But the baseball stadium will also celebrate 25 seasons in the Dayton region with some fun, new additions that will be announced in the coming months.
“We’re going to be celebrating our 25th season all year with our fans,” said Dayton Dragons President Bob Murphy. “We’re continuing to try to make this everything that everyone wants it to be, from our community.”
Murphy and executive vice president and assistant general manager Brandy Guinaugh presented an annual report to the Montgomery County commission this week and pointed to how the Dayton minor league baseball team is preparing for a historic season.
In 2020, pandemic orders resulted in minor-league baseball teams canceling their seasons — making 2025 the 26th year the Dragons have been in the Dayton region, but the 25th season.
The 2024 season was eventful at Day Air Ballpark, with several projects to update the stadium seeing completion. This includes playing field, roof and HVAC system upgrades; the installation of high-definition LED outfield walls; the creation of player commissaries and a female locker room; updates to a weight room and more.
Dayton Dragons owners Palisades Arcadia Baseball in 2022 announced $20 million in improvements to the ballpark, prompted by maintenance and changes to MLB requirements for minor-league licensees. The second batting tunnel project is among these requirements.
Much of this was publicly funded. The Montgomery County commission in 2023 approved $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for improvements to Day Air Ballpark. The Dayton City Commission in 2022 also approved $6 million for the same project.
The city of Dayton owns the baseball stadium and the plaza at its western entrance, as well as the land beneath the facility.
The Dragons had 66 home games in 2024, and the average attendance at those home games was 8,012. The total season attendance for 2024 was 528,778 people.
The Dayton area minor league team attracts attendees from outside Montgomery County — Dragons fans drive over from all over southwest Ohio and Columbus, but they’re also traveling from Indiana and Kentucky, according to Dragons officials.
The ballpark also sees multiple programs and initiatives outside of baseball: job fairs, field trips, movie nights, networking events and more.
The ballpark has an annual economic impact of $27.5 million, according to officials. Nearly $3 billion in development has occurred in and around the stadium, too.
Opening Day for the Dragons’ 2025 season is on April 8 at Day Air Ballpark against the Fort Wayne TinCaps.
About the Author
