The way Orioles fans are going to enjoy games at Camden Yards next season will be different for just about everyone, especially those willing to pay for premium seating.
With ballpark renovations underway, Orioles president of business operations Catie Griggs said during a panel with other key team figures at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night that the changes aren’t aimed at “fixing” the historic Camden Yards. Rather, she hopes the bond-financed construction will preserve its standing as one of MLB’s most iconic parks while offering amenities most parks already have in place.
“Our objective is to create spaces and experiences for our full community,” Griggs said. “We’re one of two baseball stadiums in the country that does not have a premium club experience. We recognize, particularly for members of our corporate community, that was something that was lacking. We’ve addressed that with something I truly is going to believe is going to be one of the most iconic spots in baseball.
“I’m really, really excited to welcome that to our fans and our community on opening day. Similarly, we also have fans who may or may not be paying as much [attention] to what’s happening on the field. We haven’t had opportunities for them to get together in large numbers and still have the ability to stay connected. So, we’re creating those as well.”
Griggs, Hall of Famer and minority owner Cal Ripken Jr., minority owner Michael Arougheti, president of baseball operations Mike Elias and manager Craig Albernaz joined Rubenstein on the panel. Rubenstein is chairman of the Economic Club, a nonprofit organization of global leaders that holds forums on economic, business and policy issues.
The upgrades the Orioles hope to have in place by opening day are expansive. In addition to relocating the press box to build the home plate club, the team is also constructing a new covered patio in the outfield called “Scoreboard Social” as well as two new bars on the club level. The scoreboard itself will be replaced, the sound system overhauled and LED ribbon boards installed across the facing of the upper decks.
“I was there today, and I say this not to sell tickets, but just having been to every major league ballpark, this is the nicest club space that I’ve ever seen,” Arougheti said. “I’m not just being a homer. The sight lines, the levels, the spaciousness, the quality of what you (looking at Griggs) put together is, I think is going to be quite shortly known as kind of the best place to watch a game in all of baseball.”
Rubenstein alluded to strong ticket sales in the home plate club, asking Griggs about the premium seats that “are still available for people to purchase” amid laughs from the audience. But she also touted the Orioles’ efforts to make attending games more affordable as well, pointing to the value menu they instituted ahead of last season.
“One of the things that we’ve heard from our fans loud and clear is they want options,” Griggs said. “They want options. They want affordability. We have fans who are willing to pay for a premium experience, but we also have fans who come, they want to get a $15 ticket, they want to have affordability to feed their children. We have the opportunity for our fans to get into the ballpark, buy four tickets, get four hot dogs, get four beverages and be out for less than $100. You can’t even go to the movies for that.”
Nationals next door
Addressing a crowd based in the neighboring Washington Nationals’ territory, Griggs said the Orioles retain a large contingent of fans in the area and referenced the broadcast numbers the two teams draw on their shared Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.
“We still have a number of fans [who] are coming up from the Washington-Metropolitan area,” Griggs said. “When the team is good, frankly, even when they’re not as good as we hope they are, there are more people tuning in to watch us in D.C. than another club that may represent this area.”
Her comments come amid an uncertain future for MASN, which has broadcast both Nationals and Orioles game since the former moved to Washington in 2005. The two sides agreed to settle their years-long legal feud last spring, when they reached an agreement for the Nationals to “explore alternatives for their television rights after the 2025 campaign.
Washington has yet to announce its broadcast plans for 2026; Griggs told The Baltimore Sun in December that, “We are waiting for them to give us a final decision of where they will be next season.”
Elias heard the noise
Amid a disappointing 75-87 season in which the Orioles missed the playoffs and finished last in the American League East, Elias didn’t block out the criticism.
“In my line of work, you have to use Twitter, or X, a lot,” Elias said. “You really need to follow it. To have the experience where the entire platform is screaming at you, personally, was a fun one. So, yeah, the season didn’t go to plan, but I think we finished up in a really strong spot and we’re incredibly excited about what we’re building for 2026.”
He’s responded in turn, taking an aggressive approach to the offseason and landing a slew of proven, veteran players including first baseman Pete Alonso, outfielder Taylor Ward, closer Ryan Helsley and starting pitcher Shane Baz. When asked if he’s still on the hunt for another starting pitcher, Elias played coy.
“I am judiciously looking to approve the roster until spring training starts, and we are assessing opportunities,” Elias said.
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