By: DANIELA PEREZ LEAL / CHIEF A&E EDITOR
The ending of the Super Bowl marks the beginning of the baseball season with Spring Training. The preseason is divided into two leagues, the Cactus League in Arizona and the Grapefruit League in Florida. Here is all you should know.
Spring training officially started on Thursday, Feb. 20, with the opening game of the Cactus League with the Los Angeles Dodgers facing the Chicago Cubs in Glendale, Arizona. The Cubs dominated the Dodgers 12-4 and as CBS Sports explained, “The Cubs and Dodgers opened this year’s spring training schedule earlier than the other 28 teams because they’re playing each other in Tokyo to open the regular season on March 18-19.”
On Friday, the New York Yankees hosted the Tampa Bay Rays to open the Grapefruit League season. The following days saw all 30 teams participate in Spring Training exhibitions.
Spring Breakout, which debuted in 2024, is back to 2025 and will take place in Arizona and Florida from March 13 to March 16. It is good to remember that last year, this event gave a heads-up about strong prospects who later that year made their MLB Debut, such as Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes and Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday. Once again, this event promises to showcase a new wave of prospects that could soon live the dream of playing at the major league level.
Another thing happening this year is the testing of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, which is a computerized system that calls balls and strikes. However, it is not designed to substitute human umpires nor will it appear in this year’s regular season.
AP news reported that “MLB has installed the system in 13 spring training ballparks that are home to 19 teams, all in the Florida State League,” adding that “Five test sites in Arizona all are shared: the Diamondbacks/Colorado, Chicago White Sox/Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland/Cincinnati, Kansas City/Texas and Seattle/San Diego.”
In a shocking announcement on Feb. 21, the New York Yankees amended their shaving policy to allow players to sport “Well-groomed beards,” something that in the past was not allowed by the organization.
For the Yanks, they have plenty to be excited about despite losing Soto. Here are some players from the Bronx Bombers that should be on everyone’s radar this spring.
All-Star center fielder Cody Bellinger is well known for his defensive versatility, strong left-handed swing and also his ability to play multiple positions. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt is another player to keep track of; he had a good second half of last year and he finished with 22 homers.
Pitcher Max Fried is considered one of the best new acquisitions of this season. His eight-year $218 million contract is the largest guarantee in baseball history for a left-hander pitcher.
But as it stands, all eyes are on the Mets. They started strong on Saturday by besting the Houston Astros, 6-2. It didn’t take long for the franchise to see a return on their $765 million investment last offseason as superstar outfielder Juan Soto launched a homer in his first at-bat wearing Blue and Orange.
The Mets fan base is incredibly excited about this season. On top of signing Soto, they got back their “Polar Bear,” Pete Alonso.
“I’m excited to have Pete back and what the team was able to do this offseason,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. “I can’t wait to get going.”
However, with excitement comes expectations, especially after the club's miraculous run to the NLCS last October. But the Mets appear to be coming into this season even stronger than the last, which is more than promising for the Flushing faithful.
And luckily, their new star player is already feeling at home. On the morning of Feb. 20, Soto gave youngster Brett Baty a brand new Chevy Tahoe to thank him for giving up his No. 22.
“It’s amazing,” Baty expressed. “Just for him to be able to think to do something like that, I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m just really excited that he’s on our team.”
Without a doubt, this spring training promises a lot and it will be full of good vibes, sun and amazing players that will have a chance to showcase their talents and abilities. Get ready and keep an eye out because baseball is finally back.
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