Protect fan ownership and participation, because this model works.
- Honor Oakland's culture, history, and future in everything we do.
We don't believe championships are destinations. We believe they're responsibilities. And in Oakland, that responsibility is to keep building something real, inclusive, and lasting. Because this team is proof of what's possible when a city shows up for itself.
From the bottom of our hearts: thank you for trusting us, pushing us, and building this thing alongside us.
Let's keep going.
Let's Go Oakland,
Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman
Co-Founders, Oakland Ballers
Pioneer League Stories from January 1, 2026
- Letter from the Founders: Our Oakland Ballers Resolutions - Oakland Ballers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
