When Do Baseball Players Report For Spring Training?
Contents
With Spring Training just around the corner, fans are wondering when their favorite baseball players will report for duty. Although reporting dates may vary by team, most players will report to their team’s training facility sometime between February and March.
Introduction
Baseball players report for spring training in February to prepare for the upcoming season. Spring training is a time for players to get back into game shape and fine-tune their skills. It is also a time for teams to evaluate new players and decide who will make the final roster.
Players report to their team’s spring training facility in early February. Most teams hold their first workout on February 12th. The first official spring training game is usually played on February 23rd.
Spring training games are played throughout the month of March. These games are mostly exhibition games and do not count towards the regular season standings. The last spring training game is Usually played on March 31st.
The regular season begins on April 1st and runs through September 30th. The playoffs begin in October and the World Series is usually played in November.
Reporting Dates for Pitchers and Catchers
One of the best things about Spring Training is that is signals the return of baseball. Fans can’t wait to see their favorite players back in action and to get a first look at the new rookies.
While most fans are aware that Spring Training happens in the spring, they may not know exactly when players report for duty. The reporting dates for pitchers and catchers are typically earlier than the dates for position players.
Pitchers and catchers will usually report to camp around one or two weeks before the position players report. This allows the pitchers and catchers to get some extra work in before the rest of the team arrives.
The earlier reporting date also ensures that there is enough time for pitchers and catchers to build up their bullpen sessions and get their bodies ready for the long season ahead.
Once the position players arrive, they will go through a similar process of preparing for the season. They will participate in drills, take batting practice, and play exhibition games.
The whole team will then head north to their home stadiums where they will begin their regular season schedule. So when do baseball players report for Spring Training? The answer is it depends on whether you are a pitcher or catcher!
Reporting Dates for Position Players
report dates for pitchers and catchers is much earlier than the report dates for position players. The mandatory reporting date for pitchers, catchers, and infielders/outfielders is
fifteen days prior to the team’s first scheduled Spring Training game. So, if a team’s first
game is on February 28th, the mandatory reporting date would be February 13th. Position
players who have not accrued the required number of years of Major League service time
(three years) or who are not on the 40-man roster are required to report to camp even
earlier than that, typically around February 10th. These players are often referred to as
“non-roster invitees” or NRIs.
Conclusion
Pitchers and catchers report first, followed by the rest of the team a few days later. Full-squad workouts generally start about a week before the first exhibition game.
