2026 Cactus League season creates record $806.9 million in total economic activity

Spring training baseball in the Valley was as financially impactful as ever this year, as a study from Arizona State University revealed the 2026 Cactus League season produced $495.8 million for Arizona’s Gross Domestic Product and $806.9 million in total economic activity.

Those are the league’s highest marks since economic impact studies began tracking these numbers over two decades ago, according to the study by the Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

“We estimate that out-of-state visitors alone directly spent $374 million on lodging, in bars and restaurants, on retail and in-state transit and on other local forms of entertainment,” Dr. Anthony Evans, the study’s author, said in a news release. “Very few events deliver that amount of new dollars into the state’s economy.”

To compare, the 2023 Cactus League season generated $418.5 million in State GDP.

Attendance climbed for the fifth consecutive season in 2026, up to 1,753,849 (7,400 per game), even with record-breaking heat impacting the Valley. Teams moved several start times to combat the triple-digit weather. The temperature peaked at 105 degrees on Friday, March 20, which was the single busiest day at the ballparks with 78,638 fans.

Spring training visitors generated $43.9 million in taxes for Arizona, Maricopa County and local governments while creating 5,500 annual jobs. Their impact extended beyond the baseball field with car rentals, lodging and food.

“The numbers don’t lie: 2026 was another banner season for spring training in Arizona,” Cactus League executive director Bridget Binsbacher said.

“The Cactus League is a critical tourism driver for Arizona’s economy — an annual mega event that pours hundreds of millions into the state’s coffers and creates thousands of well-paying jobs,” Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said.

The financial upswing in spring training aligns with Major League Baseball as a whole, which has grown in popularly in recent seasons both nationally and internationally. Attendance grew for three straight years from 2023-25, the first time it had done so since 2007.

Sunday Night Baseball is having its most viewed season since 2007. The World Baseball Classic was a can’t-miss event this past spring. Viewership in Japan reached new highs last year, as did the league’s social media engagement.

But the near future of baseball and therefore spring training will come into question this winter. A lockout is expected to follow the expiration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement in December. Arguments over whether the sport needs a salary cap will headline what are already tense negotiations.

The first Cactus League games in 2027 are supposed to get underway on Friday, Feb. 19.

2026 Cactus League economic study by the numbers

• Researchers conducted face-to-face surveys with 3,999 out-of-state visitors at all 10 Cactus League ballparks.
• Six out of every 10 Cactus League attendees came from out of the state, and two of every three said spring training was their main reason for visiting Arizona.
• Just over 20% of visitors said they would travel to another part of Arizona during their trip, such as the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff or Sedona.
• The median Cactus League visiting party went to three games, stayed in Arizona for four nights and spent $385.71 daily.
• Visitors spent most money on accommodations ($158.1 million), followed by bars and restaurants ($119 million); retail and wholesale ($36.7 million); rental cars ($32.9 million) and game tickets ($29.8 million).
• The Chicago Cubs led the Cactus League in attendance for the 13th straight year with an average of 12,969 per game at Sloan Park.
• The Cactus League was founded in 1947 with two teams: Cleveland Indians and New York Giants. There are now 15 clubs involved, including the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Cubs and Padres.

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