Oakland Ballers

The Oakland Ballers, also called the Oakland B's, are an independent baseball team that joined the Pioneer League in 2024. Their formation came after MLB owners approved moving the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas. A nonprofit group called Oakland 68s gathered over $2 million to start the team, taking inspiration from the Oakland Roots SC soccer club. When the team was announced, its press release promised fan ownership, supported by a crowdfunding campaign launched in 2024.

Don Wakamatsu became the first executive vice president of baseball operations. The first player signed was Dondrei Hubbard, announced on December 10, 2023. The Ballers are based in Oakland, California. They originally planned to play at Laney College, with upgrades to hold about 2,500 fans, but a proposed game at the Oakland Coliseum was blocked by the Athletics.

In February 2024, the team said they would instead use Raimondi Park in West Oakland, which can seat 4,000 people. On April 10, 2024, Kelsie Whitmore signed with the Ballers, becoming the first woman to play in the Pioneer League when she took the field later that year. On June 6, 2024, she started a Pioneer League game for the Ballers, another first for a female player, and struck out one batter. The Ballers fired manager Micah Franklin on July 21, 2024, and named Aaron Miles interim manager.

In August 2024, the team raised $8 million through the online platform DealMaker. On April 2, 2025, the Ballers played an exhibition game against the Single-A San Jose Giants, called Battle of the Bay 2.0, referencing the old rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics. It was the first time an MLB affiliate faced an independent partner league team. The game aired on KPIX+, and the Giants won 5–2.