Two Major League clubs hold spring training within twenty minutes of us, in ballparks small enough that a cheap seat is still a good one. The Blue Jays have been coming to Dunedin for fifty straight years and the Phillies to Clearwater for eighty. If you’ve never done it, a March afternoon at one of these parks is the best-value baseball you’ll ever see.
How It Works
Spring training runs from late February to late March every year. Pitchers and catchers report around the second week of February, the full squad a few days later, and Grapefruit League games start about the 21st and finish about the 23rd of March.
Each club plays roughly 29 games, about half of them at home. That means 15 or so home games at each of our two local parks across a five-week window — so if you’re here any time in late February or March, there’s almost certainly baseball on.
Tickets go on sale in the winter and the good games sell out. Check the current year’s schedule as soon as you know your dates.
The Map
⚾ BayCare Ballpark, Clearwater — Philadelphia Phillies
601 N Old Coachman Rd, Clearwater. Tickets from around $28. Phone (727) GO-PHILS.
The 2026 season was the Phillies’ 80th spring training in Clearwater and their 22nd at this ballpark, which opened in 2004 as a scaled-down replica of Citizens Bank Park — so Philadelphia fans walk in and feel at home immediately.
It has a reputation among spring training regulars as the gold standard of Grapefruit League parks: not the biggest or the most historic, but the nicest, and it works. You never feel crushed, even queuing for parking or the gates. Capacity is around 8,300 — roughly 7,000 fixed seats plus a grass berm in right field holding about 1,500 more, which is the cheap, relaxed way to watch.
Fans enter up a flight of stairs on the third-base side and look straight down over the outfield grass, which is a genuinely good first impression.
The one date to know: the annual St. Patrick’s Day game on 17 March. It’s the best day of the Phillies’ spring, it almost always sells out, and if you think you might be here for it, don’t wait to buy.
Also worth knowing: the Phillies train at the adjacent Carpenter Complex, where you can watch workouts, and the ballpark hosts the Clearwater Threshers — the Phillies’ Low-A affiliate — right through the summer. Cheap tickets, tiny crowds, and a good evening out in July when spring training is a distant memory.
👉 The Duke Energy Trail runs right past the ballpark — a genuine alternative to driving on a busy game day.
⚾ TD Ballpark, Dunedin — Toronto Blue Jays
373 Douglas Ave, Dunedin. Tickets from around $39. Phone 1-888-525-JAYS or (727) 733-0429.
The better story of the two. The Blue Jays are the only Major League franchise never to have changed spring training location — they have come to Dunedin every single spring since 1977, and 2026 marked their 50th. The ballpark itself was built in 1930 and given a major renovation before the 2020 season.
That renovation added a 360-degree concourse, so you can walk the whole park without losing sight of the game, and the West End Flight Deck — a bar with seating in right field, directly above the Blue Jays bullpen. Standing there watching a big-league starter warm up a few feet below you is the closest access you’ll get to a professional pitcher anywhere. Capacity is around 8,500.
Parking is the catch. The reserved lots are for season ticket holders only, and everyone else uses neighbourhood parking at varying prices. Which leads to the best tip on this page:
🚲 Walk or Ride to This One
TD Ballpark sits on Douglas Avenue in the middle of downtown Dunedin — the Pinellas Trail runs straight past it, and eight breweries and a distillery are within a few blocks. Park once and walk, or ride the trail in and skip parking entirely. A game plus a brewery afterwards is the single best day out in this county.
👉 Our Pinellas Trail guide | Our Dunedin breweries guide
Which One Should You Go To?
| Best ballpark experience | BayCare — widely rated the best in the league |
| Best story and atmosphere | TD Ballpark — fifty unbroken years, built 1930 |
| Cheapest way in | BayCare’s grass berm |
| Closest to the players | TD Ballpark’s Flight Deck, above the bullpen |
| Easiest parking | BayCare, by a wide margin |
| Best day out overall | Dunedin — game, then walk to the breweries |
| Baseball in summer | BayCare — Clearwater Threshers |
Practical Tips
🎟️ Buy Early, and Check Both Teams
The Phillies are one of the biggest draws in spring training and many games sell to capacity. If your dates are fixed, look at both schedules — the two clubs often play at home on different days, so there’s usually something available.
⏰ Arrive 45 to 60 Minutes Early
Both parks are small and pleasant to wander. Early arrival gets you batting practice, a shot at an autograph or a ball, food without queuing, and time to find your seat before the first pitch.
🧢 It Feels Like Summer
February and March afternoons here are warm and the sun is strong. Hat, sunscreen, water. The berm at BayCare has no shade at all.
🏟️ Look for the Extras
Beyond regular games, the schedules include Spring Breakout prospect games — the clubs’ best young players against each other, which is a genuinely interesting watch — and in World Baseball Classic years, exhibition games against national teams. Both parks have hosted these.
👀 Watch a Workout for Free
Before games begin, and on off days, clubs hold open workouts at their training complexes. It’s the most relaxed way to see players up close and it usually costs nothing. Check the club sites for access.
Worth the Drive
If you’re a serious fan, six more Grapefruit League clubs are within reach for a day trip:
- New York Yankees — Steinbrenner Field, Tampa. About 45 minutes east.
- Detroit Tigers — Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland. About an hour and fifteen east, and the longest-running arrangement in baseball — 2026 was the Tigers’ 90th spring in Lakeland.
- Pittsburgh Pirates — LECOM Park, Bradenton. About an hour south over the Skyway.
- Baltimore Orioles — Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota. About an hour and fifteen south.
- Tampa Bay Rays — Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte. Around two hours south.
- Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox — both in Fort Myers, roughly two and a half hours south. A long day, but doable.
A nice trick if you’re here for a week: pick a home game at each local park, then one away trip. You’ll see four or five clubs without ever driving more than an hour.
Also On Our Site
- Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail — runs past TD Ballpark in Dunedin.
- Duke Energy Trail — runs past BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater.
- Breweries — eight of them within walking distance of TD Ballpark.
- Beaches — the other half of a February trip.
- Golf — the Valspar Championship is in March too.
- Downtown St. Petersburg — for a rain-day alternative.
Official Information
Schedules, prices and parking arrangements change every year. Always check the current season direct:
- Phillies spring training — schedule, tickets and parking for BayCare Ballpark.
- Blue Jays spring training — schedule and tickets for TD Ballpark.
- Florida Grapefruit League — every club, park and schedule in one place. The best single starting point.
- Clearwater Threshers — summer baseball at BayCare Ballpark.
- Visit St Pete/Clearwater — local spring training guides and events.
We are not affiliated with any of the clubs or venues listed here.
From Our Rentals
Our Largo rental (1731 Clearwater Harbor Dr): BayCare Ballpark is about twenty minutes northeast; TD Ballpark in Dunedin around thirty minutes north.
Our Seminole rental (13189 87th Ave N): BayCare Ballpark is roughly twenty-five minutes; Dunedin about thirty-five.
Planning a spring training trip? Get in touch early — February and March book up fast here, and so do the good games.
