Yankees returning to second home as road team in series vs. Rays

Following nan Yankees’ 4-3 triumph complete nan Royals successful nan bid finale, nan Yankees hopped connected a formation backmost to their 2nd home.

Only it won’t beryllium their 2nd location and it will not look arsenic it was near down to commencement nan 2025 season.

The Rays presently inhabit George M. Steinbrenner Field successful Tampa, Fla., since their location stadium successful Saint Petersburg, Tropicana Field, was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton successful October.

The Yankees will return to Tampa for nan first clip this play for a four-game bid against their section rival and Aaron Boone said he has felt excitement from his squad to spot nan caller atmosphere.

“I deliberation we’re excited to get disconnected nan level successful nan mediate of nan nighttime coming into immoderate lukewarm air. That’ll beryllium fun,” Boone said earlier Wednesday’s win. “It’ll beryllium absorbing going back. I’m curious, I’ve seen it connected TV and it looks for illustration a bully situation and everything. So, looking guardant to getting backmost there. Unfortunately, we’ve sewage to spell connected nan visitors broadside but I’m judge it will beryllium a small spot different, a small unique. But I deliberation thing we’re looking guardant to a small bit.”

An overview changeable of George M. Steinbrenner Field during nan Rays-Braves crippled connected April 12, 2025. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The ballpark has since undergone a makeover. The “Yankees” lettering connected nan precocious wall on nan first guidelines statement has been replaced.

The clubhouse sports a ray bluish and yellowish operation of colors pinch a “Home of nan Rays” sign, and nan apical circle logo supra nan scoreboard successful nan outfield has taken connected a “TB.”

Rays lettering has replaced Yankees lettering astatine George M. Steinbrenner Field. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Early play statistic show George M. Steinbrenner Field is much of a hitter’s park.

At nan aforesaid dimensions arsenic Yankee Stadium, it’s presently nan 11th astir violative favorable stadium astatine six percent much favorable than others, according to Baseball Savant’s parkland facet metric.

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As nan play moves on and nan upwind turns warmer successful Florida, nan numbers could increase.

On Tuesday, Boone said he believes nan ballpark is still being figured retired by each squad erstwhile asked if he had heard what it’s for illustration successful nan awesome leagues.

“Anytime you’re astatine a caller ballpark, you effort and make sense,” he said. “Oh, is nan shot going to alert out? Is it not? What’s real? What’s not? I deliberation group are astir apt still trying to make those formulations. You spot a number of location runs deed successful a day, you think, ‘Oh it’s going to be.’ … Well, we’ll see. I mean, that could beryllium nan case, but we’ll see.”