Tampa Bay Rays to play home games at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season
The Rays have a home in Tampa Bay after all...
With Tropicana Field in tatters, the Tampa Bay Rays will move across the bay to Tampa to play their regular season home games throughout the 2025 regular season, moving to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
The Rays stadium was significantly damaged by Hurricane Milton on October 9 and will not be available when the team opens the regular season in late March, with the famous domed canopy of Tropicana Field being ripped apart among the most lasting images of the natural disaster.
Over the past month, there has been rampant debate about what the Rays should do with Tropicana Field and where they should play in the meantime and how these decisions could impact their existing deal to have a new stadium built in time for the 2028 season.
Most recently, several Pinellas County commissioners, led by Chris Latvala, threatened to withhold $312.5 million in new stadium funding if the Rays departed. This move confirms the County’s suspicions that the Rays would choose Hillsborough County for their temporary home, casting doubt on the new Rays stadium’s future.
If the Rays violate the spirit of their own agreement they made with the city/county in July, then I will vote no on the bonds. I represent my constituents first and foremost.
— Chris Latvala (@ComChrisLatvala) November 14, 2024
Read More: Pinellas County threatens to pull stadium funding if Rays leave for 2025-2027 seasons
We do not yet have all of the answers to everything, but at least the question of where Rays home games will occur in 2025 has thankfully been resolved.
The Yankees will continue to play spring training games at Steinbrenner Field in 2025, and the Rays will continue to use Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte for their spring training workouts and games.
According to ESPN, the Class A Tampa Tarpons, who typically play their home games at Steinbrenner Field during the summer, will use baseball diamonds elsewhere in the training complex this season.
According to the Associated Press, the Yankees will receive $15 million, likely from revenue proceeds, to compensate for the team’s use of the stadium.
Why did the Rays choose the Yankees complex?
Steinbrenner Field was selected as the Rays temporary regular-season home because the Rays and MLB believe it is the best-prepared facility in the Tampa Bay region to host regular-season Major League Baseball games.
Steinbrenner Field was already undergoing renovations to improve its clubhouse and playing facilities. Other recent projects include upgraded field lighting, expanded home locker room space, and improved training and rehabilitation capabilities.
It is also the largest spring-training stadium in the region with a capacity of approximately 11,000 patrons (compared to the 8,500 seats at Clearwater’s stadium, also supposedly under consideration). Whether the Rays will be able to expand seating at the Yankees facility was not immediately clear.
The stadium, centrally located in the heart of the Tampa Bay region and formerly known as Legends Field, has some other clear advantages over Pinellas options.
Located on a major road that facilitates access, Steinbrenner Field sits across the street from Raymond James Stadium, which provides ample parking for most games, like when the football stadium is empty. Other stadiums considered in Clearwater and Dunedin are on smaller, primarily residential roads, and would offer the same challenges of accessibility for fans that Tropicana Field faces on a regular basis.
While Steinbrenner Field won’t help the team and its fans avoid rain and heat, that stadium does seem to be more “major league ready” than most other stadiums in the region. Additional improvements are expected to be made before the regular season to ensure fans continue to have a positive experience at Rays games.
Quotes from the Owners & MLB
Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg:
“We deeply appreciate that the Yankees have graciously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season. 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.’’
Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner:
“We are happy to extend our hand to the Rays and their fans by providing a Major League-quality facility for them to utilize this season. Both the Yankees organization and my family have deep roots in the Tampa Bay region, and we understand how meaningful it is for Rays players, employees and fans to have their 2025 home games take place within 30 minutes of Tropicana Field. In times like these, rivalry and competition take a back seat to doing what’s right for our community — which is continuing to help families and businesses rebound from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.’’
Commissioner of Baseball Robert Manfred:
“Given the significant challenges caused by Hurricane Milton, I appreciate the hard work and collaboration between the two teams that allowed the Rays to make the best decision for next season. 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.”
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Ticket information for 2025 Rays home games at Steinbrenner Field and other details will be forthcoming. Join the interest list by visiting raysbaseball.com/2025Interest.