Spring training 2025 looking to build on growth of previous seasons

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | X: @PhilipHaldiman

Spring training and tourism officials this year are hoping to build on the continued rise in attendance that has occurred following player contract negotiations and pandemic restrictions in past years.

Cactus League officials say fans will be greeted with new game technology, the return of World Series champs Los Angeles Dodgers, and a rare Arizona appearance from a popular Grapefruit League team.

Cactus League Executive Director Bridget Binsbacher said attendance rose for the third straight season despite cold, wet weather that resulted in 10 cancellations, the most in more than a decade. Spring training rainouts are not made up.

The Cactus League has not quite returned to pre-pandemic levels, when in 2019, it reached an average of 7,900 fans per game, but it continues to get closer.

The league averaged 7,548 fans per game in 2024, a 4% increase over 2023, and drew a total of 1.6 million fans to 216 games — an increase of 65,254 over the previous season.

That’s good news for an industry that experienced COVID-19 capacity restrictions and an MLB lockout between 2020 and 2022, Binsbaher said.

“Cactus League attendance is climbing steadily after three seasons disrupted by the pandemic and a labor stoppage,” Binsbacher said. “Because six out of 10 Cactus League fans come from out of state, attendance is a reliable barometer of spring training’s strong impact on Arizona tourism. We thank the visitors and residents who pour into the state every spring – and we look forward to welcoming them back in 2025 for baseball in the desert sunshine.”

Technology

A big development in this year’s spring training will be the testing of the Automated Strike Zone Challenge System, which could be a huge change for MLB.

Officials said several Cactus League facilities have used the technology while hosting Arizona Fall League games. The system will be used at select Cactus League ballparks, but those facilities have not been announced yet.

Binsbacher said the Arizona ballparks are well equipped to help MLB test any new rules.
“I’m excited that the Cactus League is serving as a laboratory for possible rules changes, as it did with the pitch clock and instant replay,” Binsbacher said.

“It will add an interesting wrinkle for the fans and give them an up-close preview of the new technology.”

Champions

With the Los Angeles Dodgers returning to spring training, it marks only the fourth time Cactus League clubs have won back-to-back championships, with the Texas Rangers the previous year.

World Series teams tend to get an attendance bump in spring training — last spring, the Rangers saw a 42.3% increase in attendance, averaging 7,511 per game at Surprise Stadium. Previously, the Arizona Diamondbacks saw a 16.6% increase after their 2023 World Series appearance, averaging 11,099 per game at Salt River Fields.

With that expectation, officials are saying Dodger fans shouldn’t wait to buy tickets. Their Cactus League schedule ends on March 11 because they are heading to Japan to open the regular season against the Chicago Cubs.

Another notable development is that the Atlanta Braves, a Grapefruit League team, will make a rare Cactus League appearance this spring training.

The crossover games will take place against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa for the final two games of their schedules, March 24-25.

Tourism

The Cactus League is always a boon to Arizona’s tourism industry. The five-week event’s $710.2 million in total economic output in 2023 puts it on par with a Super Bowl, but one that happens every year.

Arizona Office of Tourism Communications Director Josh Coddington said 60% of all Cactus League attendees are from outside Arizona and nearly a quarter of all fans visit another part of the state while they are here.

To maximize this, he said the office of tourism launched a new campaign in December in 18 select cities across the U.S. — primarily where Cactus League teams are based — to promote booking hotels and purchasing tickets for spring training games.

The campaign also encourages spring training visitors to add days to their trips to be sure they have plenty of time to “play in the AZ outfield,” Coddington said.

This was followed up with a second phase, reaching out to visitors once they arrived in Arizona by encouraging both visitors and Arizona residents to take full advantage of all the attractions, accommodations and experiences the state offers beyond baseball, Coddington said.

Spring training means the return of cheering baseball fans enjoying carefree afternoons across as the Cactus League, and the office of tourism is expecting another great season in 2025, he said.

“As the 2025 Cactus League spring training season arrives in Arizona, we know that means the attention of people across the country — and especially in cold-weather states — is focused on the perfect weather and plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities offered by springtime here in Arizona,” Coddington said.

Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on X @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Meet Philip
Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.

Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater. 

Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.

Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.