2025 Citrus Series to be held at New York Yankees spring training ballpark

[Ely Sussman]

With Tropicana Field severely damaged by Hurricane Milton and unable to host the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2025 season, the Rays announced on Thursday that their home games will be played at George M. Steinbrenner Field:

Steinbrenner Field was selected as the Rays temporary regular-season home because it is the best-prepared facility in the Tampa Bay region to host regular-season Major League Baseball games. Steinbrenner Field was already undergoing renovations to improve its clubhouse and playing facilities. Recent projects include upgraded field lighting, expanded home locker room space, and improved training and rehabilitation capabilities. It is also the largest spring-training stadium in the region with a capacity of approximately 11,000 patrons. Additional improvements are expected to be made before the regular season to ensure fans continue to have a wonderful experience at Rays games.

Steinbrenner Field is about a 30-minute drive away from Tropicana. It's an outdoor facility, so for the first time in Rays history, they'll inevitably have to deal with rain delays.

The Marlins are scheduled to make their annual visit from June 6-8. Maybe the change of scenery will help them snap out of their Citrus Series slump—they have lost to the Rays in head-to-head competition each of the last six seasons, including a 1-3 record in 2024.