Rays reveal temporary home for 2025 season

The Rays have decided on their temporary home for the 2025 season: George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. Steinbrenner Field is the spring training home of the Yankees and the regular season home of the Tampa Tarpons, New York’s Single-A affiliate. Colleen Wright and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times were the first to report the news.

The Rays explained their decision, describing Steinbrenner Field as “the best-prepared facility in the Tampa Bay region to host regular-season Major League Baseball games” (per Topkin). Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner weighed in on the decision with his own statement:

“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.”

The Yankees will continue to play their spring games at Steinbrenner Field, per the league, and the Rays will be business as usual in March, hosting their games at their annual home in Port Charlotte.

Concerning the regular season, Tim Kephart of the Associated Press reports that the Tarpons will use other fields at the spring facility. Upgrades will be made to the stadium before Opening Day to “ensure fans continue to have a wonderful experience,” per the league’s press release. Recent improvements have already been made to the facility, including upgraded lighting, a larger home locker room, and improved training and rehab setups. According to Kephart, the Yankees will receive an additional $15M in revenue for agreeing to host the Rays in 2025. That won’t come at the cost of the Rays’ revenue but rather insurance and other yet-unreported avenues.