More than 1.75 million fans attended spring training games in Arizona in 2026

Mar 31, 2026

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Cactus League attendance rose for the fifth straight season in 2026 despite a record heat wave that impacted the final week of the season.

The Cactus League drew a total of 1,753,849 to 237 games – an increase of 58,369 over 2025 (3.4 percent) and the largest single-season attendance total since 2018. The Cactus League averaged 7,400 fans per game, down 169 from a year ago.

“Cactus League attendance has steadily climbed despite challenges beyond our control – a pandemic, a lockout and now a record heat wave,” Cactus League Executive Director Bridget Binsbacher said. “The appeal of spring training, like baseball itself, is timeless – and nothing compares to experiencing it in our unique and intimate ballparks.”

The Cactus League’s biggest challenge came when triple-digit temperatures besieged the Valley for the final week of the season.

Cactus League teams responded by moving more than a dozen games to evening or morning to avoid the hottest part of the day. Ballparks took a variety of measures, including providing hydration stations and cooling areas and easing restrictions on drinks brought in by fans.

The season’s largest single-day attendance came on Friday, March 20, when 78,638 fans came through ballpark gates Valleywide. The temperature peaked at 105 that afternoon, but eight of the nine games on the slate were played under the lights.

“I’m proud of the response of our ballparks to this unexpected development,” Binsbacher said. “Facing an unprecedented weather challenge, Cactus League facilities shared best practices to ensure the health and safety of all involved.”

Until the heat set in, the Cactus League basked in picture-perfect desert weather – there were no rainouts for the first time since 2022.

Some 2026 attendance highlights:

The season got off to a good start with a total of 39,521 attending four games on Friday, February 20 – the largest Opening Day total since 2018.
The Chicago White Sox saw the biggest jump at the gate, averaging 5,155 per game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale, a 12.9 percent increase over 2025.
The Cactus League drew an average of 53,147 fans per day for more than a month – up 3,280 per day over 2025, an increase of 6.5 percent.
The largest crowd in a Cactus League ballpark was 15,788 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on Sunday, March 15.
The Cubs led the Cactus League in attendance for the 13th straight season, averaging 12,969 per game at Sloan Park.

“The Cactus League is grateful to the devoted fans who come from across town and across the country to watch their teams prepare for upcoming season,” Binsbacher said. “And we thank the eight municipalities and the tribal community who show our trademark Southwestern hospitality while hosting spring training for 15 Major League Baseball clubs.”