SWFL celebrates 100 years of hosting MLB spring training

Author: David Dorsey, Gulfshore Business
Published: Updated:

When the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays report to work mid-February, they begin six weeks of practices and Grapefruit League games, honing their skills and preparing for Major League Baseball’s regular season. As the 2025 season nears, so does the 100th anniversary of Southwest Florida’s spring training tradition.

The exhibition games, which quickly began boosting the surrounding area’s retail and restaurant businesses, started in 1925. That economic engine since has grown, as has the area surrounding the baseball parks.

In Lee County alone, spring training travelers spend about $69 million per year while visiting, according to a 2018 report by research firm DPA, which is the most recent research conducted for the county. Adjusted for inflation, that amount could be closer to $87 million in today’s dollars. It breaks down to about $15.2 million spent in the ballpark and about $71.4 million spent at area shops and restaurants.

To read more at Gulfshore Business, click here.

Copyright ©2025 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.