The Tampa Bay Rays have decided where they will play their home games in 2025. They will play at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida according to Leo Morgenstern of mlbtraderumors.com. The reason why the Rays will not play at Tropicana Field next season is because their stadium was damaged due to Hurricane Milton.
Damage to the Stadium
There was serious damage to the fibreglass roof of Tropicana Field last month. The cost to repair the stadium is $55 million, and it is expected to be ready for the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
Why George M. Steinbrenner Field?
The Rays are using George M. Steinbrenner Field because the stadium is in Tampa, and is the largest spring training facility in the state of Florida. It is also the New York Yankees’s spring training facility, and home of the Yankees’s single A affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons. It is expected that the Tarpons will play in another facility in 2025 and not share George M. Steinbrenner Field with the Rays according to Adam Berry of mlb.com.
No change for Spring Training
The Yankees will continue to use George M. Steinbrenner Field for its spring training games. Meanwhile, the Rays will continue to play at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida.
Upgrades at George M. Steinbrenner Field
There will be upgrades at George M. Steinbrenner Field to meet Major League Baseball standards. There were already recent renovations made to improve the lighting structure, locker rooms and training facility.
Attendance woes
Historically, despite putting an excellent and competitive product on the field, the Rays have struggled when it comes to attendance. They had the third worst attendance in baseball this past season, averaging 16,515 spectators. Only the Miami Marlins at an average of 13,425 fans, and the Oakland Athletics at an average of 11, 528 fans were worse. Next season Oakland will be playing its games in Sacramento, as the organization prepares for a move to Las Vegas.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
