Spring training has had its share of challenges in recent years — significant rain-outs in 2024, Major League Baseball lockout before that, and pandemic restrictions before that.
Despite those setbacks, the Cactus League has had four straight years of attendance increases. Spring training and tourism officials this year are hoping to build on that success.
At a total of nearly 1.7 million attendees, the Cactus League saw a 4% increase in attendance in 2025 over the previous year, and roughly a four-fold increase since the pandemic at its lowest. This puts the league practically at the pre-pandemic level of just over 1.7 million attendees, only about 43,000 attendees behind the 2019 season.
“We look forward to welcoming out-of-state visitors and Arizona residents to the Cactus League in 2026. Generations of baseball fans have fallen in love with Arizona, and it’s easy to see why. With our 10 unique ballparks located within an hour drive, the Cactus League is a baseball fan’s paradise,” said Cactus League Executive Director Bridget Binsbacher.
Highlights this season include rare Cactus League training visits to Arizona from the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. The season will conclude with a handful of games on Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24, including the Tigers facing the Colorado Rockies in two games at Salt River Fields and the Yankees taking on the Chicago Cubs in two games at Sloan Park. This will be the Yankees’ first spring training trip to the desert since 1951, when they trained in Phoenix for one spring.
The 2026 schedule also features select Cactus League teams hosting World Baseball Classic teams from the U.S., Mexico, Great Britain, Italy, Cuba and Brazil on Tuesday, March 3, and Wednesday, March 4.
Additionally, the Commissioner’s Trophy is back in the Cactus League, and clubs that play in the World Series typically see a bump in attendance the following spring.
In spring training 2024, the Texas Rangers saw a 42.3% increase in attendance, averaging 7,511 per game at Surprise Stadium. The Arizona Diamondbacks saw a 16.6% increase after their 2023 World Series appearance, averaging 11,099 per game at Salt River Fields.
With back-to-back World Series victories from the Los Angeles Dodgers, officials are hoping for a jump in attendance this year at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.
Spring training has a significant economic impact on the Valley of the Sun.
Josh Coddington, spokesperson for the state’s tourism office, said the season spans more than 220 games across Arizona’s 10 Cactus League ballparks delivering reliable positive economic impacts to numerous Arizona communities.
The scale of this event is staggering, he said.
“We’re really excited about the arrival of the 2026 Cactus League spring training season as Arizona is once again ready to warmly welcome baseball fans from across the country,” Coddington said. “The arrival of spring in the Valley of the Sun represents more than just the return of baseball — it is our postcard to those in colder climates to come here and enjoy the carefree fun of Cactus League games, endless outdoor recreation and the perfect weather that only Arizona provides.
Out-of-state visitors to the Cactus League spent more than $400 million in Arizona in 2023.
Because 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’re here, Coddington said the primary job at the Arizona Office of Tourism is to maximize and grow the positive economic impacts delivered by those visitors.
“To achieve this, Arizona Office of Tourism focuses on attracting as many out-of-state visitors as possible to attend Cactus League games and encouraging anyone here for spring training to explore more of the state between games,” he said.
In December, the tourism office launched its “Meet Me After the Ball Game” campaign that targets baseball fans and anyone looking for a spring escape in all Cactus League team cities.
The office reaches out to visitors once they’re here through digital advertising, social media and in-stadium promotion.
“This also includes one of our office’s favorite pastimes: talking to spring training fans in-person at Cactus League ballparks to encourage them to venture beyond Maricopa County and discover the spectacular sights and experiences awaiting across the state,” he said.
To learn more about outings, restaurants and road trips, visitors may explore MySpringTraining.com.
Senior News Editor Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on X @philiphaldiman. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@inusua.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria
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.
Keywords
spring training,
rain-outs,
Major League Baseball,
Cactus League,
Los Angeles Dodgers,
Arizona Diamondbacks,
tourism,
New York Yankees,
Detroit Tigers,
pandemic,
World Baseball Classic,
World Series