After Hurricane Milton left Tropicana Field in shambles, the Tampa Bay Rays were tasked with finding a home for the 2025-26 season.
Baseball fans across the whole league were left wondering what was next for the Rays .
The Rays announced on Thursday that they will remain in Tampa, hosting their games at George M Steinbrenner Field — the New York Yankees' spring training facility, and home to their Low-A affiliate Tampa Tarpons.
"We deeply appreciate that the Yankees have graciously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season," the Rays said in a social media post. "The hurricane damage to Tropicana Field has forced us to take some extraordinary steps, just as hurricanes Helene and Milton have forced thousands of families and businesses in our community to adapt to new circumstances as we all recover and rebuild."
Steinbrenner Field is the largest spring training facility in Florida, with a capacity of 11,026.
According to ESPN's 2024 MLB Attendance Report , Tampa Bay ranked 28 out of the 30 major league teams for average fan attendance per game at 16,515. Only the Miami Marlins and Oakland Athletics fell below that mark.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said the Rays-Yankees deal is good for both the sport and the Tampa Bay region.
"This outcome meets Major League Baseball’s goals that Rays fans will see their team play next season in their home market and that their players can remain home without disruption to their families," Manfred said in a news release.
Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on Oct. 9, just 53 miles south of Tropicana Field. The Rays' home since 1998 was devastated after nearly the whole roof was ripped away and water made its way inside.
The city of St. Petersburg released an assessment of the damage and cost of repair which is estimated at $55.7 million if it is to be ready for the 2026 season.
St. Petersburg owns Tropicana Field, so the work would have to be approved by the city council, which voted for a new $1.3 billion stadium earlier this year. The new field would seat 30,000 fans and replace Tropicana Field in 2028.
One thing is certain now: The Rays will call George M. Steinbrenner Field home for the 2025 season.
If you are questioning the difference between the stadiums' sizes, Steinbrenner actually plays longer than Tropicana for the most part.
Steinbrenner Field dimensions:
-
Left field:
318 feet
- Left-center field: 399 feet
- Center field: 408 feet
- Right-center field: 385 feet
- Right field: 314 feet
Tropicana Field:
- Left field: 315 feet
- Left-center field: 370 feet
- Center field: 404 feet
- Right-center field: 370 feet
- Right field: 322 feet
Another concern for the Rays will be the weather, as they will transition from a covered stadium to an outdoor stadium. The rainy Florida summer climate may pose some concerns.
The Tampa Tarpons play their home games at Steinbrenner Field during the summer, so they will have to find facilities elsewhere in the area this season.
Tampa Bay joins division rival Toronto Blue Jays as another team to move their season to a spring training complex. In 2021, the Blue Jays moved their games from Toronto to Dunedin, Florida, due to Canadian government restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rays' principal owner Stuart Sternberg said in an interview that Steinbrenner is the best fit for the team and its fanbase.
"It is singularly the best opportunity for our fans to experience 81 games of major league Rays baseball," Sternberg said. "As difficult as it is to get any of these stadiums up to major league standards, it was the least difficult. You’re going to see Major League Baseball in a small environment."
The Yankees will continue to play their spring training games at Steinbrenner Field this year, and the Rays will continue to use Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte for their workouts and games.
They will need to be ready for regular-season play on March 27 as the Colorado Rockies are slated to make a trip to the Sunshine State for the opening series of the 2025 MLB season, just three days after the Yankees finish training camp.
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