spring training

American  

noun

1. a program of physical exercise, practice, and exhibition games followed by a baseball team in the late winter and early spring, before the start of the regular season.

2. the period during which such a program takes place, usually from the beginning of March until the middle of April.

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Etymology

Origin of spring training

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

And by the time he arrived at spring training, he had emerged as the sport’s consensus No. 1 prospect.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Days before spring training, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The longer window likely means China’s military is “giving itself scheduling flexibility” for spring training, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Mangum reported to spring training and learned that he had shrunk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Merkle and I worked out a play during the spring training season in 1911 which caught perhaps a dozen men off first base before the other teams began to watch for the trick.

From Pitching in a Pinch or, Baseball from the Inside by Mathewson, Christy