In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of exhibition games which precedes the regular season. It serves the purpose of both auditioning players for final roster/position spots and giving players practice prior to competitive play.

Spring training typically lasts two months, beginning in early February and lasting until a few days before opening day (commonly the first week of April). Pitchers and catchers, however, usually begin training a week or two earlier than position players (usually the last few weeks of February) since pitchers endure more physical wear and tear and thus benefit from a longer training period. Many people come to Spring Training games from cold climates to enjoy the Spring weather and to watch their favorite teams play.

While Florida and Arizona now host all Major League Baseball teams for spring training, this has not always been the case. The Brooklyn Dodgers trained for several years in Havana, Cuba. During World War II, most teams held an abbreviated spring training within easy reach of their cities. And until big league baseball reached the West Coast, a number of teams trained in California.*