Feb. 10—Baseball is nearly back to where it was before the pandemic began, and that is good news for the hundreds of businesses, their employees and the charities that support Spring Training in Arizona.

Last year was the first in four years that the Cactus League offered a full slate of Spring Training games. There are 15 Major League Baseball teams that train at 10 facilities across the Valley. The other 15 MLB teams prepare for the new season in Florida.

"Six of every 10 fans [attending the games] are from out of state," said Josh Coddington, director of communications and public information officer for the Arizona Office of Tourism.

Pitchers and catchers begin reporting for the 2024 season starting on Tuesday, Feb. 13. The first Cactus League game is scheduled for Feb. 22.

Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business performs a study each year determining the economic impact all those tourists have to the state's economy.

The Cactus League schedule was shortened from 2020 through 2022 because of the pandemic and a work stoppage. That cost the state millions of dollars.

ASU says the full 2023 season generated a $418.5 million toward the state's gross domestic product. It calculated the 2023 season added $710.2 million in economic activity.

Compare that to 2020, when the season was suspended on March 12 because of the pandemic. That year there was $363.6 million economic impact to the state and only $213.7 million generated toward the state's GDP.

The loss in revenues impacted hotels, restaurants, vendors and even the charitable groups that raise funds at the games to share with youth groups and other organizations.

"During the global pandemic of the past few years, the Scottsdale Charros never wavered from our mission: to support youth sports, education, and charitable causes in our community," Charros Executive Director Dennis Robbins said in a statement.

"Even as our primary fundraiser, Spring Training baseball, was canceled in 2020, limited to 25% capacity in 2021, and limited to only nine games in 2022 (56% of a typical season), the Charros maintained our level of funding to our community partners."

Six of the Cactus League teams are based in the East Valley.

The Anaheim Angels play at Tempe Diablo Stadium; the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium; the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies share Salt River Fields in Scottsdale; the Oakland A's at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa; and the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians all train in the West Valley.