Editor’s note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

In José Bautista’s first season as owner of the Las Vegas Lights, the minor league soccer club made its lone playoff run — advancing all the way to the conference final before bowing out.

Bautista, the former MLB slugger renowned for his towering home runs, admits the taste of success in 2024 left him wanting more. Few knew of his deep passion for soccer before he invested in the Lights, who open at home March 28 against Monterey Bay FC.

That postseason run gave Bautista a preview of what he envisions every game day looking like. With an energized crowd behind them, the Lights are a different team — and he felt it firsthand.

Las Vegas edged Sacramento in a dramatic penalty shootout at Cashman Field in the conference quarterfinals for the franchise’s first-ever postseason win.

“It was a fun playoff run, and those were some exciting games,” he said. “That’s what we need to get back to, because we want to have relevant games for our fans that they feel good about.”

The United Soccer League franchise launched in 2018 with an unconventional approach to fan engagement. Wacky promotions common in minor league sports — llama mascots, cash drops from helicopters, naturalization ceremonies — helped draw crowds in the early years.

Average attendance that first season was 6,786, rising to 7,711 the following year. Last season, it plummeted to 2,803.

Bautista says the fan experience will be upgraded with enhanced food offerings, better ticket prices and “just providing a better service than what had happened in the last few seasons.”

The franchise is “trying to improve the fan experience. We’re hoping to earn that trust back,” he said.

He added, “We’re hoping to get the exciting wins back in Cashman and get the place rocking again and just have a lot of fun. It’s a great (entertainment) option. It’s a great opportunity to connect with soccer at the professional level in Southern Nevada.”

The level of play will also be noticeably improved. Of course, he also said that last season, but injuries were too much to overcome and they finished with six wins. He also said “having that room of the players be in total sync with the head coach had something to do with it.”

“We didn’t have the year we wanted,” he said.

There is optimism that this year will be different.

Sporting Director Gianleonardo Neglia “has rolled up his sleeves and done a great job adding a lot of talent to the group,” Bautista said.

New head coach Devin Rensing comes with five years’ experience as an assistant coach in the league. At the collegiate level, he posted an 82-16-7 record in coaching stints at Stevens Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology.

Rensing, who is bilingual in Spanish, has also worked as a scout for Sporting Kansas City of MLS and in Spain.

“Devin has played a key role in developing a winning culture at two different USL Championship clubs,” Neglia said in a statement. “With extensive experience in this league, great familiarity with the college game, and a background in talent identification, we believe Devin has all the tools to be successful as a professional head coach.”

The Lights are 0-1-1 after their initial two games, including a 1-1 draw March 7 at Orange County SC. Nighte Pickering scored in the 84th minute to salvage a crucial point in the standings on the road. Abraham Okyere had both goals in a 3-2 loss to host Colorado Springs on March 7 in the season opener.

Las Vegas plays tonight at FC Tulsa before returning March 28 for the home opener at Cashman Field.

It will be the last season at Cashman, which will be torn down for housing. Bautista says he intends to keep the franchise in Las Vegas and is working on finding a new home.

It’s a project he says he works on almost daily. He’s spoken with “a lot of different stakeholders and potential partners around town.”

“Hopefully we have news to announce soon,” he said. “I think people, no matter where we end up when we have to leave Cashman, they’ll be pleasantly surprised and excited about the future of the Lights.”

[email protected] / 702-990-2662 / @raybrewer21