Heading into February means it's that time of the year again for Spring Training. With the first Spring Training game in just a few weeks on Feb. 20, Let’s take a look at some fun facts on this exciting time!
If you don’t know what Spring Training is, it’s a period of time at the beginning of the season, where Major League Baseball teams practice and play exhibition games, usually from the end of February to the end of March, before opening day on March 27 this year. It is a time for players to get back in the groove of things for the upcoming season and it is also a time for new players to try out for roster spots. During practices, the players get to work on their skills while coaches and scouts watch them. Exhibition games are basically practice games between teams.
Spring Training Takes Place in Arizona and Florida
There are two leagues during spring training, the Cactus League and the Grapefruit League. The Cactus League is in Arizona and mostly has the Western teams while the Grapefruit League mostly has Eastern teams.
Cactus League Teams: Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers.
Grapefruit League: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Washington Nationals.
Spring Training started around 1870
There’s no official start date for spring training, but evidence shows it started in 1870 between the Cincinnati Red Stockings and Chicago White Stockings in New Orleans. Though before that the New York Mutuals trained in New Orleans, Louisiana which would make them the first team to train outside of their city.
Robo Umpire
Rob Manfred, the MLB commissioner, announced that the “robo ump” will be making its Spring Training debut this season. The goal of it is to improve the accuracy of the ball and strike calls, though many are skeptical. The robot umpires are part of the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) that uses cameras and algorithms to determine the call. There are plans to potentially use them in regular-season games as soon as 2026.
The Teams share training complexes
Out of the 30 MLB teams, 14 of them share a training complex during spring training. There are seven facilities in Arizona and Florida that host two teams.
You can go to the games!
Spring training is open for the public to attend. Not only are the prices cheaper than regular season games, but it is also a great chance to see the up-and-coming stars. Since they aren’t playing in the major league stadiums, it’s arguably better seating. There are not so many seats that you’re going to end up too far from the action, think about 5,000-10,000 seats compared to the average 40,000-60,000 seats of an MLB stadium.
Spring training is a really fun time of the year for players and fans alike especially because it means the new season is just around the corner. With games starting soon, it’s the perfect time to get excited for another great year of baseball!
Edited by Brittany Snow
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