Sloan Park - Mesa Solar Sox
- Meg Minard
- Oct 20
- 6 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Photos by Meg Minard , Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Sloan Park 2330 W Rio Salado Pkwy Mesa, AZ 85201
Year Opened: 2014 Capacity: 15,000
Solar Sox at Sloan
The Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League (AFL) play their home games at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. The AFL is a developmental league designed to provide some of the top prospects of Major League Baseball with additional instruction and playing time. Games are held at various spring training complexes throughout the Greater Phoenix area, and the season runs from March to April, with a brief period in May.
For the 2025 season, the Mesa Solar Sox roster features rookies from five MLB organizations: the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Yankees.
The franchise began in 1992 (the AFL’s inaugural year) as the Sun Cities Solar Sox, playing their first two seasons at Sun City Stadium. In 1994, they relocated to the newly opened Peoria Sports Complex, where they remained through 1996. From 1997 to 2013, the team played at HoHoKam Stadium, and in 1999, they adopted the name Mesa Solar Sox to reflect their home city. Since 2014, Sloan Park has served as their home field.
Sloan Park is best known as the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs. Owned by the City of Mesa, the stadium is named after the Sloan Valve Company, an Illinois-based global leader in water-efficient technologies.
The Solar Sox have claimed the AFL Championship title six times, most recently in 2021.
Food & Beverage 3
During Arizona Fall League games at Sloan Park, one concession stand is typically open, offering a modest but satisfying selection of food and snacks at standard AFL prices. Hot items include chicken tender baskets (generous enough for two), hot dogs, cheeseburgers, fries, and nachos, ranging from $6 to $15. Snack options - priced between $4 and $9 - feature peanuts, popcorn, pretzels, chips, soft-serve ice cream pouches, and candy.
Bottled beverages include Coca-Cola products at $6 and water priced between $5 and $6. The stand also offers a wide variety of canned beers, wine, cocktails, and seltzers, typically priced from $9 to $12. Fans are welcome to bring their own snacks and bottled water into the stadium.
Atmosphere 3
Most seats at Sloan Park offer shade, which is especially welcome for 1:30 p.m. start times. Seating is general admission, so fans can choose their preferred spot - easy to do with crowds typically under 1,000 for Fall League games.
The inner concourse is wide open, allowing fans to watch the action from anywhere. During lightly attended games, it’s common to see parents and kids tossing a ball along the walkway.
Protective netting of medium thickness extends to the foul poles, meaning no seating area offers a net-free view. Only the lower bowl is open for Fall League games; the upper level houses the press box, announcer booth, and suites.
Seating consists of traditional green fold-down stadium chairs with comfortable width, decent legroom, and cup holders. Unfortunately, the cushioned fold-down chairs once placed along the top row are no longer available—a small letdown for returning fans. The grassy berms and outfield seating areas in left and right field are also closed during Solar Sox games.
Music is minimal, played only before the game and between innings, making for a refreshingly quiet atmosphere. A Solar Sox game is ideal for fans who come to watch baseball and scout future talent, without the extraneous fanfare typical of MiLB or MLB events.
The Arizona Fall League promotes a ‘Sunday Funday’ where kids get to run the bases after the game. On occasion, Mesa’s mayor throws out the first pitch.
Neighborhood 4
About a mile northeast of Sloan Park is the Mesa Riverview Shopping Center. This center contains several places to eat, a movie theater, and many stores, including a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. Restaurants include Cracker Barrel, Famous Dave’s BBQ, Henhouse Café (good for breakfast), Copper State Taphouse, and plenty more.
A little over a mile west of Sloan Park (make a right on Rio Salado Parkway out of the ballpark) is the Tempe Marketplace, an even larger shopping area. This contains 26 restaurants/places to eat at, including the Thirsty Lion and King's Fish House, a multitude of shops, and another movie theater. If shopping is your thing, this might be the place to go.
For places to stay near the ballpark, the Sheraton Mesa Hotel at Wrigleyville West and a Courtyard by Marriott are just beyond right field. The Hyatt Place Phoenix/Mesa is adjacent to the Mesa Riverview Shopping Center (about 1.2 miles from the ballpark). A Hilton Garden Inn and a Homewood Suites are a mile the other way (west) of the ballpark. Hotel rooms in the area are about 1/3 the price for Fall League games as compared to spring training games.
Adjacent to the ballpark is Riverview Park, which offers a fishing lake, playground, picnic area, and water fountains to enjoy pre- or post-game.
For other sports in the area, visit the other two East Valley Fall League Stadiums: Scottsdale Stadium and Salt River Field. ASU (Arizona State University) football, basketball, or soccer games are about three miles from the ballpark. Or sports fans can go downtown Phoenix and see an early-season Suns game.
Fans 3
Fans who attend AFL games are the fans who like baseball for the game, not ‘the event.’ Day games tend to draw retired fans, plenty of scouts, and a lot of autograph hounds with their binders, player cards, balls, and Sharpies. During the weekday afternoon games, expect minimal children. A few more families are at the evening and weekend games.
Since most fans have a common interest in baseball, expect to meet, share stories, and make friends with those who sit around you. The fans cheer for all the good plays regardless of the team or player.
Access 4
If flying in for a Mesa Solar Sox AFL game, the closest airport (about seven miles from Sloan Park) is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Public transportation is somewhat available – from the airport, it’s a combination of using the Valley Metro light rail, transferring to a bus, and taking a short walk.
Since there are under 600 fans or so attending a game, traffic access is not the nightmare it is for a Cubs spring training game. Plenty of parking is available for no charge. Massive numbers of handicapped parking spaces are available. It is easy to get to the area by driving, as it is located near the corner of the Loop 202 Red Mountain and Loop 101 Pima Freeways. If driving to attend a night game, allow extra time due to rush hour on those freeways.
Only the first base gate is open for Fall League games. Clear sports bags (12” x 12” x 6”) or less are allowed. Getting through security is easy: walk through the metal detector (no need to remove items from pockets). Security personnel will stop you to check bags, if needed. The security folks here are much more friendly than at other parks.
Restrooms (including family restrooms) on the first base side concourse are open for AFL games and are kept clean.
Return on Investment 3
Ticket prices have increased for the 2025 season: $14 for adults, $12 for kids 11 - 17 and seniors (60+), and children under 10 get in free.
Parking is still free; food prices are not too bad for a sports venue (and you can bring in your own).
Fans can sit anywhere they want. The AFL sells season ticket packages (single or double), worth the investment if you and/or a friend plan on attending more than 10 or 15 games.
Extras 3
Sloan Park will host both the Home Run Derby and the Fall Stars Game during the 2025 Arizona Fall League season. If you're in town the weekend of November 8, it's well worth a visit.
The merchandise stand (just upon entry to the stadium) provides printed copies of the starting line-up and team rosters. It sells a collection of artfully designed merchandise. The artists who design the t-shirts obviously don’t live in AZ and print everything in black or dark colors, not realizing how HOT it gets here. Offering some shirts in white would be welcomed.
Not playing music while the PA announcer calls the starting lineups or player changes, and only playing between innings, makes the game more enjoyable. It gives fans the ability to have conversations with their neighbors.
Final Thoughts
Attending a Mesa Solar Sox game at Sloan Park is a much more relaxed, uncongested game day experience than seeing a Cubs spring training game. When coming to the area during the fall season, it is worth visiting some AFL games.
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