Florida State League Baseball
Florida is a springtime baseball Mecca with 15 major league teams choosing Florida as their home for Spring Training. This means a lot to the communities that will house thousands of visitors each year to come to their city and visit their stadiums. Thus both the cities and the teams invest heavily in making these facilities state of the art for both development and the fan experience.
This is great for February and March, but as April approaches what next? The Florida State League, a High Single A League plays at most of these same stadiums during the summer.
Stadiums, like the Joker Merchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida have invested millions in recent years. The City of Lakeland spent $40 million in renovations and the Detroit Tigers continue to place millions in this stadium every year to keep it state of the art. The Detroit Tigers have been in Lakeland for 77 straight years and have what is considered one of the best stadiums in all of single A baseball. But they are not alone.
Dunedin is investing tens of millions at this point in their stadium and every ballpark in the “Grapefruit League” (the name of the Spring Training League), has been updated recently to continue to attract their teams to town.
The price of a spring training game can run from $20 to $200. However, the price of a Spring Training Game can run from $1 (special promotions) to $35 (for special seats). The club boxes and all the amenities are still there for the Florida State League, meaning that the experience is a major league experience in towns that you would not expect to see this type of experience.
The players are also seasoned. The average player is in their 3rd year of professional baseball and is about 22 to 23 years old. The top prospects for each team at this age, are playing here and within another 3 years a number of these players will hit the big time. Many seem ready now, and play like it.
We are fortunate in Florida to have this summer league and get a major league experience at a minor league price. If you have never been to a game you should find a stadium and go. You will not be disappointed.