MLB Spring Training Sites, Ranked From Worst to Best

There is something magical about Major League Baseball spring training. Call it a mix of hope and longing for days gone by that happens every February when all 30 teams report to their respective facilities across the Grapefruit League in Florida and the Cactus League in Arizona. 

Dating back over 110 years, teams began heading to the warmer climates of Florida and then Arizona to go through their training paces to get ready for the haul of 162 regular-season games. And fans have followed them in droves. For some, it’s a yearly ritual to follow the teams. For others, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the very best baseball players in the world. 

These are the best MLB spring training sites based on a mix of location, quality of baseball and overall experience. 

Teams: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers

Stadium: Camelback Ranch Glendale (13,000)

Team: Milwaukee Brewers

Stadium: American Family Fields of Phoenix (10,000)

Bottom line: It’s always strange to us when there are actual cities that are home to an MLB team, like Phoenix, that are also home to MLB spring training sites for other teams. 

We’re not totally sure what the draw of going on a spring training trip to Phoenix is if you’re a fan of either of the teams that are playing there — the Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Because if you’re going to break off that money to see either team, you might as well go see them in their actual cities.

It’s not like you’re going to get some one-of-a-kind spring training experience in one of the largest cities in the U.S. We’d rather try and catch a Suns game, to be honest. 

Team: Detroit Tigers

Stadium: Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium (8,000) 

Bottom line: We’re going to double down on why Lakeland is a bad spot to go visit for spring training. First, you’re pretty much landlocked. Second, you’re going to see some downright bad baseball with the Detroit Tigers, who finished 30 games under .500 in 2022 and are +12500 longshots to win the World Series in 2023. 

One weird thing about Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium is that the Publix chain of grocery stores, which is headquartered in Lakeland, bought the naming rights to the stadium in 2017. Now, the stadium is painted in the same muted, off-yellow color as the Publix grocery stores that are on seemingly every block in Florida. 

You know what’s not awesome? Going to a baseball stadium that gives off the ambience of a grocery store. Hard pass.

Teams: San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners

Stadium: Peoria Sports Complex (12,339)

Bottom line: Both the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners call the Peoria Sports Complex home for spring training, and both get major bonus points for being teams on the rise and featuring some of the brightest young stars in the majors. 

Just like another spring training location in the Cactus League in Mesa, Peoria bleeds into Phoenix to the point of confusion for visitors to the area. In those three locations alone — Phoenix, Peoria and Mesa — there are seven different MLB teams hosting their spring training.

Doesn’t make for a very unique experience, does it?

Team: Chicago Cubs

Stadium:  Sloan Park (15,000) 

Team: Oakland Athletics

Stadium: Hohokam Stadium (10,500)

Bottom line: You will get 2-for-1 as far as MLB teams in Mesa with the Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics. The A’s occupy Hohokam Stadium, which was the old spring training ballpark of the Cubs. Not that you’ll want to go there. 

The real draw in Mesa is the Cubs and gorgeous Sloan Park, which opened in 2014 and is the largest spring training ballpark in MLB at 15,000 capacity seating. Sloan Park — it was Cubs Park until the naming rights were sold — does a pretty decent job of giving fans the mini-Wrigley Field experience. 

The one drawback of coming to Mesa is that it can get pretty confusing once you’re in the urban sprawl of Phoenix. It’s not distinguishable like Tempe, which is home to Arizona State, and can be kind of overwhelming to navigate. 

But hey, go Cubbies amirite?