Spring Training Stadium Scorecard: Rating Arizona’s Cactus League Venues

SOMEWHERE IN ARIZONA, Ariz. — Starting in February, 15 MLB teams make their way to the greater Phoenix area for spring training. Storylines develop, with each team playing roughly 30 games, gearing up for the lengthy regular season that lays ahead. But spring training is more than just what occurs on the field.

The month-long tune-up has served as an extravaganza of baseball culture for decades. Fans visit from across the globe to catch a glimpse of their favorite MLB stars, converging on Arizona to do so. Across 10 MLB venues shared by 15 teams, they take part in a sports phenomenon that isn’t replicated by any other professional league.

Each of the stadiums is different, providing a unique experience for the fan. Here is an all-encompassing guide to the Cactus League MLB spring training venues: American Family Fields of Phoenix, Goodyear Ballpark, Hohokam Park, Peoria Sports Complex, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Sloan Park, Scottsdale Stadium, Surprise Stadium and Tempe Diablo Stadium. For this project, Camelback Ranch-Glendale was not visited.

The venues were scored on traditions, fan experience, food, views and overall vibes.

Here’s more on the 10 different spring training venues across the Cactus League.

Sloan Park

• MLB Team: Chicago Cubs
• Location: Mesa, Arizona
• Capacity: 15,000
• Opened: 2014

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick 

• MLB Teams: Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies
• Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
• Capacity: 11,000
• Opened: 2011

Goodyear Ballpark

• MLB Teams: Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians
• Location: Goodyear, Arizona
• Capacity: 9,500
• Opened: 2009

Surprise Stadium

• MLB Teams: Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers
• Location: Surprise, Arizona
• Capacity: 10,500
• Opened: 2002

American Family Fields of Phoenix

• MLB Team: Milwaukee Brewers
• Location: Phoenix, Arizona
• Capacity: 10,000
• Opened: 1998 (Renovated 2018)

Hohokam Stadium

• MLB Team: The Athletics
• Location: Mesa, Arizona
• Capacity: 10,500
• Opened: 1997 (Renovated 2014)

Peoria Sports Complex

• MLB Teams: San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners
• Location: Peoria, Arizona
• Capacity: 11,333
• Opened: 1994

Scottsdale Stadium

• MLB Team: San Francisco Giants
• Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
• Capacity: 12,000
• Opened: 1992

Tempe Diablo Stadium

• MLB Team: Los Angeles Angles
• Location: Tempe, Arizona
• Capacity: 9,558
• Opened: 1969 (Renovated 2014)

Not Ranked: Camelback Ranch-Glendale

• MLB Teams: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Location: Phoenix, Arizona
• Capacity: 13,583
• Opened: 2009

Category: Arizona Diamondbacks, Athletics, Cactus League, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Videos
Tagged: Cactus League MLB MLB Spring Training Spring Training Spring Training Scorecard Spring Training stadiums