“Why train alone when you could be playing actual games?”
The California Winter League is where free agent players come to get signed before the start of professional spring training. Players work directly with MLB scouts and independent league managers for a month in Palm Springs, CA. The goal of the CWL is to get players signed to professional contracts before spring training begins and help them develop before they report to their pro teams. Over the last 16 years, the CWL has seen over 900 pro contracts offered to its players. Whether you are a professional player looking to get a jump on the competition before reporting to spring training or you are right out of college and looking to jump start your professional career, the CWL will help you GET BETTER AND GET SIGNED!
If you are looking for a league to play in this winter that will GET YOU SIGNED, the California Winter League (CWL) is the place for you! The 2027 CWL will take place from January 11th – February 8th in Palm Springs, CA!
CWL Informational Videos:
Professional Instructors and Scouts
CWL instructors are not only highly qualified with years of experience to help make each player better, but every single one comes to the CWL with the ability and eagerness to sign players from the league to their respective organizations. Most importantly, every CWL manager and coach has the ability to sign players for whichever organization they represent. Many other leagues, camps, and events may have qualified and experienced instructors, but the CWL is the only league of its kind where every manager and coach can sign players directly!
Each year, the CWL has instructors and coaches from the following Independent Professional Baseball Leagues: Frontier League (MLB Partner), Pioneer League (MLB Partner) American Association (MLB Partner), Atlantic League (MLB Partner), and the United Shores Professional Baseball League; all of whom come with contracts in hand ready to sign players who stand out.
In addition to instructors, the CWL features MLB pro scouts from various organizations who routinely check out the talent at the CWL. In total, 17 MLB organizations have signed CWL players, with CWL players currently playing at all levels of professional baseball, including the Major Leagues.
Professional Instructors and Scouts
 Clemens interacts with California Winter League players |
 Hall of Famer, Johnny Bench, giving CWL players hitting tips |
 10-time All Star and former NL MVP, Steve Garvey, speaking to CWL players |
 Tommy John speaking to CWL players about pitching |
Professional Opportunities
For players who have been overlooked in the draft or with independent professional teams, the best opportunities are here at the California Winter League to improve themselves, showcase their abilities, and GET SIGNED.
The CWL takes place at the best time of year for free agent players to get signed to independent and MLB affiliated minor league contracts. Here’s a breakdown:
September – October: Minor league seasons have just ended, and organizations begin to make internal decisions on which personnel may or may not be retained, including on-field managers and coaches and front office members. After that, teams decide whether or not to exercise any contract options for players already on the roster.
November – December: Player options are either exercised or declined and rosters begin to take shape for the following season. League schedules are also announced during this time and teams begin to set their budgets as salary caps and uniform league contracts (including rookie minimums and salary maximums) are finalized.
January – February: With options exercised or declined, budgets in place, and league contracts available to be distributed, teams begin to fill out the remaining spots on their rosters with many looking to the CWL to provide the best platform for player evaluation, which is live games for a month straight while living and developing in a true professional minor league environment! Many players opt to train indoors during this time at facilities instead of getting in front of talent evaluators in a truly competitive format, and while they may further develop their skills, they miss out on valuable evaluation and playing time which are usually the most important factors when trying to get signed.
March – May: League tryouts take place. These are the big, 300-400 player tryouts where players are given a very narrow window to showcase their abilities. Many players who get signed at these types of tryouts have an outstanding playing pedigree (Division I, pro experience, etc) and many others already got themselves on the radar at the CWL. While these events do offer exposure in multi-day formats, there are no guarantees and players must impress immediately with 6-8 swings off of a pitching machine or 20-25 pitches in a short bullpen. With pitchers and hitters usually doing drills all at the same time, teams must divide and conquer and it is impossible to see every single player. Therefore, many good players are overlooked in this format. We do recommend the Frontier League tryout if you are unable to play in the CWL.
In seventeen seasons, the CWL has helped 950+ players that have joined the CWL get professional playing opportunities.
In addition, the CWL and the longest running independent league, the Frontier League, entered an agreement naming the CWL as the Official Winter League of the Frontier League. Frontier League teams will be looking to sign players exclusively from the CWL instead of other winter leagues. Since 2015, every Frontier League team has guaranteed a spring training roster spot for a CWL player, however they have always gone above and beyond this agreement, typically signing 30+ CWL players before spring training begins. In addition, CWL players do not count against Frontier League spring training roster limits. CWL players also cannot be cut from Frontier League rosters before spring training, meaning there is no fear of losing your spot before spring training begins. Players are paid for spring training in the Frontier League.
Over the past few years, several players have moved from the CWL to the Frontier League and on to MLB affiliated baseball including Kevin Lenik (Royals), Luke Barker (Brewers), Mickey Janis (Mets), Jarrett Martin (Giants, A’s, Rangers), Danny Hoy (Mets), and Michael Stryffeler (Mariners, Giants). The CWL and the Frontier League have extended their agreement through 2026 and hope to continue to help aspiring professional baseball players achieve their goals and dreams. For info on recent CWL players who have signed professional contracts, click here.
Player Amenities
The CWL offers all of this plus amenities in the beautiful city of Palm Springs.
The beautiful Mt. San Jacinto, home of the famous aerial tramway.
Palm Springs is located in the Coachella Valley and has the perfect climate for baseball. Palm Springs is a destination city and the area hosts Coachella, Stagecoach, Splash House, and many other marquee events every year that see hundreds of thousands of people travel from all over the world to the city. It is consistently in the mid-70s and it rarely rains, so the CWL offers the best venue for preventing game cancellations due to weather as well as the best experience playing baseball anywhere in the world in the winter time.
Players have the option to stay on their own or at the upscale Palm Canyon Resort, a Hilton Grand Vacations property, which offers elegantly-furnished villas with fully-equipped kitchens, private patios or balconies, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a pool and spa.
Palm Canyon Resort
Every game at Palm Springs Stadium will be broadcast live on the Bally’s Sports Live app so friends and families will be able to see every pitch and every swing live from Palm Springs Stadium!
Broadcasters calling games and tracking advanced player statistics.
Other amenities include a membership to the newly renovated Eos Fitness, shuttle transportation to and from the league hotels, stadium, and gym as well as local and national media coverage and exposure.
Full gym membership to EOS Fitness included.