spring training

Spring training lets players and teams prepare for the upcoming season. Managers look at a large number of players, from which they choose the roster for the start of the regular season. The remainder get assigned to various minor league teams within the club's organization. Prospects can make a big impact and make the pro roster or a bad spring training for a marginal player could spell a trip to the minor leagues or an outright release, instead of staying with the major league team.

Spring training usually starts in late February and runs through almost all of March. Since the weather in many parts of the country is still cold, teams hold spring training in either Florida or Arizona.

Teams that hold spring training in Florida are known as The Grapefruit League, while those in Arizona are called The Cactus League. (In 2003, there were 18 teams in the former, and 12 in the latter).

Due to the large amount of players available, teams often play split-squad games, during which half of the team plays one team, while the other half plays another.

Unofficial statistics and standings are kept, but they don't matter at all (other than to individual players trying to make the team or lineup, as described above).