CLEARWATER, Fla. — Pitchers and catchers will report for their first workouts for Major League Baseball spring training starting Tuesday.
What You Need To Know
Pitchers and catchers start reporting for spring training in Florida this week
Phillies staff members are already unloading trucks with the supplies the team will need
They are bringing 2,400 baseballs, 140 batting helmets and 1,200 baseball bats this spring
Spring training games begin Feb. 20
Florida is home to baseball’s Grapefruit League, and thousands of fans will flock to the Tampa Bay area to watch their favorite teams because seven of the franchises call the Tampa Bay area home during spring training, bringing a huge economic impact. Throughout Florida, more than 1.4 million fans visited for spring training in 2025, generating about $687,000 annually for the state and creating more than 7,000 jobs, according to data from the Florida Sports Foundation and studies of the Grapefruit League.
That means teams like the Philadelphia Phillies have to start getting ready.
When the equipment trucks start pulling into Baycare Ballpark, it marks the unofficial start to spring training in Clearwater.
Phillies staff members like clubhouse attendant Tim Schmidt wait months for the trucks full of gear and supplies.
“It’s been on my calendar for a while, so yeah, it’s nice that it’s here, and I’m excited to get it underway, and I’m ready to see the guys,” Schmidt said.
Filled to the brim, it takes the whole staff, as well as some help from a forklift, to unload all the supplies needed for spring training.
The Phillies are bringing 2,400 baseballs, 140 batting helmets and 1,200 baseball bats this spring, Schmidt said.
Among all the people who helped unload the trucks was Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector.
He said it’s a day he looks forward to every year.
“Our sign of spring is the Phillies equipment truck arriving,” Rector said. “That’s a little bit more predictable than the groundhog.”
Spring training has been in Clearwater for about 100 years, including the Phillies here for most of that time, Rector said.
“Such a strong connection with our citizens,” Rector said. “They’ve been here for 80 years. It’s almost like seeing family come home.”
Schmidt said it was going to be a long day because there is a lot to unpack before the players arrive.
Still, the work isn’t an issue.
He’s ready to focus on the season.
“Once we get down here, it’s go time,” Schmidt said. “We don’t really stop until the playoffs are over.”
The seven teams that will be in the Tampa Bay area for the next few weeks, honing their skills before the regular season begins, are the Phillies, the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves.
Spring training games begin Feb. 20, and tickets are on sale now.