An Enormous New Addition to Phillies Spring Training Stadium

BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater is one of the most, if not the most vibrant, scenic and well-maintained spring training stadiums in all of Florida.

It's especially noticeable when you travel to some other parks around the Grapefruit League, such as LECOM Park in Bradenton (Pirates), Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland (Tigers) or Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota (Orioles). They're each classic spring training ballparks, they just don't quite offer the modern vibe of the Phillies' complex.

And the Phils' spring home has a monstrous addition for 2026: a new, 3,200-square-foot LED videoboard revealed Thursday that measures 75.5 feet wide by 42 feet tall.

To put the size in perspective, the Phillies' videoboard at much larger Citizens Bank Park is 152 feet wide and 86 feet tall.

BayCare Ballpark opened in 2004 but the Phillies have been in Clearwater dating all the way back to 1947, making it the second-longest marriage between MLB team and spring training home in all of baseball.

Other additions this year

Other additions for 2026 include:

• A new playground past left field for kids ages 2-12.

• An updated Wall of Fame honoring Phillies greats who began their careers with Single A Clearwater.

• New food options, including Jersey Mike's, Colbie's Southern Kissed Chicken, Pit + Plank and Zac's Burgers, which was voted the "Best Burger in Delaware County."

• A new 4-wheeler for the Phanatic, who is usually as popular in spring training as any player.

The schedule

The Phillies' first home spring game is against the Pirates at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday, the day after their Grapefruit League opener vs. the Blue Jays in nearby Dunedin.

The Phils will play 30 Grapefruit League games, 16 of them at home. Of those 30 games, 17 will be televised, beginning with Saturday's road tilt with Toronto.

The WBC

The Phillies have two days off once the schedule begins: March 2 and March 11.

During that period, they'll have a dozen players — Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brad Keller, Jose Alvarado, Cristopher Sanchez, Johan Rojas, Edmundo Sosa, Aaron Nola, Dante Nori, Taijuan Walker, Garrett Stubbs and Max Lazar — leave camp to participate in the World Baseball Classic, which begins March 6 in Miami, Houston and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Players are expected to depart around March 1 for the WBC, although the ones headed to Miami (Alvarado, Sanchez, Rojas, Stubbs and Lazar) may stick around for an extra day or two.

One Phillie who won't be headed to the World Baseball Classic is Trea Turner, who led Team USA with five home runs and 11 RBI in 2023 when the club made it to the Final and lost to Japan. Turner told reporters last week that his "phone never rang" with an invite to return. The U.S. is rolling with 25-year-old superstar Bobby Witt Jr. and Orioles 24-year-old star Gunnar Henderson at short.

It's a bit of a surprise given Turner won the National League batting title last season while also grading out as the fastest player in baseball, but it's also not the worst thing to keep him in Clearwater for the extra week to 10 days.