Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, reopened this season following a $60 million renovation prompted by extensive damage from Hurricane Milton in October 2024. The Tampa Bay Rays hosted the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night, marking the team’s return after nearly 18 months away from their longtime home stadium.
Hurricane Milton severely impacted Tropicana Field, tearing off portions of the roof and causing significant structural harm. This forced the Rays to relocate their 2025 home games to Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training facility for the New York Yankees. The subsequent renovation focused primarily on replacing the roof and repairing the stadium’s facilities to restore it for major league play.
The Rays, who have played at Tropicana Field since their inception in 1998, remain attached to the stadium despite its distinctive and unconventional architecture. The venue is notable for its concrete exterior, expansive sloping dome, and notably cavernous interior. Additionally, the ballpark features a unique system of four circular steel catwalks that suspend beneath the non-retractable roof. These catwalks sometimes affect game play, as balls striking the lower two catwalks are ruled home runs, while contact with the upper two leaves the ball in play.
While Tropicana Field has often drawn criticism for lackluster attendance—ranking 28th in the league with 1.4 million fans last season—the postseason atmosphere has been markedly different. A sellout crowd of more than 40,000 energized the Rays in Monday’s game, waving towels and ringing cowbells in support. The Rays’ fans have created a notably spirited environment during the playoffs, including a vocal showing during the American League Division Series against the Yankees.
The current World Series matchup finds the Brewers leading the series 2-0, two victories shy of their first-ever championship. The Rays, in their 29th season, must win four of the remaining games to claim their inaugural title.
Amid the ongoing postseason, the Rays’ future in St. Petersburg is already in question. A new ownership group, led by real estate developer Patrick Zalupski, recently secured county approval for a $2.3 billion project to build a new 31,000-seat stadium located in Tampa, near the NFL’s Buccaneers’ home. This planned venue, targeted for completion in 2029, is being promoted by the team as their “forever home,” situated within a mixed-use entertainment district.
Despite the anticipated move, players and fans continue to embrace Tropicana Field’s idiosyncrasies. Second baseman Richie Palacios expressed enthusiasm about the home ballpark, noting the team’s strong performance there during the regular season. The Rays and Brewers owned identical best home records in 2025, each finishing 55-26.
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy acknowledged the distinctiveness of the Trop’s playing environment, emphasizing that adapting to its unique characteristics is part of competing at the major league level. As the Rays look ahead to their new stadium, current postseason battles unfold amid the familiar surroundings of their resilient and unconventional home field.