When I was out at the CenturyLink Sports Complex I picked a Minnesota Twins spring training schedule and I was also handed a brochure called “Spring Training Florida,” put out by the Florida Sports Foundation. Their web site can be found at www.floridagrapefruitleague.com and it is worth your time to check this site out before you head on down here to Florida to catch some spring baseball.
There are 15 teams that train in Florida (eight AL and seven NL) at this time and I thought that it would be fun to see how spring training ticket prices compare when you look at the best seat (most expensive) ticket in the house. Spring training tickets are priced all over the board and a number of teams break down their spring training games into various tiers like they do their regular season tickets. The Twins for example have two tiers and divide their games into “value” and “premium” pricing and this year they even have a lower price for their game against the Minnesota Gophers on March 4th.
It is difficult to try to use logic to explain baseball spring training ticket prices here in the Grapefruit League. Some of the teams that you might say are going to be or have been less competitive have some of the highest ticket prices. I am not sure how things work out in Arizona where the spring training sites are closer together but here in Florida visiting teams seldom send very many, sometimes you wonder if they sent any of their regulars to away games. Not counting the game against the Gophers and any “B” games, the Twins will play 32 exhibition games, 16 at home and 16 on the road but five of those road games are at JetBlue Park just a couple of miles away so you really can’t count those as real away games.
So if you wanted to really splurge and buy a ticket for the best seat in the stadium, what will it cost you this year if you come down here to warm and sunny Florida.
| TEAM | LOCATION | COST | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Astros | Kissimmee | $58 |
| 2 | Braves | Lake Buena Vista | $54 |
| 3 | Red Sox | Ft. Myers | $48 |
| 4 | Twins | Ft. Myers | $44 |
| 5 | Marlins | Jupiter | $40 |
| 5 | Cardinals | Jupiter | $40 |
| 7 | Phillies | Clearwater | $39 |
| 8 | Orioles | Sarasota | $35 |
| 8 | Rays | Port Charlotte | $35 |
| 10 | Yankees | Tampa | $33 |
| 11 | Blue Jays | Dunedin | $32 |
| 12 | Tigers | Lakeland | $30 |
| 12 | Mets | Port St. Lucie | $30 |
| 12 | Nationals | Viera | $30 |
| 15 | Pirates | Bradenton | $27 |
Interactive Whiteboards by PolyVision
Average price for the best seat in the house is $38.33
I can’t really speak for the other teams but one of the benefits of coming to a Twins game at the CenturyLink Sports Complex around mid-March or later is that you can go to the back fields and catch a couple of minor league games going on. I believe that the minor league players are scheduled to report on March 10 so a few days after that you should be able to start to see them playing some games. Sometimes these games are against each other but most of the time they will play a team from the same level from another organization. Watching these future stars doesn’t cost you a dime and if you get to the park early enough you might not have to pay for parking. I believe the Twins charge about $10 for parking on days when the Twins play at Hammond Stadium and I think they start collecting money sometime between 9:30 AM and 10 AM. So if you are an early bird you can save a ten spot but don’t tell the Twins I told you to do that.
If can swing a trip to Florida to enjoy the sun and the wonderful weather you should try to take in a Grapefruit League game, it is a great way to enjoy an afternoon or evening.