Mets Announce Revised Spring Training Schedule
A scaled-back schedule, COVID-19 precautions throughout Clover Park and an 80% reduction in available seats will put a different face on this year’s spring training, the New York Mets announced Friday.
The Mets will open a 24-game spring training season March 1 against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, and play their home opener March 2 against the Houston Astros at Clover Park.
The Mets’ shortened Grapefruit League season will consist of six games each against the Marlins, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and Astros.
The spring training season originally was to begin Feb. 27.
Mets pitchers and catchers are to report for spring training Wednesday, according to team’s website.
Fans will not be allowed to attend practices because of COVID-19, but Mets officials would not say if fans would be permitted to wait outside gates and the players’ parking lot for autographs.
Once games begin, only about 1,400 tickets per game — about 20% of Clover Park capacity — will be sold, according to the Mets.
Major League Baseball also has new rules in place for spring training 2021:
Games until March 13 may be shortened to five or seven innings if agreed upon by both managers. The completion of innings will not be required if a pitcher has thrown at least 20 pitches. And pitchers will be permitted to re-enter games after being removed.
The regular season starts April 1. Most of the regular-season rules from last season remain in place, including seven-inning doubleheaders and runners on second base to start extra innings. The exception is the designated hitter, which will go back to being used only in the American League.
To address COVID-19, Clover Park will follow health and safety guidelines from MLB, the St. Lucie County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mets said in a news release. Fans will be required to wear masks except when they are eating or drinking at their seats.
Concession stands will offer touchless payments.
St. Lucie County spent approximately $2,625 for 16 hand-sanitizing stations — 12 inside the stadium and four in the backfields.
Single-game ticket sales for spring training season-ticket holders begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Single-game ticket sales for New York Mets season-ticket holders and St. Lucie Mets season-ticket holders begins at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Single-game tickets for the general public go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 20.
When purchasing a pod of seats, all seats in the designated area must be purchased together, according to the news release. All tickets must be purchased online at mets.com/springtraining. Ticket prices range from $15-$35.
Tim Tebow has been invited to big league spring training by the New York Mets, taking one of 75 spots after Major League Baseball limited spring roster sizes as a coronavirus precaution.
The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner returned to baseball in 2016 for the first time since his junior year of high school and played 77 games at Triple-A in 2019 before the pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor league season.
A lefty-hitting outfielder, the 33-year-old Tebow batted .163 with four homers and 19 RBIs two years ago with Syracuse. He’s been invited to major league spring training each of the past four years and has hit .151 in 34 games, connecting for his first and only homer last spring before camps were closed.
