The Tampa Bay Rays will spend the 2025 season at their division rival’s spring training facility, announcing Thursday they’ll play home games at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field after Hurricane Milton destroyed Tropicana Field’s roof.
The unprecedented arrangement came after MLB and the Rays determined the 11,000-seat Yankees facility required the fewest upgrades to meet major league standards. “It is singularly the best opportunity for our fans to experience 81 games of major league Rays baseball,” Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said. “As difficult as it is to get any of these stadiums up to major league standards, it was the least difficult.”
The move faces political headwinds, as Pinellas County commissioners threaten to withhold support for the Rays’ planned $1.3 billion new stadium. “If they play in Hillsborough, I’m a no,” warned Commissioner Chris Latvala.
The Rays averaged 16,515 fans in 2024, making Steinbrenner Field’s capacity a significant constraint. However, the facility offers 13 suites and recently underwent a $40 million renovation. Weather could pose challenges, as the open-air stadium averages 6.4 postponements annually.
“In times like these, rivalry and competition take a back seat to doing what’s right for our community,” said Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner, whose family has deep Tampa roots.
The Yankees’ Class A Tarpons will relocate for 2025 to accommodate the Rays.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred praised the “hard work and collaboration” that kept the Rays in their home market.
The team will return to a repaired Tropicana Field in 2026, with repairs estimated at $55.7 million, before moving to their new stadium in 2028.
The Rays chose Steinbrenner Field over other options including Clearwater’s BayCare Ballpark and Dunedin’s Blue Jays facility. Former Yankee and current Rays catcher Ben Rortvedt endorsed the choice: “The facility is nice…plenty of batting cages and (covered) mounds. It’s one of the nicer facilities I’ve been in.”