I can't speak to the Cactus League, but the Grapefruit League Spring Training experience is definitely overrated. Between parking, tickets and concessions, it's way more money than you should spend for a product that's mostly a roster of non-roster invitees playing someone else's non-roster invitees. Autographs? Maybe some of the less-known guys might stop on their way to the bus, but none of the stars, especially the visitors.
If you've never come to Florida or Arizona, then by all means, do it once. But prepare to be gouged at every turn. Quaint little ballparks in sleepy little towns went the way of 50-cent gas.
There was a time when you could roll up to the ticket counter in Lakeland or Fort Lauderdale, grab two general admission tickets and be the youngest person in the stands by about 45 years. In fact, I used to play hooky one day each spring and make the drive from Gainesville to see exhibition baseball in person. But Yogi Berra was right. Nobody goes there any more because it's too crowded.
There's one guy in the RV park who has spring tickets to the Pirates -- and basically gives away his seats if he's got something else to do -- so we may see a game on his dime this month. But after getting soaked in the wallet at Joker Marchant pre-COVID, I vowed not to spend a nickel on any more fake baseball.
I usually throw a folding chair and a Coke Zero in the trunk of the car and drive over to Pirate City about noon, where there's either AAA/AA or Advanced A/Regular A games simulateously on two diamonds for no cost. The Tigers, Orioles, Phillies, Yankees and Blue Jays are close enough to bus their farm teams to Bradenton and back, while the Braves and Rays usually play the Twins and Red Sox.
The top prospects wind up there after the first couple weeks of games, so you're way more likely to spot Termarr Johnson or Paul Skenes getting in their reps. Plus, it smells like chalk dust, rubbing liniment, chewing tobacco and bubblegum.
Even then, there are some lowlifes with rookie trading cards in plastic sheets, running over each other in an effort to score signatures and ruining the games for the kids and used-to-be-kids who just want to watch baseball.
