Hush, sweet Charlotte. The Tampa Bay Rays are back in town.
Florida’s spring training season begins for 15 Major League Baseball teams next month. That includes the Tampa Bay Rays, who return to their Port Charlotte facility after a year away because of damage caused from Hurricane Ian.
The Rays, who have called Port Charlotte their spring home since 2009, trained last year at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Osceola County and played home games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
However, nearly $20 million in repairs were recently completed at 82-acre Charlotte Sports Park stadium and practice facility, meaning Manager Kevin Cash’s squad will be back in their comfort zone.
The Grapefruit League, as spring training is known in Florida, begins when pitchers and catchers arrive at camps Feb. 14 and 15. Full-squad workouts commence Feb. 18-20. The Rays’ battery is due Feb. 14, with the remaining players arriving by Feb. 19.
The Rays will hold its annual Fan Fest at Tropicana Field from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 17.
Arizona's Cactus League begins the exhibition slate Feb. 22 with the Los Angeles Dodgers playing the San Diego Padres All 30 MLB clubs play Feb. 24, including Tampa Bay, which will host the Atlanta Braves at 1:05 p.m.
The Rays will have one significant road trip March 9-10, when they head to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for two games against the Boston Red Sox.
Otherwise, they won’t be far from Port Charlotte. In addition to home games at Charlotte Sports Park, the Rays have a handful of road games in the greater Tampa Bay area:
- Feb. 26 and March 12 in Sarasota (vs. Baltimore Orioles)
- Feb. 28 in Dunedin (vs. Toronto Blue Jays)
- March 1 and 17 in Bradenton (vs. Pittsburgh Pirates)
- March 6 in Tampa (vs. New York Yankees)
- March 21 and 25 in Clearwater (vs. Philadelphia Phillies)
- March 24 in Lakeland (vs. Detroit Tigers)
The Rays’ final prep comes at Tropicana Field on March 26 against Detroit.
The “official” regular season Opening Day is scheduled for March 28, with the Rays at the Trop against Toronto at 4:10 p.m. to begin a four-game series.
Technically, the season begins a week earlier in South Korea, where the Padres and Dodgers meet in the “Seoul Series” on March 20-21.
A new event, the Spring Breakout on March 14 to 17, features exhibition games between teams comprised of each organization’s top minor-league prospects. It includes games March 14 in Bradenton (Pirates-Orioles), and March 16 in Tampa (Blue Jays-Yankees), Lakeland (Tigers-Phillies), and Fort Myers (Rays-Minnesota Twins).
In 2023, the Rays began the season with record-tying 13 consecutive wins before qualifying for the postseason for the fifth straight season. However, they were swept by the eventual World Series champions Texas Rangers in the American League wild-card round.
To help you plan you spring training experiences, here is a team-by-team rundown with locations, ticket information and schedules.
Atlanta Braves
- Location: CoolToday Park, North Port
- Reporting dates: Feb. 15 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 20 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Baltimore Orioles
- Location: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota
- Reporting dates: Feb. 15 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 20 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Boston Red Sox
- Location: JetBlue Park, Fort Myers
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 19 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Detroit Tigers
- Location: Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 19 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Houston Astros
- Location: Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 19 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Miami Marlins
- Location: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter
- Reporting dates: Feb. 15 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 20 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Minnesota Twins
- Location: Hammond Stadium at Lee County Sports Complex, Fort Myers
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 18 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
New York Mets
- Location: Clover Park, Port St. Lucie
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 19 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
New York Yankees
- Location: Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
- Reporting dates: Feb. 15 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 20 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Philadelphia Phillies
- Location: BayCare Ballpark, Clearwater
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 19 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Location: LECOM Park, Bradenton
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 19 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
St. Louis Cardinals
- Location: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 19 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Tampa Bay Rays
- Location: Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 19 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Toronto Blue Jays
- Location: TD Ballpark, Dunedin
- Reporting dates: Feb. 15 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 20 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
Washington Nationals
- Location: Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
- Reporting dates: Feb. 14 (pitchers/catchers); Feb. 20 (full squad)
Tickets, schedule and more info
