The Yankees are helping the rival Rays stay in Tampa for 2025 after their stadium was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton.
The Rays will play their home games at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ spring training home.
They chose Steinbrenner Field, which has a fan capacity of 11,026, over the Phillies’ complex in Clearwater, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Steinbrenner Field is also home to the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons.
“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,” Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement, per MLB.com. “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.’’
Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the domed stadium where the Rays have played since their inception in 1998, was critically impacted by the hurricane last month, with many of the roof panels completely destroyed.
The stadium is unplayable for the entire 2025 season, though it can be ready for 2026 with $55.7 million in repairs, according to a 412-page report released Tuesday by the City of St. Petersburg.
Plans were previously in place for the Rays to get a new $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg for the 2028 season.
“We deeply appreciate that the Yankees have graciously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season,” Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement. “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 the new circumstances as we all recover and rebuild.”
The Rays’ average attendance this year was 16,515, the third-lowest mark in MLB ahead of the Marlins (13,425) and Athletics (11,528.)