What to know about Padres Spring Training

February 7th, 2023

SAN DIEGO -- "Once you get a taste of playoff baseball," said Padres right-hander , "it changes the game."

Indeed, the Padres will report to Spring Training in Peoria, Ariz., next week with sky-high expectations, coming off their first trip to the National League Championship Series in 24 years. On top of that, they're welcoming into the fold, and they're welcoming back.

It figures to be an eventful spring at the Peoria Sports Complex. Here's everything you need to know about Padres Spring Training:

When do players report?
This year, report dates are a bit disjointed, because of the presence of the World Baseball Classic in the middle of the Spring Training calendar.

Pitchers and catchers participating in the Classic will report on Feb. 13, two days before the rest of the team's pitchers and catchers must report. Position players in the World Baseball Classic must report by Feb. 16, with non-Classic position players set to report on Feb. 20. Many players, however, will report long before these mandatory dates.

When is the first full-squad workout?
Feb. 21, one day after all parties have reported.

When do Cactus League games begin?
The Padres' Spring Training slate gets underway a day before most of the rest of the league. They face the Mariners on Feb. 24 at Peoria Stadium in the annual charity game between the two teams, who share the sports complex.

What does the schedule look like?
San Diego has a pair of off-days on March 14 and 20, but the club is otherwise slated to play every day through March 27, when it breaks camp following its Cactus League finale (also against Seattle).

Some highlights from the spring slate: The Padres host the Dodgers on Feb. 27, then travel to Camelback Ranch for a rematch on March 6. On March 21, they host the Rockies -- their Opening Day opponent nine days later.

Can fans attend workouts?
Yes. The Padres typically begin their workouts around 9:30-10 a.m. MST on days when they’re scheduled to play in the afternoon.

Which players will participate in the World Baseball Classic?
With a roster full of global superstars, the Padres have quite a few. As of now, here's the list of players participating:

Japan:
Korea:
Colombia:
Netherlands:
Dominican Republic: , , and Luis García

How does that affect Padres Spring Training?
Not much, aside from the obvious -- those players won't be around for a sizeable chunk of camp. But they are also mostly established veterans, for whom six weeks of Spring Training isn't entirely necessary.

So, how does the team make up for their absence?
"We'll probably be using some guys in development, guys in the Minor Leagues more so," said manager Bob Melvin. "Which is a good thing for them. It gives them an opportunity for a big league staff to see them. ... It gives some kids in the Minor Leagues an opportunity to play some big league Spring Training games."

When is Opening Day?
March 30, against the Rockies, at 1:10 p.m. -- the start of a four-game series at Petco Park to open the season. The place will be rocking.