Houston Astros: Selling Spring Training Tickets to select group

The Houston Astros are selling limited, socially distanced Spring Training tickets, as the MLB season is expected to start on time.

On Monday, Chandler Rome reported that the Houston Astros are expecting fans at their Spring Training facilities in West Palm Beach, Fla., for the 2021 Grapefruit League season. Pitchers and catchers are in line to report to the facilities in 14 days. Along with Spring Training, the MLBPA denied MLB’s proposal for a late start leading to the season starting on time.

The Grapefruit League hasn’t released any concerns with the upcoming season unlike the Cactus League in Arizona. The Cactus League called for a delayed start to Spring Training a few days ago due to the climbing numbers of COVID-19 cases. Amidst the pandemic, the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches is providing an exclusive pre-sale to a certain group of fans at the moment. The ticket packages vary from one to six person pods that cannot be split; meaning the tickets cannot be sold or forwarded to unknown parties. Along with socially distanced pods, fans will have to wear masks and won’t be allowed to walk around the facilities where the players practice like in years past.

The limited capacity total is around 20% at the moment of the 6,500 fixed seats in the stadium. The Washington Nationals also call the stadium home, and the stadium’s website provides a schedule for both team’s home games. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who play 15 minutes away in Jupiter, have also announced they are selling tickets.

2020 Spring Training was cut short due to the spread of COVID-19, but the 2021 season is looking to start on time. The Astros are expected to evaluate the status of many players including the minor league signings of outfielders Jose Siri and Steven Souza. The two are trying to make a case for the major league roster, so in the end even with or without fans, a full Spring Training is beneficial to the ball club.