IT’S BACK TO NORMAL FOR THE 2023 FLORIDA GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE SEASON

Major League Baseball Spring Training to Play Full Pre-Season in Florida

For the first time since 2020, the 15 Major League Baseball teams in the Florida Grapefruit League are scheduled to play at full schedule of games beginning on Saturday, February 25 and running through Tuesday, March 28, 2023.

For reasons still fresh in the memories of baseball fans everywhere, the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Florida Spring Training schedules were cut short.

With that in mind, we can all look forward, once again, games beginning at 1:00 p.m. under the March sun, with plenty of time to enjoy the Florida ame- nities, pre- and post-game.

There’s the usual fun comings and goings of players and from the end of the 2022 season to spring training 2023, there was plenty of movement.

For the first time since 2004, St. Louis Cardinals fans at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, will be watching someone other than Yadier Molina donning the “tools of ignorance.” The Redbirds fixture behind the plate announced his retirement after the 2022 season. Now calling pitches will be Wilson Contreras, among others in Jupiter.

The 2022 American League Cy Young Award winner, Justin Verlander, moves north from the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and the Houston Astros to the New York Mets and Clover Park. It’s a much-needed addition to the Mets pitching staff with the loss of fellow Cy Young Award-winner Jacob DeGrom.

Trea Turner returns to the Florida Grapefruit League and will be in action in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform at Clearwater’s BayCare Ballpark. Kevin Keirmeier will be patrolling centerfield at TD Ballpark for the Toronto Blue Jays instead of Charlotte Sports Park for the Tampa Bay Rays.

When the Rays report for Spring Training it won’t be to Port Charlotte on Florida’s Southwest Coast. In early December, the Tampa Bay Rays announced their 2023 spring training camp will be relocated from Port Charlotte due to damage to the facility caused by Hurricane Ian, in September, 2022.

The Rays are considering several options for a new spring base, including Tropicana Field, the Disney complex formerly used by the Braves, and a Fort Myers location. Check www.floridagrapefruitleague.com for the latest information.

It’s another year of trying to identify which young players will emerge from “the backfields.” Michael Harris and Spencer Strider, of the Atlanta Braves accomplished the feat at CoolToday Park and were the top two finishers of the 2022 Rookie of the Year voting. Harris, the 2022 National League Rookie of the YUear, had four hits in 15 at bats in last year’s Florida Grapefruit League action and Strider pitched only 2.1 innings, in one spring start.

Fans can also be on the lookout for

2023 Florida Grapefruit League Teams And Locations

ATLANTA BRAVES

CoolToday Park, North Port

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota

BOSTON RED SOX

JetBlue Park, Fort Myers

DETROIT TIGERS

Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland

HOUSTON ASTROS

International Baseball opponents during the 2023 Florida Spring Training season. The Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals are slated to host World Baseball Classic opponents, on March 8 and 9.

Even with all of the changes entering the 2023 season, The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches welcome back two of the most familiar faces in Major League Baseball still wearing the same uniform. Stephen Strasburg returns for his 14th season with the Washington Nationals and Jose Altuve is back for the Houston Astros for his 13th season.

One final note for attending a spring training game. If you’re a fan of seeing more players on the field, go to the early games in the schedule, from February 15 through March 10. If you want to see the regulars play for four innings or more catch the games from March 11 through March 28. As the regular season approaches, the more established players start getting their reps.

Check out www.lforidagrapefruitleague.com for schedules and ticket prices for all 15 teams in one place and follow @ FlaSpringTrain on Twitter.

Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach

MIAMI MARLINS

Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter

MINNESOTA TWINS

Hammond Stadium at the Lee County Sports Complex, Fort Myers

NEW YORK METS

Clover Park, Port St. Lucie

NEW YORK YANKEES

George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

LECOM Park, Bradenton

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

BayCare Ballpark, Clearwater

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter

TAMPA BAY RAYS

TBD

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

TD Ballpark, Dunedin

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach

Southwest Fort Myers

Eagle Ridge GC 239-768-1888 playeagleridge.com

Old Corkscrew Golf Club 239-949-4700 oldcorkscrew.com

NAPLES/MARCO ISLAND

Lely Resort Golf & CC 239-793-2600 lelyresortgolfandcountryclub.com

National Golf & CC 230-867-9090 thenationalgc.com

Panther Run Golf Club 239-304-2835 pantherrungolfclub.com

Rookery at Marco 239-389-6600 jwmarco.com

Tiburon Golf Club 239-594-2040 tiburongcnaples.com

TPC Treviso Bay 239-331-2052 tpctrevisobay.com

PORT CHARLOTTE/ PUNTA GORDA

Babcock National 941-347-2200 babcocknationalgc.com

Heritage Landing 941-347-2222 heritagelandinggcc.com

Heron’s Glen G&CC 239-731-4520 hggcc.com

Riverwood Golf Club 941-764-6661 riverwoodgc.com

Rotonda Golf Club 941-698-0918 rotondagolf.com

Rotonda Golf & CC 941-697-2414 Rotondagolf.com

SARASTOTA/BRADENTON

Buffalo Creek Golf Course 941-776-2611 manateegcpublic.com

Links at Greenfield Plantation 941-747-9432 linksatgreenfieldplantation.com

Mocassin Wallow 941-721-0500 golfthemoc.com

University Park Country Club 941-359-9999 universitypark-fl.com

Waterlefe Golf & River Club 941-744-0393 waterlefegolf.com

SOUTHEAST BOCA RATON/ PALM BEACH

Abacoa Golf Club 561-622-0036 abacoagolfclub.com

Atlantic National Golf Club 561-969-6600 atlanticnationalgolfclub.com

Osprey Point Golf Course 561-482-2868 pbcgolf.com

PGA National Resort 561-627-1800 pgaresort.com

Fort Lauderdale

Club at Emerald Hills 954-961-4000 theclubatemeraldhills.com

Jacaranda Golf Club 954-472-5836 golfjacaranda.com

Plantation Preserve 954-585-5020 plantationpreserve.org

MIAMI Biltmore Golf Course

305-460-5364 biltmorehotel.com

Crandon at Key Biscayne

305-361-9129 crandongolfclub.com

Miami Lakes Golf Club

305-820-8088 miamilakesgolf.com

Trump National Doral 305-592-2000 trumphotels.com

Turnberry Isle 305-932-6200 turnberryislemiami.com

STUART/PALM CITY

Champions Club at Summerfield 772-283-1500 thechampionsgolfclub.com

Heritage Ridge GC 772-546-2800 heritageridgegolf.com

Martin County GC 772-287-3747 martincountygolfcourse.com

Osprey Creek at Martin Downs 772-286-6818 martindownsgolfclub.com

Rotonda Golf Club