WORCESTER, Mass. - Excitement is building around Polar Park as the Worcester Red Sox prepare for Opening Day on Friday.

WooSox President Dr. Charles Steinberg is expecting a great crowd when two-time World Series champion Jackie Bradley Jr. takes the mound to throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

“Opening Day is like a secular holiday,” Steinberg said. “It’s one where you stop what you’re doing and say ‘Yes, spring has arrived.”

The 2025 season will be the WooSox’ fifth in Worcester, enough time for certain things to become tradition, like hearing the organ echo throughout Polar Park, sticking around for a fireworks show, or stopping by the WooSox store.

“I love when we can have that impact on children today, and you want to make someone fall in love with baseball,” Steinberg said. “That’s so much a part of what we do. The other part is to remind someone of where, when, why and how they fell in love with baseball.”

Steinberg said most players on the team are living in the Canal District, and with progress being made on some of the developments in the surrounding area, he believes the game itself is increasingly becoming just one aspect of a trip to Polar Park.

“You’ve got flatbread coming, you’ve got a bowling alley coming, but a lot of new housing right here in the Canal District as well,” Steinberg said. “It’s a critical mass that’s really creating the feel of a cool downtown neighborhood.”

The team is also excited about the new ‘Royal Wooters Club’ featuring a climate-controlled lounge for season ticket holders to enjoy games comfortably regardless of the weather. The lounge also features a pool table formerly inside Fenway Park and later used at the home of late WooSox Chairman Larry Lucchino.

First pitch on Friday vs. the Syracuse Mets is scheduled for 3:05.