Though baseball season isn’t quite here just yet, we have arrived at the next best thing: Spring Training in Florida. Our state is a huge hub for baseball during Spring Training, with fans coming out in droves for the opportunity to see their favorite players warm up for the season— and for the chance to see some of the up-and-coming rookies before they hit the majors. According to flasports.com, in 2015, over 1.5 million baseball fans headed down to Florida to see their favorite players get ready for the season. That’s a record-breaking amount of people!
Of course, with 15 different major league teams from all over the country spread out over Florida, its no surprise that so many people are flocking down state come March! With Florida’s fair climate year round, March is the perfect time to take a break from the unending northern winter and head down to get some sun during your favorite team’s pre-season games! Here’s a list of the MLB teams that spend Spring Training in Florida and of where you can find them.
- The Atlanta Braves (Lake Buena Vista)
- The Baltimore Orioles (Sarasota)
- The Boston Red Sox (Fort Meyers)
- The Detroit Tigers (Lakeland)
- The Houston Astros (Kissimmee)
- The Miami Marlins (Jupiter)
- The Minnesota Twins (Fort Myers)
- The New York Mets (Port St. Lucie)
- The New York Yankees (Tampa)
- The Philadelphia Phillies (Clearwater)
- The Pittsburg Pirates (Bradenton)
- The St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter)
- The Tampa Bay Rays (Port Charlotte)
- The Toronto Blue Jays (Dunedin)
- The Washington Nationals (Viera)
Clearly there is a widespread variety of teams and locations, which offers each individual sports fan the opportunity of an experience that is unique to their desires for a Florida vacation. ORLANDO TOURIST TIP: Take advantage of your time in Florida and the location of the teams you decide to watch play! If you are traveling with kids who are itching to see Disney World, consider seeing the Braves in Lake Buena Vista, or the Astros in Kissimmee! If you are aching to get some time in the sand and surf during your trip to Florida, there is a huge variety of teams you can consider who are playing near the coast, with the Red Sox and the Twins both stationed in the same city!
Spring Training in Florida is Highly Recommended
Whether you are a casual baseball fan or a diehard, we definitely recommend Spring Training in Florida. The tickets are typically much, much cheaper than regulation games, and it is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with your favorite players! With the pressure of regulation games off their shoulders and the season only just beginning, the players tend to be a lot more relaxed. Who knows, if you find yourself in the right place at the right time you might end up with an autograph or a photo with your favorite player! Not an easy task during regulation games!
ORLANDO TOURIST TIP: Bring a ball, hat or other souvenir (or a program if available) and a permanent marker, such as a Sharpie. Come early or stay late, because many of the players will gladly autograph your item, especially if your children ask!
Whether you decide to come down purely for the love of the game or more for the weather, we highly recommend at least spending one afternoon at a pre-season game. The combination of the game, the music, and the new and old players, it’s bound to be a good time for every different type of baseball fan you can imagine.
Now, let’s play ball!
