Recent State Audit Reveals Poor Condition of Angel Stadium
- Andrei Ojeda
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
A recent report from the California State Auditor has stated the City of Anaheim has not properly maintained the condition of Angel Stadium.
Currently the 4th oldest MLB yard behind Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium has not had any major enhancements since its return as a baseball only facility in 1998. Angel Stadium ranked 23rd out of 30 MLB yards last year in Stadium Journey's latest MLB ballpark rankings.
“Anaheim’s lease agreement with the Angels ownership requires ownership to maintain the stadium in good condition and repair, subject to ordinary wear and tear, with a standard of maintenance at least equal to first-class professional baseball stadiums,” the report said. “The city and Angels ownership last renovated Angel Stadium over 25 years ago. However, until 2023, Anaheim had not formally inspected the stadium to assess its condition since completing those renovations.”
The recently released audit was requested by State Sen. Tom Umberg and Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, who expressed “deep concern” over the Angels’ failure to live up to their end of the agreement.
Shortly after news of the audit was released, Umberg said the audit confirms that the Angels are operating under a “sweetheart deal” that doesn’t in any way benefit the stadium’s owners – Anaheim taxpayers.
News of the recent audit comes not long after the Angels lease extension at Angel Stadium through 2032.
Among the key points from the full state audit :
Between 1996 and March 2025, Anaheim realized approximately $415,000 in net revenue from its lease agreement with Angels ownership, not including $20 million in expenses Anaheim incurred to help pay for the stadium’s renovations.
Anaheim has made minimal efforts to verify whether the revenue Angels ownership shared with the city is correct and complies with the terms of the lease agreement. City staff rely on periodic audits to identify any discrepancies, but Anaheim has conducted only two audits of the lease agreement since 2013. Although we found that the revenue provided to the city from baseball ticket sales and parking were generally likely to be accurate and comply with the terms of the lease, we identified $95,000 that Angels ownership erroneously paid Anaheim in 2021 that the city will need to refund.
After a 6-game road trip to start the season, the Angels home opener is this Friday against the Cleveland Guardians.
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