Baseball fans wait in anticipation for Major League Baseball’s spring training to open on Feb. 24, with an opening game between the Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres. Spring training serves as MLB’s preseason, providing new players with opportunities to stand out and new coaches an insight into their team dynamics. 

“Spring training, in my opinion, is useful to get hands-on with knowing who are your starters for the team. Also, it would help the pitchers know the location and test out their new pitches they have been working on,” Miami Palmetto Senior High senior and varsity baseball pitcher Adriel Pereira said.

Teams from the West Coast hold their spring training in Arizona, while East Coast teams train in Florida. The Florida games are hosted in cities such as Port St. Lucie, Lakeland, Venice, Clearwater and Jupiter. Practicing in Florida permits teams the opportunity to train in more agreeable weather as compared to the winter chill of the north.

While spring training is useful for teams and entertaining for fans, the results of games do not matter all that much. It is all about preparing for the MLB season set to begin on March 30. 

“Spring training is for teams to experiment and give guys chances who typically do not get to play in the actual season. Teams do not care how well they do during spring training,” MPSH junior and varsity baseball shortstop and second base player Justin Corman said. 

At MPSH, a similar schedule is set to prepare the baseball team to play in the competitive season. Preseason games and training precede the team’s competitive first game to ensure their readiness.

“Our blue and white game, which is an inter-squad game to kick off the season, is Feb. 11. We practice prior to the season, almost like a month or so before to ensure that we are already in mid-season form. We have two preseason games [on] I believe the 14 and 16 of February,” Corman said.

The game between the Mariners and the Padres is interestingly building up. Both Corman and Pereira predict the Padres will beat the Mariners at the Peoria Sports Complex in Arizona on Feb. 24.

 “I would say since they have made lots of changes between both teams, I would predict the San Diego Padres will win against them. But I feel it would be a close game,” Pereira said. 

Not all spring training games will be broadcasted, but fans can watch the games that are broadcasted on MLB.TV and ESPN.