MLB has announced the 2027 spring training calendar: all 30 clubs open play on Friday, February 19, with the Cactus League's 15 teams spread across 10 ballparks in the Phoenix metro area. If you are planning a spring training trip to Arizona, the games wrap up in late March and the regular season begins March 25, which means the whole season fits inside a five-week window that books up fast. Here are the key dates, where the stadiums sit, and how to handle airport transportation while the Valley fills with baseball fans. Sky Harbor Terminal 4 arrivals guide
Spring Training 2027 Key Dates
Per MLB's announcement, 2027 spring training opens Friday, February 19, with all 30 clubs in action across the Cactus League and Florida's Grapefruit League on day one. The exhibition season concludes with games from Saturday, March 20 through Tuesday, March 23, some of them played at major and minor league parks outside the normal spring sites. The 2027 regular season opens with a game the night of Wednesday, March 24, followed by traditional Opening Day on Thursday, March 25.
- Friday, February 19, 2027: Cactus League opening day, all 15 Arizona teams in action.
- Mid-February through mid-March: the heaviest stretch of weekday and weekend home games across all 10 stadiums.
- March 20-23, 2027: final exhibition games; expect smaller crowds and scattered venues.
- March 24-25, 2027: MLB regular season begins, ending the Cactus League window.
Individual game times are announced closer to the season, and MLB has said its Spring Breakout prospect games return in 2027 with details to come. One lesson from recent seasons: extreme February and March heat can push start times to the evening, as happened when 11 Cactus League games moved to night slots during a March 2026 heat wave, so keep your afternoon plans flexible.
Where the Cactus League Plays
The Cactus League's 15 teams play across 10 stadiums scattered around the Valley of the Sun, roughly from Surprise in the northwest to Mesa and Tempe in the east. The cluster includes ballparks in Surprise, Glendale, Peoria, Goodyear, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Mesa. No stadium is more than about an hour's drive from another in normal traffic, but game-day congestion around the smaller suburban parks is real, and stadium lots that feel roomy in February sell out by the tournament stretch in mid-March. Our Surprise Stadium logistics guide covers the farthest northwest ballpark in detail.
Getting from Sky Harbor to the Ballparks
Most spring training visitors fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which sits southeast of every Cactus League ballpark. Drives range from about 10 minutes to Scottsdale's closest parks to 45 minutes or more out to Surprise and Goodyear. The catch is timing: rideshare wait times stretch and surge pricing spikes in the hour before first pitch and again after the final out, and rental car counters at PHX see their February queues lengthen as the season builds.
A pre-booked private shuttle fixes the airport leg: your driver tracks your flight, meets you at the terminal, and takes you straight to your hotel or the ballpark with no surge pricing and no counter line. For groups splitting two stadiums in a day, it also removes the question of who stays sober enough to drive the Loop 101 at 4 p.m.
When to Book Airport Transportation for Spring Training
Book as soon as your flights are set. February and March are peak season for Phoenix airport transportation on top of the winter visitor season already in motion, so vehicle availability tightens first and prices follow. A scheduled pickup with flight tracking removes the guesswork if your flight lands early or late, and pre-booking gives you a confirmed plan for the day you arrive rather than a hope that a rideshare is nearby at 11 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does spring training start in Arizona in 2027?
Cactus League play opens Friday, February 19, 2027, with all 15 Arizona-based clubs in action. The exhibition season runs through late March, and MLB's regular season begins March 24-25, 2027.
How many Cactus League teams and stadiums are there?
Fifteen MLB teams train in Arizona each spring, playing at 10 stadiums across the Phoenix metro area, from Surprise in the northwest Valley to Mesa in the east.
When should I book my airport shuttle for spring training?
As soon as you book flights. February and March overlap with Phoenix's peak winter visitor season, so shuttle and rideshare availability tightens and prices climb as opening day approaches.
Is a shuttle or a rental car better for spring training?
A pre-booked private shuttle covers the airport leg door-to-door with no counter lines and no game-day parking scramble. A rental car makes sense if you plan to chase games at multiple stadiums every day, but for airport-to-hotel and hotel-to-ballpark trips, a scheduled shuttle is the simpler plan.
