When fans think of the home of the New York Mets, Citi Field may come to mind first. But for a little more than a month each year, the Mets home is Clover Park, and the surrounding training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

The official opening day for the Mets is March 28, but fans are getting a taste of spring and their favorite team in this east coast Florida town during the team’s spring training.

What You Need To Know

  • The Mets and Yankees are at spring training in Florida as they prepare for the 2024 baseball season

  • The Mets train in Port St. Lucie on Florida's east coast while the Yankees are on the west coast in Tampa

  • Both teams start the regular season on March 28. The Mets are home at Citi Field and the Yankees in Houston

  • The Yankees home opener is on April 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Bronx

Manhattan resident Ian Albin was visiting with his kids Sophie and Josh, and friends Eric and Eli Rosenstock.

“Last week we all decided to come down to Florida kind of separately and then we said, ‘oh the Mets are only within an hour of where we are staying, maybe we drive up to Port St. Lucie and check it out,’” Albin said, who is a lifelong Mets fan.  

Fans have the opportunity to get up close and personal with their favorite players preparing for the new season.

Among the visitors were members of the Stuyvesant and Brooklyn Tech High School baseball teams, who are in Florida for their own spring workouts.  

“Especially the ones that are Met fans — this is really a big deal for them. We try to do this every year for the kids, and they just love it. It’s a good memory,” Stuyvesant High School Varsity Coach John Carlesi said.

It’s an opportunity for the high schoolers to see the big leaguers train just like they do.    

“It’s the little things, like preparing before the at bat, watching the cadence and the rhythm of a pitcher, mentally getting ready before you step in the batter’s box,” Joe Nardiello, varsity coach at Brooklyn Tech High School, said.

For other fans, it’s all about hanging out in the sunshine, and getting some quality time with their beloved baseball team from Queens.

“I love this. I love this more than going to the games — watching them work out, it’s just great. Get up close, love it,” Gail Vriesema, a Mets fan who splits her time between Florida and the Hudson Valley, said.

Andrew Dorata and his family recently moved from New York to Florida, so having the Mets around is a little piece of home for them.  

“To bring my kids here, it’s their first spring training experience, it’s absolutely something we were looking forward to,” Dorata said.  

While also looking forward to a new season, with hopes it will be a good one.