Baseball’s Back! MLB Announces Spring Training Start Dates
The countdown to baseball season is officially on. MLB just released the spring training reporting dates for all 30 teams, and we’re only about a month away from seeing players hit the field in Arizona and Florida.
The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will be the first to get going, since they’re kicking off the regular season early with a special two-game series in Japan on March 18-19. The Cubs’ pitchers and catchers will report on February 9, making them the earliest team to start camp.
For everyone else, spring training gets rolling between February 11-13. That’s when pitchers and catchers show up to start throwing bullpen sessions and getting their arms ready for the season.
The full squads – including all position players – will join in between February 14-18. That’s when camps really come alive with batting practice, fielding drills, and eventually spring training games.
Teams are split between two locations:
Cactus League (Arizona)
– 15 teams train in the Phoenix area
– First workouts start February 9 (Cubs) through February 13
– Full squad workouts begin February 14-18
Grapefruit League (Florida)
– 15 teams spread across Florida’s coasts
– Pitchers and catchers start February 11-13
– Position players join February 16-18
The regular MLB season opens for most teams on March 27, giving players about six weeks to get ready. That might seem like a long time, but between building up arm strength, getting timing back at the plate, and working on team chemistry, players say they need every day of it.
For baseball fans, these dates are the first real sign that winter is winding down. Pretty soon we’ll be seeing videos of pitchers throwing in the sunshine and hearing that familiar crack of the bat.
Want to catch some spring training action in person? Games typically start about a week after full squads report, giving you plenty of time to plan a warm-weather baseball getaway.
