BUFFALO, N.Y. — Weeks have work have transformed Sahlen Field into a big-league ballpark, and the Blue Jays will call Buffalo home starting this week. They spent the first two months of the season playing their home games in Dunedin, F.L., at the Blue Jays' spring training facility. 

"We got bullpens now, we've got a more permanent locker room, weight room situation down below,” said Blue Jays pitcher Ross Stripling. “The amenities of it should be better than what it was last year. Not that last year it was even that bad. I do think that most guys think it's probably an upgrade from the facility we were using at Dunedin."


What You Need To Know

  • After two months of home games played in Dunedin, Florida, the Toronto Blue Jays will shift their home games to Buffalo's Sahlen Field for the second straight summer

  • Players say they're looking forward to improved facilities and more of a home-field advantage

  • They also say during home games in Florida, fans from opposing teams would frequently outnumber Blue Jays fans

Buffalo brings better facilities, and more Blue Jays fans. The Jays also played their home games in Buffalo all of last of season. Unlike last year, fans can actually watch games at Sahlen Field, and players are excited to try and regain a home-field advantage.

"Every team we play, they'd have more fans from the other team than we did," said Charlie Montoyo, Toronto's manager. "Hopefully it will become more of a home-field advantage, and be more comfortable for our players to play."

"They were all cheering for the Rays,” remembered Stripling. “There were chants for Rays in, technically, our home stadium. We were all in the dugout like 'man, this stinks.' Just to have some fans in the stands, get some energy in the stadium that's cheering for us, and excited for us, and wants us to win. That'll definitely be a big difference because you feed off that. We haven't had that in a long time."

"We'll feed off that energy," says infielder Marcus Semien. "I'm looking forward to seeing the stadium and the city. My family's there waiting for me, so that'll be nice."

If you want to see the Blue Jays at Sahlen Field, you'll have to act fast. Tickets for the first eight games were sold out in under six hours. The next opportunity to grab tickets comes on June 10.