Blue Jays Unveil State-Of-Art Training Complex In Dunedin

DUNEDIN, FL — The Toronto Blue Jays are making themselves at home in their new, state-of-the-art Player Development Complex.

Sitting on a 65-acre site in Dunedin, the complex features six full fields, two half fields, 20 gang mounds, 12 covered batting cages, a 155- by 150-foot covered turf practice field and a 6.79-degree, 168-foot-long speed hill.

The site’s 115,000-square-foot building houses Major and Minor League Blue Jays for the first time.

In 2017, the Blue Jays and the city of Dunedin hammered out a deal for the MLB team to continue spring training and playing its home Grapefruit League games in Dunedin for the next 25 years provided the existing stadium at 373 Douglas Ave., which was built in 1990, be renovated and the team training facility at the Louis A. Vanech Recreation Complex be expanded and updated.

The bulk of funding for the $102 million ($96.6 million in construction costs) project came from Pinellas County tourist development tax money (about $42 million). The state kicked in another $14 million, the city of Dunedin contributed $5.66 million and the ball club invested more than $20 million.

When the ink on the 25-year lease was dry, the Blue Jays became the only Major League franchise to use the same spring training facility since its founding.

Key features of the new training facility include:

• Two floor indoor/outdoor weight room (totaling 22,539 square feet) with four garage doors that open to nearly 9,000 square feet of partly covered outdoor turf and a 3,400-square-foot second-floor cardio loft
• Equipped with more than 40,000 pounds of weighted accessories and barbells
• Major League clubhouse (3,750 square feet) with 72 custom, 8-foot-tall wood lockers
• Three Minor League locker rooms totaling 219 lockers
• Hydrotherapy room (2,495 square feet) with a 15- by 45-foot custom depth pool at 4, 5 and 6 feet plus two hot and two cold tubs at 4 feet deep
• Kitchen (2,436 square feet) and two dedicated Major/Minor League dining rooms totaling nearly 5,000 square feet
• Three sport science labs for applied research, movement and pitching
• Three discipline workrooms for hitting, pitching and base running/defense
• On-site barber shop, vendor room, Minor League player lounge and grab ‘n go fridges and nutrition stations throughout the complex

Jays fans in Dunedin were disappointed last year when the spring training games in the newly renovated stadium was cut short in March, shortly after they began due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year, however, the Blue Jays will be in Dunedin for an extended stay that includes at least seven regular-season games at the TD Ballpark.

"Like all Canadians, we had hoped to see improvements in the public health outlook as we neared the 2021 baseball season," said the Blue Jays management in a statement. "With the ongoing Canada-U.S. border closure, we have made the difficult decision to play the first two homestands of the 2021 regular season (through May 2) at TD Ballpark in Dunedin with the hopes of a return to play at Rogers Centre in Toronto as soon as possible."

The Toronto Blue Jays began 2021 Spring Training games Feb. 28, beating the New York Yankees 6-4 at Steinbrenner Field. They tied with the Pirates on Monday 2-2.

The Jays will face the Phillies at 1:07 p.m. Tuesday. See schedule.

The team is welcoming fans to TD Ballpark for Grapefruit League home games at 15 percent capacity with increased health and safety protocols. The renovated ballpark seats 8,500 fans.

Ticket purchasers will receive a guide with additional TD Ballpark health and safety protocols before each game; these include:

• Tickets sold in pods of two or four seats, spaced a minimum of 6 feet apart
• Face coverings required for entry; fans ages 2 and older are required to wear them in the ballpark, except when eating or drinking in their seats
• Mobile ticketing required for entry to limit touchpoints
• Symptom screening prior to entry
• Concession stands will feature social distance markers and prepackaged food and utensils
• Hand sanitizing stations available throughout the stadium
• No player autographs

See related stories:

• Toronto Blue Jays To Start 2021 MLB Season Based In Dunedin
• Blue Jays Celebrate Opening Of Renovated Stadium At Season Opener
• The Boys Are Back In Town: Spring Training Returns To Tampa Bay
• Blue Jays Return To Dunedin But Season A Bust For Businesses