How to Watch Batting Practice at Petco Park [San Diego Padres]


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Watching Padres batting practice can be a fun way for fans to interact with players and if you lucky maybe get their autographs. Not only that, you will have the opportunity to collect a baseball souvenir from foul balls and home runs during batting practice. But what about San Diego Padres games at Petco Park? Can you watch batting practice at Petco Park?

Yes, you can watch batting practice at Petco Park, although it’s worth noting that batting practice begins prior to the stadium gates opening, so fans will only be able to see part of batting practice. The official time that San Diego Padres batting practice is held can change, but in general, you can expect batting practice to begin roughly two and a half hours before game time. Typically, batting practice lasts 45-50 minutes per team.

The Padres will take batting practice first, since they are the home team. After that, the visiting team will take their batting practice. The length of batting practice can fluctuate day-to-day, but most teams stick to normal routines as much as possible.

Petco Park gates open 90 minutes prior to game time for non season ticket holders. For season ticket holders, Petco Park gates open 2 hours before game time. The Padres will take batting practice first. The road team will begin batting practice after the Padres are finished.

To see the official batting practice times, you can visit the Padres information guide.

Although batting practice is usually held, it is worth noting that there can be occasional exceptions due to weather or other circumstances (batting practice is usually not held on Sundays). Batting practice time is at the manager’s discretion, but as I mentioned earlier, most teams stick to normal routines as much as possible.

San Diego Padres Batting Practice Time

Can You Watch Batting Practice at Petco Park?

Yes, you can watch batting practice at Petco Park. As we discussed above, the official time that San Diego Padres batting practice is held can change, but in general, you can expect batting practice to begin roughly 2 to 2.5 hours before game time.

The San Diego Padres will take batting practice first, since they are the home team. After that, the visiting team will take their batting practice. The length of batting practice can fluctuate day-to-day, but batting practice usually lasts 45-50 minutes per team.

Petco Park gates open 90 minutes prior to game time for non season ticket holders and 2 hours before game time for season ticket holders. Padres batting practice may already be underway with some players finished when most fans are able to start watching. The road team will begin batting practice after the Padres are finished.

The main takeaway is that even though, yes, fans are allowed to enter the stadium early to watch batting practice at Petco Park, because the gates only open 90 minutes before first pitch for most fans, the Padres will often be underway and possibly some Padres players may be done. The road team will then take batting practice after the Padres.

You can check out the Padres information guide to look for specific batting practice times.

What Time do Gates Open for Batting Practice?

As we discussed above, Petco Park gates open 90 minutes prior to game time for non season ticket holders and 2 hours prior to game time for season ticket holders. It is worth noting that gate times are always subject to change, but most teams stick to normal gate times as much as possible.

After the Padres complete their portion of batting practice, the road team will take the field and hold batting practice. For more information on stadium gates, visit our Petco Park Gate & Parking Guide.

Do You Need a Ticket for Batting Practice?

You will, of course, need a game ticket to be able to enter Petco Park and watch batting practice, but you don’t need an additional ticket to be able to watch batting practice.

If you need tickets for an upcoming San Diego Padres game, you can read more by visiting our article that discusses buying tickets at Petco Park. If you are looking for more options for getting tickets, check out our article on Best Places to Find Padres Tickets.


Other Things to do Besides Watching Batting Practice at Petco Park

When heading to the game, you may want to go early or hang out in the San Diego area after the game. Here are a couple popular attractions near Petco Park that we think you might enjoy.

Park at the Park is great for fans who are bringing their young children with them. This three-acre park is located directly North of the stadium and has several picnic tables for relaxing. It also has a little league baseball field where kids can play ball and run off some of their energy before sitting through the game.

Beer Alley is a fan favorite for many fans going to Petco Park due to its vast array of craft beers you likely won’t find in any other baseball stadium. Petco Park provides a space for local breweries to offer their best beverages, from sours to pale ales to lagers and more. If you like tasting unique beer, you will surely enjoy Beer Alley.

Embarcadero Marina Park is perfect if you’re looking for a place to get some quiet time and relaxation. This park is southwest of the stadium located in San Diego Bay. Here, you can walk in the grass or sand, bask in the sunshine, and watch the vast array of boats and other water vessels float in and out of the bay.

Also, going to a game isn’t complete without buying a jersey from your local team. If you are wanting to get a jersey of you favorite current or past Padres player, I would encourage you to check out our Authentic Padres Jersey article.

San Diego Padres Contact Info

This website (sportsfanfocus.com) has no affiliation with Petco Park, the San Diego Padres, MLB, or any of the events hosted at this facility.

Any information is provided “as is” with no guarantee of completeness, meaning much of this information is subject to change, and although we do our best to keep these guides updated, we can’t guarantee accuracy at all times. For all official information, we urge you to contact the San Diego Padres staff. Contact information is below:

Joshua Lloyd

Joshua is lead content creator for basketball and golf at Sports Fan Focus. Golf is a passion of his and he enjoys both playing and watching golf in his spare time. To read more about Joshua, visit the SFF About Us page.

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