When Does Spring Training 2018 Start? Pitchers And Catchers, MLB Game Schedule

It’s been a strange offseason for MLB. Most of the league’s best free agents are still unsigned, even though spring training is about to start.

Most teams require pitchers and catchers to report for their first workout of 2018 on Valentine’s Day, and all pitchers and catchers will be in camp by Feb. 16 the latest. Teams will hold their first full-squad workouts from Feb.19-21, just prior to the start of official spring training games.

The first game on the schedule is a matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Arizona State baseball team on Feb. 21. Five more games featuring an MLB team and a college baseball team are on tap for Feb. 22.

MLB teams finally face off in the first action of 2018 on Feb. 23. Half of the league has a game scheduled for shortly after 1 p.m. EST that afternoon, and 15 games will be played throughout the day.

Free agents who still haven’t joined a team will have the opportunity to train in Florida when the rest of the league reports. Starting Tuesday., Feb. 13, the MLB Players Association will host a camp at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Bo Porter, who managed the Houston Astros in 2013 and 2014, will run the camp.

Agent Scott Boras doesn’t plan to send his clients to the free-agent spring training camp, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick. J.D. Martinez, Jake Arrieta and Eric Hosmer are among Boras’ clients.

“Boras Corp has two sport fitness institutes with diamonds, cages and weight facilities,” Boras told Crasnick. “We have resources and staffing to make sure our players are prepared when they reach agreements.”

Team records and individual statistics in spring training games should, of course, be taken with a grain of salt. The defending World Series champion Houston Astros went 15-15 in 2017 spring training. The Los Angeles Dodgers were only one game above .500 before leading all of MLB with 104 regular-season wins.

The New York Yankees had the best record in spring training last year, going 24-9. The Atlanta Braves finished last at 9-22.

Click here for the complete list of 2018 spring training report dates, and here for the entire spring training exhibition game schedule.