In a spring-training schedule devoid of any major holidays, St. Patrick’s Day stands out as the party highlight of 2025. The wearin’ of the green is a grand tradition in spring training, and here are some recommendations for making the most of St. Pat’s at the ballpark.
Both the Grapefruit League and the Cactus League feature teams who annually make a big deal about St. Patrick’s Day. In 2025 St. Pat’s falls on a Monday. That may not be optimal for many who try to cram a spring-training trip into one weekend, but at least it’s at the end of a long weekend for those looking for a celebration. In MLB, the spring-training celebrations change from year to year and the giveaways have gone to the wayside; a green Pirates cap is still a treasured freebie from a McKechnie Field St. Pat’s Day game years and years ago. Still, you will see players in green uniforms, there may be a beer discount or three, and if you’re lucky the fans will show up decked in green and in a mood to party.
Here are some games we’d recommend checking out if you want a St. Patrick’s Day spring-training experience. These are places where we know the fans—particularly season-ticket holders—will arrive decked in green. We don’t have game times yet, but it’s a pretty safe bet that most of these Monday games will be afternoon matches. It would be a perfect situation, of course, if the Pirates or Blue Jays were playing day-night home-away doubleheaders. But we’re not holding our breath. (Yes, we’ll update it when we see more game times posted.)
Grapefruit League
Pittsburgh at Detroit. The season-ticket holders come out in force for St. Pat’s Day at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Look for a little pregame partying in the parking lot, lots of green and gold clothing, and a generally happy mood in the ballpark. If you make it to only one St. Patrick’s Day match, this is the one to hit. Tickets here.
Minnesota at Pittsburgh. The Pirates love St. Patrick’s Day so much they scheduled split-squad matches. Again, look for lots of green and gold clothing, maybe a green uniform item, and a generally happy mood in the ballpark. And, of course, the local watering holes—which we cover extensively in our spring-training guide—will be rocking. Tickets here.
Toronto at Philadelphia. BayCare Ballpark is the place most likely to be selling some special St. Pat’s Day merch; anything green will surely stand out in the team stores down the left-field line. You may see green caps or other uniform items from the Phillies as well. Tickets here.
New York Yankees at Toronto. The Yankees always are a big away-game draw in spring training, so combine the Bronx Bombers and a St. Pat’s Day game and you’ll likely have a large crowd at TD Ballpark. Downtown Dunedin is sure to have its fair share of beer specials at the abundance of microbreweries—which we cover extensively in our spring-training guide—so the 17th will be a grand occasion to park in downtown Dunedin, leisurely stroll to the ballpark and afterwards hit a watering hole or three. It’s the quintessential spring-training experience. Tickets here.
Cactus League
Cincinnati at Cleveland. The inter-Ohio rivalry is an interesting one now that both teams are competitive—or much better than competitive—on the field. St. Pat’s Day is traditionally a very popular game day for these two teams, so don’t be surprised to see a little green in the field and a few specials at the concession stands. Tickets here.
Seattle at the Athletics. Yes, you can expect the usual green uniforms from the Athletics, and you may see a green special or two at the concessions. Honestly, we don’t know what to expect from the former Oakland A’s now that the team is transitioning to Sacramento for the 2025 season. Will Oakland fans keep traveling to Hohokam Park in 2025? Will there be replacement Sacramento or Las Vegas fans? See for yourself. Tickets here.
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