Major League Baseball Spring Training is an annual tradition, and teams are getting ready to start playing in the coming weeks. The Grapefruit League fixtures 15 teams from both the American and National League that will play from the end of February until the end of March. The other 15 teams play in the Cactus League located around the Phoenix, Arizona area. Spring training is a crucial time for lesser-known players to try and make their respective teams’ opening day roster and gives veterans a chance to get back into baseball after a long off-season.
Spring Training gives both baseball fans and Floridians a chance to see their favorite teams in a more intimate environment that features smaller stadiums and more opportunities to get close to players. The Tampa Bay area alone has seven teams within a 70-mile radius and is a dream location for anyone who wants to experience a lot of baseball in the month before the regular season kicks off.
For anyone who wants to see some Spring Training action in the Tampa area, here is a detailed list of all the information needed to have a great time:
New York Yankees
Tampa, Florida
George M. Steinbrenner Field
First Home Game: Friday, Feb. 23
The Yankees are coming into Spring Training after a very productive year that saw the emergence of key players like Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, and Aaron Hicks. The team made a deep playoff push after defeating the Twins in a wild-card game and the Indians in the Division Series. New York would later lose to the Houston Astros in Game Seven of the American League Championship Series but accomplished a lot in the early stages of the organization’s rebuilding period.
Now coming into 2018, the Yankees will be utilizing arguably the most powerful lineup in baseball after adding Giancarlo Stanton in the offseason. Between Stanton, Judge, and Gary Sanchez, the Yankees will have a legitimate chance at breaking the single-season home run record. The offense will be accompanied by a solid starting pitching rotation and one of the best bullpens in baseball who will let the team stay competitive in the later innings of games.
The organization has been playing their Spring Training games in Florida for the majority of the last 100 years and might be the most popular team on Florida’s west coast, even more than the Tampa Bay Rays. New York has had stints in Jacksonville, Saint Petersburg, and Fort Lauderdale before coming to the heart of Tampa in 1996.
George Steinbrenner Field has been recently upgraded and has the largest seating capacity of any Spring Training stadium in the Grapefruit League with 11,000 seats available. It is located next to Raymond James Stadium where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play and offers great views of Yankees’ baseball up close.
Philadelphia Phillies
Clearwater, Florida
Spectrum Field
First Home Game: Saturday, Feb. 24
Philadelphia may have just won their first Super Bowl, but it may be some time before the city will get to see another World Series trophy. After ruling the National League East Division from 2007-11, the Phillies have been in a complete rebuilding mode and look to do much of the same this coming season. There are a few more bright spots for the team this season compared to what they had to work with in 2017, including the emergence of franchise caliber players Rhys Hoskins and Aaron Nola, as well as the introduction of veteran first baseman Carlos Santana.
With yet another losing season in their near future, Phillies’ fans will be looking forward to the debut of high-profile prospects like J.P. Crawford and Scott Kingery this season to help build some excitement in the organization. The National League East is one of the weakest divisions in professional sports, but unfortunately, Philadelphia will be way behind the Washington Nationals for the majority of the season.
For Spring Training, the Phillies will play their home games at Spectrum Field out in Clearwater. The stadium seats around 8,500 fans, and isn’t too far of a drive from Tampa. The Phillies will be playing some exciting pre-season baseball with some of their high-level prospects getting valuable playing time while the team is in the Sunshine state and would make a great day for fans of any team.
Toronto Blue Jays
Dunedin, Florida
Florida Auto Exchange Stadium
First Home Game: Friday, Feb. 23
Of all the teams that play pre-season baseball in the Tampa area, the Toronto Blue Jays may get the least amount of attention. The team only plays about 40 minutes from Tampa but get the least recognition from the locals. The Blue Jays are coming into 2018 with hopes of making it to the playoffs, but are going to have a tough time beating out their division rivals, the Yankees and the Red Sox. Toronto brings in some aging stars like Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki while also highlighting some great young players like Randal Grichuk and Marcus Stroman.
Toronto isn’t really in a position to compete, and the organization may be heading into a rebuilding period after this upcoming season. The Blue Jays were much more competitive a few years ago when they featured an all-star lineup with Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, and Jose Bautista, but have since lost most of their star power.
The team’s Spring Training venue, Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, is the smallest of any in the country with the capacity for only around 5,500 people. While the overall capacity is small, this should give fans a very intimate atmosphere where being able to get close to players should be fairly easy.
Detroit Tigers
Lakeland, Florida
Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium
First Home Game: Saturday, Feb. 24
Maybe the saddest story out of all the teams on this list, the Detroit Tigers are in for a pretty bad season and are not in a good position for the near future. As of right now, Bleacher Report has projected the team to finish the year with 101 losses, and that number is possible if they don’t make any free agent moves before the start of the season. The Tigers had their run of dominance in the American League Central Division from 2011-14, but now after finishing last in 2017, the team is officially in rebuild mode. Unfortunately, the organization doesn’t have any elite prospects, and the three players they do have in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospect List are all pitchers and are all not expected to make an impact with the big league team until at least 2019.
The Tigers still feature two big-name players, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, and even with their age, they can still be a joy to see during pre-season baseball. Detroit plays their Spring Training games in Lakeland, and as the only team in that area, they draw some decent crowds. The Tigers’ tenure in Lakeland is the longest of any team in the Grapefruit League, and they have been there since 1966. The stadium is a 40-minute drive from Tampa and should be completely worth the short trip for any baseball fan.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Bradenton, Florida
LECOM Park
First Home Game: Saturday, Feb. 24
Now looking to the South of Tampa, the Pittsburgh Pirates play about 45 minutes away in Bradenton. The team is actually one of the more exciting ones to keep an eye on this spring. Pittsburgh is a relatively young team, with some high-level prospects who are looking to make a big step forward this season. After trading away Andrew McCutchen who was the face of the franchise for the last five or six years, players like Josh Bell and Starling Marte are going to have to try and fill the void left by McCutchen. The Pirates are in more of a rebuilding mode than a competing one, but it will still be interesting to see this season if they can make a run for a wild-card spot.
One of the biggest reasons to make the trip down to Bradenton for Spring Training is that the Pirates play in one of the oldest baseball parks in the United States. LECOM Park is the third oldest ballpark used by a Major League team in the country and is considered to be one of the best baseball experiences around, giving fans some of the same nostalgic feelings as going to Fenway Park or Wrigley Field.
Baltimore Orioles
Sarasota, Florida
Ed Smith Stadium
First Home Game: Friday, Feb. 23
Every year it seems like the Baltimore Orioles are finally going to be the team to beat in the American League East Division, but we haven’t seen it all come together yet. Apart from a division title in 2014 and a Wild-Card spot in 2016, Baltimore has had a tough time besting the other teams in the division. With elite star Manny Machado and veteran sluggers like Adam Jones and Mark Trumbo, the Orioles have plenty of offensive power to make a run at the division title. Unfortunately for the organization, the ongoing problem is that they haven’t been able to secure an elite starting pitcher for what seems like the past decade. Without a quality pitching rotation, the Orioles have a tough time staying in games, and it is something that needs to be addressed soon.
The Orioles play their pre-season baseball in beautiful Sarasota and have a great ballpark to watch games in an intimate environment. The drive down to the stadium will take about an hour from Tampa, but with most games being played in the afternoon, it will give you plenty of time to explore the picturesque coastline and the historic downtown of the city. Ed Smith Stadium and the Orioles do a great job at making Spring Training Baseball a one of a kind experience.
Atlanta Braves
Kissimmee, Florida
Champion Stadium
First Home Game: Monday, Feb. 26
Last but not least, the Atlanta Braves might be able to give the best Spring Training experience this year. Not only do the Braves have some of the best prospects in baseball, but they play their games at the Wide World of Sports in Disney World.
The Braves probably aren’t going to be competitive this season, but this is a team to keep your eyes on over the next few years. The organization is ranked as having the best farm system in baseball, and they have eight players listed on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospect List, including Ronald Acuna who is regarded by many as the best prospect in baseball. The team also features elite first baseman Freddie Freeman, and young former Top 10 prospects Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies who will look to carry the team this season. It is exciting times for Atlanta baseball, as the league’s next dynasty could very well be on the horizon.
As far as this spring goes, the team will be showing off plenty of its young players over the coming weeks, giving fans a chance to see these future stars up close. It is also tough to top Disney World as a location to watch some baseball, as families could end up making a weekend trip out of it. Taking the hour or so drive to Disney will be well worth it to see an exciting young team and spend some time in the happiest place on earth.
