This metro Phoenix city saw highest spring training attendance in 10 years

More than 100,000 baseball fans flocked to Tempe Diablo Stadium, setting the best attendance for spring training in over a decade, officials said.

The 2023 spring training season was also the first full season since the start of the pandemic, seeing more than 1.6 million fans attend Cactus League games for 15 different teams. For the Shohei Ohtani-led Los Angeles Angels, more than 109,000 fans attended.

This s season also had the highest average attendance since 2012, with about 7,000 fans attending Cactus League games. Tempe’s only stadium hosting Cactus League play is the Diablo Stadium, home of the Angels for more than 30 years.

Mayor Corey Woods touted the success of this year’s season and highlighted the economic impacts of the high attendance numbers.

“To have spring training right here in our backyard is such a tremendous benefit, not only for the locals who live here but also for the folks who get to experience Tempe as visitors,” Woods said in a prepared statement. “And these travelers aren’t just attending games – they are also dining in local restaurants, staying in our hotels and spending dollars that get invested right back into our city.”

Tempe is contracted to host the Angels through at least 2035. Part of the deal includes renovations, such as a new clubhouse, outfield concourse and additional seating.