How to Watch MLB Spring Training Games Live

It’s only spring training, but if you’re interested in watching the pre-season games, here’s how to watch some MLB spring training game on your computer or mobile device.

It seemed like only yesterday when the MLB season came to a close back in October, but it’s starting up once again, with pre-season spring training games officially starting today.

Spring training lasts about a month long, and it gives teams time to prepare by playing exhibition games against other preparing teams. This gives all teams the chance to fine-tune their rosters and improve any last-minute skillsets for players before the season officially gets under way.

Unfortunately, spring training games aren’t being televised on national TV, so you won’t catch the games on cable, but you can stream them live on your computer or mobile device using MLB.TV, which is the official service for streaming MLB games live.

Here’s how to watch your favorite team during spring training.

On Your Computer

MLB.TV is currently the only official way to watch spring training games, whether it’s on your computer or on a mobile device.

The service allows you to watch baseball games live on your computer, but you will need an MLB.TV subscription in order to stream games. The MLB.TV Premium package will get you full access to the MLB At Bat mobile app for free, as well as give you the option between home and away broadcast feeds. Plus, it’s only $20 more for the entire season compared to the non-Premium version, and you’ll be paying at least $110 anyway, so it’s a bargain upgrade.

You can also use the MLB.TV app on a variety of streaming devices, including the Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation or Roku, so that you can watch all the action on your television if you don’t want to deal with the smaller screen on your laptop.

On Your Mobile Device

MLB At Bat is an app that’s available for iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices, and it allows you to watch live baseball games right on your phone or tablet. The app itself is a free download, and a one-time $19.99 charge will get you access to all sorts of stats, highlights, replays and more during the entire season, including spring training. However, you’ll still need a separate susbcription to MLB.TV in order to stream games (Remember, MLB.TV Premium includes a free version of MLB At Bat).

MLB.TV and MLB At Bat won’t let you stream every game during spring training, as only a handful are available to watch. Today will have three games being streamed, while other days will have up to ten games available to watch live.

However, one big complaint with MLB.TV and MLB At Bat (as well as other live sports apps) is that there are blackout restrictions, meaning that if you live near the team you’re wanting to watch, you won’t be able to. This is to get more people to the stadium to watch the game, rather than just stay at home and watch it on the TV, and it also has to do with broadcast licensing rights and a whole bunch of other nonsense. It’s a clever move for the parties involved, but it’s really annoying for us fans.

There have been easy ways around blackout restrictions if you watch the games on your iOS or Android device, but the recent updates to MLB At Bat seem to block these methods, so your mileage may vary based on how you set up your VPN and what VPN service you use.