Giants vs. Diamondbacks at Scottsdale Stadium

The best place to go for spring training really depends which team is your favorite you’ve either got Florida or Arizona. However, if you don’t necessarily care what team you see, or you’re a fan of west coast teams, then the best place for a true spring training experience is Phoenix, AZ. If you are an avid baseball fan you’ll be in heaven. All the spring training camps are within 30-45 minutes within each other, the weather is fantastic, and there really is something for everyone to enjoy even if they aren’t fans of the game.

Spring training generally coincides with spring break for many students and can be a great way to spend your break. It can also be a great getaway for friends or families who live in colder climates to chase some vitamin D while enjoying America’s favorite pastime.

Giants vs.Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick

You will love the Cactus league of spring training because besides it’s close proximity within each other, you have a wide array of teams that train there. Spring training for those who have never gone is a unique experience. You get to watch the coaches and rookie players in action as they try to prove themselves  worthy to move up from the minor leagues to the majors. You get the intimate feel and prices of a minor league game while watching some of your favorites get ready for the season.

Make sure you check out Salt River Fields at Talking Stick which is the Diamond Backs and the Colorado Rockies new facility and is the newest in the whole league. Talking Stick just opened this year and was modeled after Camelback Ranch (opened in 2008) where the Dodgers and the White Sox train. They are both gorgeous and modern facilities. If you want to take a step back and have an even more intimate expirience, make sure to check out some of the older stadiums such as Scottsdale Stadium and Phoenix Municipal Stadium. They are still very nice facilities, just a little bit older. For a full list of Cactus League stadiums and teams click here.

Camelback Ranch Scoreboard

Whatever you do decide to do while you are there, it will be an experience you won’t forget. Grow closer together as a family, re-discover your childhood fantasies of meeting players and cheering on teams, eat great food and cherish the moments because they slip away far too fast.

If you are a baseball lover then a pre-season game is where it’s at. Tickets are cheaper at spring training venues than at the team’s regular ballpark and it’s a more intimate setting. You get a minor league feel for a major league team. Plus whether you head to Florida or Phoenix either way you get perfect 70 degree weather which is definitely a step up from the thirty degree weather we left behind.