Mariners to open Minors Spring Training to fans

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Mariners announced on Friday that they will open their Spring Training facility at the Peoria Sports Complex to the public.

Fans will be able to access the back fields from 9 a.m. through 2 p.m. MST beginning Saturday and, as of now, through the end of Minor League Spring Training, which concludes on April 3.

Due to the ongoing lockout between MLB and the MLB Players Association, the club has not announced plans for big league camp, which is on hold through at least March 18, according to the latest Cactus League schedule.

While those on Seattle's 40-man roster won't be in Peoria for the immediate future, fans looking to get a glimpse at the stars of tomorrow will have plenty to watch. The Mariners boast the Majors' No. 2-ranked farm system, per MLB Pipeline, and many of their top prospects have already reported and are training on the back fields.

That list includes infielder Noelvi Marte, the 20-year-old slugger who is already wowing with towering home runs, catcher Harry Ford, the club's first-round pick from last year, and a star-studded cast of pitchers, including Emerson Hancock, Brandon Williamson and George Kirby, who is on a fast track to The Show.

The Mariners' Minor Leaguers will begin games against other clubs on March 16, and it's not yet clear if those will be open to the public and/or when tickets might go on sale. Most such games are played on back fields and not at each facility's main stadium, and it's likely that access and protocols will be left to be determined by each club.