Every year, Major League Baseball hosts preseason games known as spring training to build up for the upcoming six-month-long season. Teams prepare for the forthcoming games and test players’ skills and positions to ensure they release the best roster for the approaching season. This competition requires young players to up their game to secure a position and for coaches to experiment with lineups, rotations and the overall team feel. 

“Spring training is when the team first starts practicing together to get ready for the season. It builds bonds between the teammates as they continue playing together,” Miami Palmetto Senior High junior and varsity baseball player Logan Shapiro said. “For the Marlins, as with any other Major League team, spring training reflects the team’s performance during the season. The harder your spring training, the more likely you will succeed.”

Spring training is categorized under the Cactus League in Arizona and the Grapefruit League in Florida. The Miami Marlins play under the Grapefruit League in Florida stadiums, with the chief stadium being the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The stadium opened in 1998 in the Abacoa area of Jupiter, FL., where it has been home to the Montreal Expos, St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins. 

To open the 2023 season, new manager Skip Schumaker, a former player for the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals, will take over as the 16th manager in Marlins history. Alongside Schumaker, coaches Wellington Cepeda, Rob Flippo and Mel Stottlemyre Jr. will return, as well as seven new faces to the coaching staff. With spring training, fans will have the opportunity to analyze the tactics and calls made by Schumaker on the field that will reflect on the team’s overall season.

As for the start of the Marlins’ spring training, they faced the New York Mets on Feb. 25 for their opening game of the series, where they lost 5-2. The game took place at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, the current home of the Mets for spring training. On Feb. 26, the Marlins played their first home game at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals, where they were defeated 8-2. However, on Feb. 27, the Marlins took their first win against the Houston Astros, with a final score of 4-3. 

Spring training is vital in the formation of a quality baseball team. According to fans like Shapiro, the Miami Marlins have a lot to make up for after many disappointing losses in the past years.

“Honestly, I’m not expecting much from the Marlins this season, but hopefully they can change that,” Shapiro said. “Anyone can make a comeback, I just don’t know if they will this season.”

The MLB season’s official Opening Day will occur on March 30. This year’s opening will feature games for all 30 teams, marking the first time since 1968 that all of the teams open on the same day. The Marlins’ opening game against the Mets will take place at Miami’s LoanDepot Park. For more dates and times for the regular season, click here.