Okay. I’ll give you that this one is waaay beyond San Diego, but if you’re a Padres fan, you may want to consider checking out a Padres spring training game at the Peoria Sports Complex outside of Phoenix, Arizona. I went to the Padres’ first spring training game on Friday where they took on the Seattle Mariners.

Game time was at 1:10 p.m., MST, so I departed San Diego at 4:50 a.m., PST (Ugh!) to allow enough time to get there for the free parking and to account for the time zone change as you head into Arizona.¹ I arrived in the parking lot at 11:30 a.m., MST, and the parking lot was about a third full at that point.

The stadium was already open to guests which allowed me to wander around a bit to find my seat and check out the food vendors.

As far as food vendors were concerned, you had your standard, built-in hot dog stands plus there were a number of local food vendors with their pop-up tents selling a variety of different things. As with most sporting events, prices are higher than on the outside of the venue. I simple hot dog and soda set me back $14.

Because it’s such a small venue, you’re really close to the action no matter where you sit. (Lots of foul balls landed in the stands despite the protective netting.) I was in Section 212, Row LL, Seat 22 which was under the overhang and in shade the entire game. I believe that seats from behind home plate (Section 200) to along the first base side (to Section 214) will avoid the blazing Arizona sun for most of the game. Any seats in the 100 sections, and you’re going to need a 55-gallon drum of sunscreen.

This was my first time at a spring training game, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. There certainly were a lot of substitutions, as both teams gave as many players possible a chance to play during the game. At one point, about mid-game, you’d see about ten players just head back to the locker room knowing they had had their turn. The only big-name player from last season that I recognized was Manny Machado, and he hit a 2-run homerun off his first pitch in the bottom of the first inning which was quite exciting. The Padres prevailed over the Mariners, 5-2.

Having traveled all that distance for a game, I did stick around overnight and went to see my hometown Chicago teams—the White Sox and Cubs—play against each other on Saturday at Sloan Field (a very different experience from Peoria Sports Complex).

Yes, making the trip is an expensive proposition, but if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Padres fan, it may be worth the experience for you.

Explore San Diego and beyond.

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¹ – Daylight Saving Time starts on 9 March, so California and Arizona will be on the same time after that.

What You Need to Know

Location:	16101 N 83rd Ave, Peoria, AZ 85382
Transit:	Bus 83
Hours:	Varies by game time
Phone:	(623) 773-8700
Website:	https://www.peoriasportscomplex.com/
Cost:	Parking: FREE Game Tickets: $25 – $47 (plus a $6.00 “per ticket service charge” and a $3.25 “order fee.” Hot dog and a soda: $14
Tips:	Parking was about one-third full by 11:30. The venue is a cashless venue. To stay in shade most of the game, look at the even sections from 200 to 214. Any 100 sections will be in full sun.
Date Visited:	21 February 2025