The Tampa Bay Rays will play all 81 of their home games in 2025 at George M. Steinbrenner Field after Hurricane Milton caused extensive damage to their permanent home, Tropicana Field.
Hurricane Milton devastated Florida last month and caused $55.7 million in damage to Tropicana Field on October 9.
The goal is to have it ready for the start of the 2026 season in just under 17 months.
Steinbrenner Field is the nearby spring training stadium of the New York Yankees with a capacity of around 11,000.
It is located 34 kilometers from Tropicana Field, which is located on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. Steinbrenner Field is in the city of Tampa itself, marking the first time the Rays will play regular season games within the city limits in their name.
Some have argued that repairs to Tropicana Field are unnecessary since the work would have to be approved by the city council, which earlier this year voted for a new $1.3 billion, 30,000-seat stadium to replace the stadium’s permanent home. the Rays starting in 2028. .
Extensive damage to Tropicana Field has caused the Rays to find a new home for 2025
Tampa Bay will play its home games at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ spring home
The Rays were left with limited options to find a stadium capable of hosting a major league team within four months.
Steinbrenner Field was built as a home away from the Bronx for the Yankees, and some parts mimic Yankee Stadium.
The Rays’ home opener is scheduled for March 27 against the Colorado Rockies, three days after spring training ends for New York.
Tampa Bay, which plays in a smaller stadium, will be the second MLB team to drastically reduce its crowd size for next season.
The franchise formerly known as the Oakland Athletics has temporarily relocated to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, which can seat about 14,000 fans.
The A’s will permanently move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season after three years in Northern California.