Thoughts from the 2026 Florida Spring Training season
By Nick Gandy
The 2026 Florida Grapefruit League season was the 81st consecutive year of MLB Spring Training Baseball under the Florida March Sun. While the origins of Florida Spring Training Baseball dates back to the late 1800’s, the 81 consecutive years began in 1946 after a travel ban kept teams from traveling long distances during World War II (1942-45).
Milestones in the 2026 season included the Toronto Blue Jays 50th season in Dunedin. The Blue Jays are the only team in Major League Baseball to have held their spring training in one host community for the duration of their existence.
The Detroit Tigers returned to Lakeland for their 90th season in 2026. The Tigers and the City of Lakeland have the longest-standing relationship between a MLB team and a host community. The Tigers landed in Lakeland in 1934 and have played at their current location, Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium for 61 years.
The Philadelphia Phillies celebrated their 80th Anniversary in Clearwater. The Phillies began playing in Clearwater in 1947 and have played in three different locations.
The 2026 season was the 10th Anniversary of CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, home of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals.
Braves are Spring Training Leaders
The Atlanta Braves led the Florida Grapefruit League with 21 wins, followed by the New York Yankees with 19, while the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates each had 17.
One of the reasons for the Braves and Yankees good fortunes during the 2026 Florida Spring Training season was their tendency of the “Long Ball.” The Yankees banged out 41 home runs, during games in Florida, while the Braves also sent 41 out of the yard.
The Big 4 for the Braves included Matt Olson (6 HR), Mike Yaztremski (6), Austin Riley (5) and Ben Gamel (4).
A Much Needed Return
One of the big returns for the Tampa Bay Rays going into 2026 was that of pitcher Shane McClanahan. If his numbers in spring training are a sign of things to come for the Rays, things are looking good for a return to Tropicana Field. McClanahan made 4 starts, totaled 13 innings pitched, picked up 3 wins and struck out 15.
It was quite the opposite for off season free agent signee Nick Martinez, who lost all four of his starts and pitched to a 14.49 ERA, giving up 11 earned runs on Sunday, March 22 vs. the Toronto Blue Jays.
Fans Flock to BayCare Ballpark
Clearwater continues to be the place to be during the Florida Grapefruit League season. The first Florida spring training site to feature the 360 degree walkaround, drew more than 10,000 fans on six occasions.
The Phillies season-high, and league-high, came on Saturday, March 7, when 10,706 were on hand for a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. BayCare Ballpark holds the Florida Spring Training single-game attendance record of 11,430 set on March 17, 2019, against the New York Yankees.
Florida Spring Training Leaders
Batting Average: .380 (19-50), Dalton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays
Home Runs: 6, Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves; Mike Yaztremski, Atlanta Braves; Spencer Jones, New York Yankees
RBI: 15, Otto Kemp, Philadelphia Phillies
Innings Pitched: 25.1 (led MLB in spring), Will Warren, New York Yankees *
Wins: 4, Michael McGreevey, St. Louis Cardinals
Strikeouts: 24, Luis Gil, New York Yankees *
* Warren and Gil are on the younger end of the Yankees starting rotation of six. Warren enters the 2026 season at 26 years old and Gil is 28
Spring Training Stolen Base Record Set in 2026
Add another category for 2026 as Braiden Ward, a Boston Red Sox outfielder, stole a Spring Training record 19 bases. The previous record was 17. The 27-year-old speedster also hit .361 (13-for-36) on the spring with zero homers and five RBI. He was assigned to the Minor League at the end of the spring training season, but he’s a name to keep in mind in the event that he gets a shot with the Red Sox.
Attendance in Tampa Bay area
While Florida’s East Coast features five teams along Interstate 95, the Tampa Bay area on Florida’s West Coast is a hub of activity during the Florida Grapefruit League season.
Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field, home of the New York Yankees, and Clearwater’s BayCare Ballpark, home of the Philadelphia Phillies are separated by a scenic drive across the Courtney Campbell Causeway. The two teams combined for more than 290,000 fans attending their games. Throw in the nearby Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays and attendance in the Tampa Bay area topped 476,000.
The four southern most teams on the West Coast, the Atlanta Braves, , at CoolToday Parkin in North Port, the Boston Red Sox at Jet Blue Stadium and Minnesota Twins at the Lee Health Sports Complex in Fort Myers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte County Stadium in Port Charlotte combined for over 396,000 fans.
The five teams on Florida’s East Coast, the New York Mets at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter and the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals, at CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, combined for over 306,000 attendance.
The Sarasota/Bradenton area, with the Baltimore Orioles at Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium and Pittsburgh Pirates at Bradenton’s LECOM Park, combined for over 190,000 fans.
Official attendance totals for each team will be announced after verification by all 15 Florida Spring Training teams.