Daybreak now has its field. Here's what fans will see when the Bees start playing

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

SOUTH JORDAN — There's a little less than six months until the Salt Lake Bees will swarm into their hive, but team ownership celebrated a major marker toward the completion of the forthcoming Daybreak Field at America First Square.

Daybreak Field now has a field. Salt Lake Bees grounds crew members installed the ballpark's new playing surface over the last few days. Larry H. Miller Company owner Gail Miller and other key dignitaries gathered Wednesday afternoon to ceremonially roll the final section of the field by where the first base will go.

Representatives for the Larry H. Miller Company and Salt Lake Bees and other dignitaries roll the final patches of sod onto Daybreak Field Wednesday afternoon. (Photo: Carter Williams, KSL.com)

The ceremony took place three days before the first anniversary of a groundbreaking celebration to begin construction for a new home for the Bees, which departed Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City at the end of this past season.

"It's only fitting that almost a year later that — instead of turning over dirt — we are planting this grass," said Michelle Smith, president of Miller Sports + Entertainment, the owner of the Triple-A franchise, as construction crews continued to build out the stadium around her.

The Bees' season-opener isn't until April 8, 2025, but mid-October was essentially the latest the new playing surface could be installed to be ready for Opening Day.

That's because it takes time for the grass turf to settle before it's ready for regular game activity.

"It comes in 2-foot-wide rolls and — for the player's safety — we want it all to knit together," said Brian Soukup, director of field operations for the Salt Lake Bees. "We also need it to establish roots so we have that stability."

Getting here started in late July. Okland Construction completed a flat surface which it handed over to the Salt Lake Bees grounds crew so it could install the field's drainage system before adding in the infield dirt and pitching mound, Soukup explained to KSL.com.

The sod arrived from Washington. Installation began on Monday before wrapping up just in time before temperatures drop with an incoming storm. The colder it gets, the harder it is for the grass to establish itself by the start of the season.

Crews will continue to treat the grass and use 100 tons of topdressing sand to help protect the grass over the winter. But with the grass now installed, it's now easier to understand what watching Salt Lake Bees games will look like at the 8,000-seat ballpark beginning next season.

"It doesn't feel like a construction site anymore," he said. "It feels like a baseball field and I'm excited for next year already."

Larry H. Miller executives take in the view from the top level of Daybreak Field during a tour of the stadium on Wednesday. The field's playing surface was completed this week. (Photo: Carter Williams, KSL.com)

The outfield dimensions will actually look similar to Smith's Ballpark. Both the right and left field walls are 345 feet from home plate by the foul line, which extends out to 420 at center field — almost the exact same distances as the old ballpark. The alleyways are 385 feet out from home plate.

The largest on-field change is that the home and visiting bullpens will be located beyond the left field wall, allowing for the first and third base seats to be pulled a little closer to the field. Most of the seats will be closer to action overall, especially for those with field-level suite tickets behind home plate.

Of course, views have been the biggest concern fans have brought up since construction began on a new ballpark. Smith's Ballpark was revered for its views of the Wasatch Mountains, making it one of the top backdrops in all of minor league baseball.

Daybreak Field isn't as close to the mountains as was the case in Salt Lake City, but the new field is tilted east like its predecessor, producing a scenic view of the Wasatch Mountains. Fans will notice the vista looks a bit different, swapping views of Mount Olympus in center with Twin Peaks. There's also a distant view of Mount Timpanogos in right, while a video board in left may block some of the other peaks.

Fans sitting on the top level will notice more peaks and views of the Salt Lake Valley's southern end, which adds to the aesthetic. There's still plenty of construction left to go before opening day 2025, but those behind the project believe Daybreak Field will offer a similar draw as Smith's Ballpark did for this reason.

"While there are many new amenities, one thing hasn't changed; and that's the best view in baseball," Smith said.