NORTH PORT, Fla. — The excitement of Braves baseball is officially back.
As pitchers and catchers -- and a slew of position players -- reported for spring training in North Port, Florida, on Wednesday, Braves fans have baseball fever once again.
From new faces such as starting pitcher Chris Sale and left fielder Jarred Kelenic, to familiar ones such as MVP Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies, fans are buzzing about what is expected to be another electric season in Atlanta.
But before the Bravos head up north back to Atlanta in a little over a month, many Braves fans will be flocking south to Florida to take in the warm weather, hit the beach and most importantly -- watch some spring training action.
If you're heading down to North Port to catch a game, here's everything you need to know.
What to know for Braves spring training
Access to spring training workouts
Braves fans will have access to spring training workouts on the back fields beginning on Feb. 18 at 9 a.m. Fans can enter through Gate 3 or the Green Gate before those games on the back fields begin. If the Braves are playing a Grapefruit League game in CoolToday Park, then the Green Gate will be the only entry point to the back fields.
The first full-squad workout is on Feb. 20.
Braves spring training schedule
The Braves get the spring training party started at CoolToday Park on Sunday, Feb. 25, when they play the Boston Red Sox at 1:05 p.m.
Atlanta's first spring training game is a day before, on Saturday, Feb. 24, when they travel to Port Charlotte to play at the spring home of the Tampa Bay Rays. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m.
The Braves will play 16 spring training games at CoolToday Park -- including split-squad games.
Check out the full Braves spring training schedule here.
How to purchase Braves spring training tickets
If you want to go out for a game and enjoy the warm Florida weather, you can click the link here to buy Braves spring training tickets.
How to get to CoolToday Park + parking information
CoolToday Park is located on West Villages Parkway, past the US-41 intersection.
- Traveling I-75 South: Exit at River Road (Exit 191) heading west, turn at US-41 heading north, turn left at S. West Villages Parkway, stadium ahead 1 mile on left.
- Traveling US-41 South: Turn right at S. West Villages Parkway, stadium ahead 1 mile on left.
Parking:
General Parking is free for the 2024 spring training season. Parking during non-ticketed, non-event days is free in the paved parking lot located on the south side of the main stadium.
CoolToday Park provides the following parking map on its website:
What's new around CoolToday Park?
Downtown Wellen, a new dining, entertainment, shopping and outdoor recreation hotspot, is now open and is less than two miles from CoolToday Park.
The area offers food trucks, bike rentals, a Sunday farmers market, cornhole on Wednesday, morning yoga on the lawn on Saturdays, and a free weekly music series.
You can find different restaurants and activities to do in Downtown Wellen and Wellen Park by visiting their website here.