This hurricane season has been particularly rough on residents of Florida. Two major hurricanes hit the state in a six-week period.
As Hurricane Milton came ashore on the Gulf Coast of Florida, one of the places that was hit was Tropicana Field – the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. The wind blew the roof off of the stadium.
The Trop will be repaired at the tune of over $50 million but it will not be ready until the 2026 season.
For the 2025 season, the Rays have found a temporary home – George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Steinbrenner Field is the spring training home for the New York Yankees in Tampa, Florida. The Single A team the Tampa Tarpons of the Florida State League also play at Steinbrenner Field.
Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg spoke on finding a temporary home saying “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.’’
When spring training begins in February, the Yankees will use Steinbrenner Field and the Rays will play at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte. The Tarpons will be moving to a new facility to 2025 to accommodate the Rays.
The Rays open on March 27 against the Colorado Rockies. The Rays home to make their 2025 home look and feel as much like home as possible.