The Tampa Bay Rays were part of some devastating news last week as Hurricane Milton hit the Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg area of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Their home ballpark, Tropicana Field, suffered major damage to its roof, leaving just a small portion remaining.
Upon evaluating the damage to the ballpark, the Tampa Bay Times reported that Tropicana Field will not be ready for action on the opening day of 2025, which is scheduled for Mar. 27.
Tropicana Field will not be ready for the Opening Day on March 27 due to damage sustained during Hurricane Milton, per @TBTimes_Rays.
Where the Rays will play in 2025 is TBD. pic.twitter.com/MoHjYP83z4
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 15, 2024
This means the Rays will have to look for a new home before next season. Here are five possible places Tampa Bay could play for the 2025 season.
The first place the Rays could call home is George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, about 30 minutes from Tropicana Field as you head into Tampa.
The ballpark is home to the New York Yankees for spring training and the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate. The Tarpons could provide some scheduling issues for the Rays, as both seasons occur simultaneously.
Tampa Bay also does not have to worry about spring training conflicts with New York since its facility in Port Charlotte, Fla., only received minor damage, according to Tampa Bay Times writer Marc Topkin.
Steinbrenner Field is possible due to its proximity to the Tampa area, allowing fans, players, coaches, etc., less worries about traveling to home games. The ballpark is also the largest spring training facility in Florida by capacity, meaning the Rays can get more fans into it than other places.
This facility is right by Tropicana Field in downtown St. Pete and is normally home to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the area’s United Soccer League team.
However, Al Lang Stadium was a ballpark until the Rowdies started using it in 2011. It was the long-time home of spring training for the St. Louis Cardinals and was the first spring training home for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Although the USL and MLB seasons coincide, the Rowdies’ home games could be spaced out enough to plan around when the Rays would play. This, along with a short distance from Tropicana Field, provides a great possibility for a new place for Tampa Bay to play in 2025.
The Rays spring training facility also seems appropriate for their 2025 home. The only other teams that share the facility are Tampa Bay’s rookie class Complex League teams.
Port Charlotte is about one hour and twenty minutes from St. Petersburg. Although it is not an ideal distance from the Tampa Bay area to relocate, Charlotte Sports Park did not suffer much damage from Hurricane Milton.
This facility is familiar to the Rays organization as it has used it for a spring training home since 2009. A move here makes sense for familiarity’s sake, as no other major sports teams from other leagues share the ballpark.
Another possible location for the Rays to play in for 2025 is up I-4 in Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex played host to the Rays’ 2023 spring training when Hurricane Ian damaged Charlotte Sports Park.
The Stadium, as it’s called, is a 9,500-capacity ballpark with two tiers of seating and four luxury sky boxes. It can accommodate a lot of fans, making it ideal for Tampa Bay.
Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex normally hosts youth baseball tournaments throughout the year.
A downside to The Stadium is that it is in Orlando, a considerable distance from St. Petersburg. However, its capacity makes it an interesting selection.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: A general view of George M. Steinbrenner Field during a Spring Training game between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies on March 19, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
