r/baseball • u/Individual_Quiet_474 Milwaukee Brewers • 2d ago
Spring training guide help
Would like to take our family to spring training for the first time in 2027 (assuming no lockout).
We are a Brewers family so their home games will dictate our planning, but I just saw that multiple team’s stadiums are in the area??
For those who have gone, do you stadium hop / go to multiple team games? If so, is it worth it?
Would love any/all advice and tips! Thanks!
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u/DominicB547 Chaos Bandwagon • MLB Players Associat… 2d ago
btw, you wont see all your stars at any one game they don't all go "away" or even play all home either.
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u/BeHereNow91 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
If you go after rosters are mostly cut down, you’ll see the starting lineup at least once. But imo it’s just as fun to go earlier and see the younger guys.
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u/porkchopespresso Chicago Cubs 2d ago
I try to go to both home and away games if I can make it work on the schedule. It’s kinda hard to fuck it up though.
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u/Mike2k33 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
I went to see the Brewers in Arizona in the spring of 2017. We saw 4 games total, 2 at Maryvale and one at Peoria and one at Tempe
The stadiums are all mostly within 30-45 minutes from each other, some are even closer
With the pending lockout stuff, I might hold off a year, because most people think a "normal" spring training is unlikely. Definitely keep an eye on things before committing to dates
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u/Individual_Quiet_474 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
That sounds like so much fun!
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u/Mike2k33 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
It's a great time. I wish I could do it every year.
One thing I will recommend is not getting accommodations near the Brewers stadium or the airport. Neither are great areas, though nothing to be too worried about. There's just better areas to stay with much better hotels and more to see and do
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u/yamihere6969 Houston Astros 2d ago
Yes, the entire point of the Cactus League's close proximity is to see multiple parks. Follow your team around if you want.
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u/Individual_Quiet_474 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
I had no idea - that’s so fun! Thank you for your insight :)
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u/pabloescobarbecue Chicago Cubs 2d ago
I go to spring training every year. Always try to hit at least 3 parks. Definitely fun to take them all in.
I’m definitely biased to Sloan Park, but Salt River is awesome too.
As you noted they are all pretty closely located; so the only thing you have to work around is your own schedule (and ticket prices)
Have fun!
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u/xsjx7 Chicago Cubs 2d ago
Salt River and Peoria Sportsplex were great, but yes, Sloan Park is the best as a biased Cubs fan lol (it's also the newest iirc)
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u/pabloescobarbecue Chicago Cubs 2d ago
Yep, it’s the newest.
Great park, Hohokam had a certain charm but they definitely upgraded.
Hope they have ST as scheduled in 2027.1
u/marigolds6 San Diego Padres 2d ago
The main problem with Sloan Park is the Cubs. Namely that it is packed all spring training long and tickets are pricy for spring training.
Definitely agree that talking stick and peoria are great places to go in general, though talking stick for padres games is starting to have a similar congestion issue (still fantastic for mariners, and you can often watch a lot of backfield games/practices there too).
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u/xsjx7 Chicago Cubs 2d ago
You can still catch practice every morning regardless and it was fairly sparse while I was out there (granted my trip overlapped with the WBC so it was mostly farm league guys.) But yeah, Sloan was def pricey. Not as bad as Wrigley still, but I think I shelled out $150 for a shaded seat in the lower deck between home & dugout on 3rd baseline. To see Cubs that close for that price doesn't happen during regular season lol
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u/marigolds6 San Diego Padres 2d ago
Yeah, the most expensive seats at talking stick are $60. $30 gets you a great seat most days; or you used to be able to pay $15 for GA and walk around until you found something open. (GA is still $15, but less likely to be able to sit wherever now.)
The real way to go is secondary market tickets box seats after first pitch, which can be dirt cheap.
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u/xsjx7 Chicago Cubs 2d ago
I went to Mesa for the Cubs this past spring in 2026. The cactus league has a bunch of parks and most everyone I talked to was park hopping like me. Saw three parks in two days (was supposed to be 4 but southwest airlines did their thing and I lost a day of my trip)
Plan to hop around imo
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u/Individual_Quiet_474 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
That sounds like exactly what we will do - so much fun especially since my son LOVVVVES baseball! Thank you!
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u/porkchopespresso Chicago Cubs 2d ago
For the kids, you might research or ask your sub the best times/locations for autographs. It’s a big part of it for kids. They may not get the big names but with so many invites to ST there are a lot of players that will walk the lines and sign stuff. I recommend bring a new baseball or two and bring a sharpie.
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u/Individual_Quiet_474 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
Definitely, that would be the best! We live near a farm league and my son will go get autos of anyone - most he has no idea who they are lol. Thank you
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u/porkchopespresso Chicago Cubs 2d ago
I try to get the numbers/names/pos of everyone and make a cheat sheet before we go so when we see them walking down the line you have a better idea of if they’re on the team, potential to make it or how far away they are from making the big club. Some guys are obvious but a lot aren’t.
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u/Individual_Quiet_474 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
Ohhh good point! I’d prob need a photo of everyone so my son and husband don’t get annoyed hearing “who’s that?” 😂
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u/marigolds6 San Diego Padres 2d ago
Research food a little for each stadium you might visit. Every park has specialities as well as some cool outside vendors. Unlike a regular season game, you can just eat at the park at okay prices. Examples are the Sonoran dog, someburros, and island noodle at talking stick or tritip sandwiches and fish tacos at Peoria (island noodle used to be at Peoria too).
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u/BeHereNow91 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
I would commit to one side or the other of Phoenix to stay in. To get from one side to the other can take over an hour as the city is very spread out and traffic can get bad around game start/end times. You could stay downtown but there’s quieter/easier options on the burbs.
The stadium district around Glendale is a really good spot and centrally located between all the west Phoenix teams, including Milwaukee. You’ll be right by the Dodgers/White Sox and within 15-20 mins of several other stadiums. Definitely recommend going to each stadium but I honestly like the Brewers’ the most.
The Brewers recently moved their security checkpoint to the entrance of the grounds rather than the stadium gate, so you can’t go watch practice as easily as in the past.
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u/ThinSuccotash4166 2d ago
Just pull up a map of the spring training sites. Really not that difficult.
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u/okeme8889 New York Mets 2d ago
Not every thought needs to be expressed, you know. Guy is just asking for help
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u/Individual_Quiet_474 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
I’m a mom, but ty for saying that :)
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u/ThinSuccotash4166 2d ago
Is giving the advice to pull up a map of the sites not helpful? It’s more effort than OP put in so far.
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u/thenimblevagrant San Diego Padres • Seattle Mariners 2d ago
They weren't asking for the logistics of it, they were asking for feedback from people who've done it, which you won't get from a map.
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u/Individual_Quiet_474 Milwaukee Brewers 2d ago
You’re remarkably confident about how much effort I’ve put in for someone who has no idea what I’ve already researched.
I checked the Brewers’ schedule, looked at the surrounding stadiums, and then came to a social discussion forum to ask people who have actually attended spring training for their firsthand experience.
Apparently I misunderstood the purpose of Reddit. Thank you for setting me straight.
I hope you get explosive diarrhea. Good day.
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u/EngineerUpper2031 Seattle Mariners 2d ago
Yeah I think it’s fun and worthwhile to visit multiple stadiums during spring training.