The Houston Astros, the Miami Marlins, and the St. Louis Cardinals – three professional teams that call Palm Beach County home for Major League Baseball Spring Training – reached the 2020 MLB Postseason. Additionally, the team’s Spring Training facilities the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches (Astros, Washington Nationals) and Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium (Marlins, Cardinals) have announced their 2021 Grapefruit League schedules.
The Astros (29-31) clinched a playoff berth for the fourth consecutive season while the Marlins (31-29) secured a National League Wild Card spot to snap their 16-season postseason drought and the Cardinals (30-28) made the cut for the second-straight season.
The FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, home to both the 2017 World Series champions, the Nationals, and the 2019 World Series champions, the Astros, will open the 2021 Spring Training season on Saturday, Feb. 27. The game will serve as the Nationals home opener as they host the Astros. The next day, Sunday, Feb. 28, the Astros will start their home campaign against the Marlins. Both the Astros and Nationals will host 15 home games throughout the 2021 Grapefruit League season which will conclude on Sunday, March 28 when the Nationals take on the St. Louis Cardinals.
During the 2021 Grapefruit League season, FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will host the Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Cardinals, and Marlins. The Nationals and the Astros will face each other six times, with each team hosting three games against their stadium partners.
In March, for the first time, FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will be home to two day-night doubleheaders. On Saturday, March 13 the Mets will travel to face the Nationals, followed by a clash between the Astros and Yankees. Two weeks later, on Saturday, March 27, the matinee features the Astros hosting the Marlins, while the night game features the Mets versus the Nationals.
Just north at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, a yearly tradition will take place on Feb. 27 as the stadium’s tenants, the Marlins and Cardinals, face off in the season opener. The clubs will follow the season opener up with a second matchup on March 5.
Both teams will play 15 home games at the stadium which will feature visits from the Boston Red Sox, Braves, Nationals, Astros, Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays’ appearance will mark the first time the side has played at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium for the first time in more than 10 years.
Each year, Spring Training generates a substantial economic impact for Palm Beach County. In 2019, Spring Training across both venues provided over $70 million in economic impact and $42 million in direct visitor spending. Over 270,000 total fans, both locally and out-of-town, attended a Spring Training game in Palm Beach County in 2019.
The FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches is the newest professional baseball facility in Palm Beach County. Designed with an elegant wrap-around concourse and inviting sightlines, the 160-acre complex features a fan-friendly 7,700-capacity stadium as its centerpiece, along with six practice fields per team.
Beyond Spring Training, the facility hosts elite destination tournaments, community walks, corporate functions, concerts, festivals, among other events. It features a total of eight professional manicured baseball fields ideal for tournament setup. Five 120-by-80-yard multipurpose athletic fields are covered in beautiful Bermuda grass and cater to soccer, lacrosse, football, and rugby.
As one of the region’s preeminent baseball stadiums for more than 20 years, Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is the only complex in the country that is home to four Minor League baseball teams. The stadium seats 7,000, including box suites, and a press box, and professional scoreboard and JumboTron are available with rental packages. In addition to the main, lighted stadium field, the complex features 12 full-size baseball fields with professional dimensions on nearly 120 acres in the cozy Abacoa neighborhood of Jupiter, Florida.
Ticket information and game times for the 2021 Grapefruit League season will be available soon. For more information about Spring Training at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, visit https://www.fitteamballpark.com/ and https://rogerdeanchevroletstadium.com/, respectively.
