Sports

Spring Training 2025: A guide to Florida's Grapefruit League

WUSF | By Rick Mayer

Published January 30, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST

Steinbrenner Field is on North Dale Mabry Highway and is the spring training home of the New York Yankees.

The state's spring training sites come alive once again. And Rays fans get a brief respite from stadium talk while the team preps for an entire season played outdoors in Tampa.

Torn Teflon. Stadium bonds. Bed taxes. For months, these have been boilerplate headlines regarding the Tampa Bay Rays.

There’s been report after report about building a new stadium, repairing hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field and how to pay for both.

Hardly talkin’ baseball. But as the calendar flips to February, spring training is upon Florida. And for Rays fans, that means brief relief from contentious stadium discourse.

For about six weeks, there’s no uncertainty over where the Rays will take the field.

That would be Charlotte Sports Park, the Rays’ longtime preseason home, which welcomes pitchers and catchers Feb. 11 and the rest of the club Feb. 16.

The same week, Florida’s spring training season also begins for 14 Major League Baseball teams in what is known as the Grapefruit League. That includes these Tampa Bay area teams:

New York Yankees, Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
Clearwater Phillies, BayCare Ballpark, Clearwater
Toronto Blue Jays, TD Ballpark, Dunedin
Pittsburgh Pirates, LECOM Park, Bradenton
Baltimore Orioles, Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota
Detroit Tigers, Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland

Interestingly, the Rays open spring play at Steinbrenner Field against the Yankees on Feb. 22. While the Trop is in disrepair, Tampa Bay will be playing regular-season games at the 11,000-seat Tampa ballpark, so it will give the team an early feel for playing outdoors instead of a dome.

“I do think it’s going to be a challenge. But I think it’s going to be a fun, exciting, good challenge,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of calling the Yankees’ field home. “We’re going to do everything we can to make the most of it. It’s just going to be a little different being outdoors now.”

The Rays return to Steinbrenner Field to play the Yankees on March 23, five days before switching to the home clubhouse for the season, opening against the Colorado Rockies.

The Rays' Fan Fest this year has been moved to Pier in St. Petersburg. It's on Feb. 15 from 1 to 5 p.m. Click here for information.

To help you plan your spring training experiences, here is a team-by-team rundown with locations, ticket information and schedules.

After all, the crack of the bat beats the bang of the meeting gavel on any spring day, right?

Atlanta Braves

Location: CoolToday Park, North Port
Reporting dates: Feb. 12 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 18 (full squad)

Spring Training 2025: A guide to Florida's Grapefruit League

The state's spring training sites come alive once again. And Rays fans get a brief respite from stadium talk while the team preps for an entire season played outdoors in Tampa.

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

Washington Nationals

Cactus League (Arizona)

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