As we bid farewell to February, there is now less than a month to go before the beginning of the 2024 MLB season. However, before fans and players can start dreaming of Opening Day, there are swings to be refined and pitches to be perfected across a bumper slate of practice games at Spring Training.
A long-standing MLB tradition, Spring Training takes place between 22 February – 26 March in 2024. The event splits the 30 MLB teams into 2 leagues of 15 – the Cactus League, based in Arizona, and the Grapefruit League, based in Florida. East Coast teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox can be found in Florida's Grapefruit League, while those further west, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, take the shorter journey to Arizona for the Cactus League.
While Spring Training gives MLB players the chance to get back into the swing of things, it's also the perfect time for baseball fans to see major stars like Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, and Aaron Judge up close. Due to the fact that Spring Training stadiums are much smaller than their Major League counterparts, the gameday experience is far more intimate. The general atmosphere of Spring Training is more relaxed too, and players regularly stop to sign autographs, take photographs, or simply shoot the breeze with fans on their way to the clubhouse.
In 2024, each MLB team will play up to 32 Spring Training games, so fans will never feel short of competitive action. Better yet, many stadiums are just a short drive from one another. Amongst the newest venues hosting games are CoolToday Park (home of the Atlanta Braves) in North Port, Florida, and Sloan Park (home to the Chicago Cubs) in Mesa, Arizona, where fans can expect a Major League experience – from premium views to premier concessions – at Minor League prices.
With games taking place almost every day from now until the Regular Season begins on 28 March, Spring Training is a true festival of baseball where fans come first. The road to the World Series starts here!
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