Everybody loves a rehearsal. Think about it—if you had the chance to practice how you might approach a tough conversation with a friend, an important meeting at work or any interaction in your life of relative importance before it happened—would you take it? In Major League Baseball, that sentiment rings true. The Major Leagues have held “rehearsals” for the regular season since the late 19th century, when clubs would travel to New Orleans and Hot Springs, Arkansas for functional training camps. It’s fitting then, that in Sarasota County, Florida’s Cultural Coast, MLB has hosted dress rehearsals for the regular season for over a century. Since joining the Grapefruit League in 1924, Sarasota County has hosted six teams in MLB’s annual Spring Training. Starting with the New York Giants at Payne Park, the Red Sox came south from 1933 to 1958, before the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds soon followed suit.

The creation of Ed Smith Stadium in 1989 paved the way for the next era of baseball, serving as a minor league site and starting in 2010, the Spring Training home of the Baltimore Orioles. A renovation in 2011 transformed Ed Smith Stadium into one of the more striking and architecturally iconic stadiums in all of Spring Training, be it Florida’s Grapefruit League or Arizona’s Cactus League. The spherical tan facade is topped with red-tiled roofing and wrought-iron gates, modeled after the turn of the century Spanish-colonial design that permeates buildings throughout Sarasota. For the club itself, 2026 marked the start of new beginnings. After a disappointing 2025 season in which Baltimore finished last in the American League East, missing the playoffs, change was on the horizon. A new manager, Craig Albernaz, took over the reins hoping to breathe new life into the team. Five-time MLB All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso signed with the Orioles in free agency, his five-year, $155 million contract the second largest in club history. The organization also refurbished Ed Smith Stadium and the ensuing training facilities. Ahead of Spring Training, the Orioles installed a multi-million dollar Player Development Complex at Ed Smith Stadium. The 47,700 square foot facility, featuring The Aviary, a hitting facility connected to a biomechanics lab; a revamped pitching area also connected to a biomechanics lab; 33,430 square foot outdoor agility area and more, set the tone for a promising spring.

Thirty miles south of Ed Smith Stadium lies CoolToday Park, a glimmering monolith of glass, steel and contemporary design. The Spring Training home of the Atlanta Braves since 2019, CoolToday Park is the newest stadium in the Grapefruit League. With design cues from other area stadiums like Bradenton’s historic LECOM Park and Clearwater’s BayCare Ballpark, CoolToday Park pays homage to Sarasota’s rich history of professional baseball, while retaining the same feel as that of a Major League stadium.  For the Atlanta Braves, this past spring also marked new beginnings for the franchise. In recent history, the Braves have been one of the most dominant teams in the sport, racking up six straight National League East division titles from 2018-2023, including a World Series title in 2021. 2025 was an aberration, with the team finishing fourth in the division, its first losing season since 2017. While the team’s core,  with starting pitchers Chris Sale and Spencer Strider, and All-Star position players such as Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies, remained intact, other changes occurred in the offseason. Longtime manager Brian Snitker stepped down and was replaced by former bench coach Walt Weiss. The team signed outfielder Mike Yazstremski and reliever Robert Suarez to multi-year deals and retained shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and closer Raisel Iglesias in free-agency. As of early August, the Braves have been one of the best teams in all of baseball. Each spring marks the start of something new, a chance to try again. In Sarasota County, it means continuing an indelible part of America’s pastime, with each inning of every game marked down, forever etched into the history books. —D.Campbell  Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th St, Sarasota, 941-893-6300. CoolToday Park, 18800 W Villages Pkwy, Venice, 941-413-5000